BSA - A voice of the Fans - celebrates 10 years

In the Summer of 1999 Karl Oyston asked fans group BISA to come under the club's umbrella and scrap its status as an independent supporters group. A delegation of the group met with Karl Oyston to discuss the proposals, the committee made it clear by a big majority that they would favour more formal links. But organisers reckoned a ballot of all BISA members was likely to prove much closer.

On the 6th July 1999 BISA spokesman Neil Marsh said: "The deadline for getting the ballot papers back to us has gone, and the count will be made tomorrow night. "We have had about 170 replies from a membership of around the 400 mark. It is too difficult to say what the result is likely to be. "I think it will be close." he said.

Headlines in the Gazette the following day reported Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston was given a massive boost today when Seasiders fans group BISA voted overwhelmingly to scrap its independence and accept Mr Oyston's offer to become the club's official supporters group.

When BISA broke the news they showed that 75 per cent of its members who voted HAD opted to join forces with the club. The turnout was slightly disappointing, with only 184 votes - 46 per cent of BISA'S membership - representing about five per cent of the Seasiders 3,500-4,000 core support. But the message from those who voted was emphatic. And BISA was due speak to Mr Oyston today with a view to setting up the new group. BISA member Francis Charlesworth, who was in favour of becoming the club's official fans group, said the result was good news for fans. "This result reflects the opinion of the majority of the BISA committee and suggests the need for the club and its fans to work more closely to help bring more stability and hopefully success to our great club.

"As an official supporters association we should have closer links with Blackpool FC. This can only benefit our membership. "We realise many fans have misgivings regarding certain stadium and player issues. And I can assure those supporters that we will do all in our power to keep those issues to the forefront. "Blackpool Football Club has been in formed of the ballot result, and a meeting between ourselves and Karl Oyston will be set up to discuss the outcome and our future plans." said Mr Charlesworth.

But fellow BISA member Ashley Knowles, who was in favour of retaining the group's independence, said he was disappointed fans had voted to go in with the club. Mr Knowles had threatened to resign over the issue but was persuaded by fellow committee members to stay on as BSA attempts to keep on board members with a wide range of opinions. Reacting to the result, Mr Knowles said today: "In the absence of any concrete proposals on any stadium development, or redevelopment, being made public by Karl Oyston I would have preferred our organisation to remain independent.

"The vote has been totally democratic as were the four fans surveys earlier in the year that delivered an 80 per cent preference among Blackpool fans for the Oyston family to relinquish control of the club.

"I am not at all surprised by the result. I am sure most Blackpool fans just want to enjoy supporting the team as opposed to becoming involved with the more complex is sues as to who owns the club or when. where, and if a new stadium will he built.

'A new season is upon us and with that comes the normal wave of optimism even though we are one of the bookmakers favourites for relegation to Division Three. "Even if we do perform a Walsall-style miracle and win promotion this season we would go straight back down the following year as we do not have the club infrastructure to support Division One football.

"Karl Oyston has been at the helm for long enough to have submitted a planning application and associated business plan by now And many supporters remain sceptical that Mr Oyston is merely playing a holding role until his father is released from jail."

However the following day it was reported that a RIFT among Blackpool fans looked to be developing over a supporters' group's decision to scrap its independence in favour of joining forces with the club.

A small group of disillusioned members of the Blackpool Independent Supporters Association were due to meet with a view to retaining their independence by forming a rival organisation.

But far from being critical of the move, BISA said they understood fans concerns. And they said they would look to work alongside any rival group for the benefit of Blackpool FC. Earlier after BISA members this week voted by 75 per cent to accept football club chairman Karl Oyston's offer of coming under the club's umbrella one of the group's founder members today hit out at their decision.

Martin Booker, who helped set up BISA back in 1996, says the whole ethos of the group was to be independent from the club. As a founder member I am very disappointed that they have decided to jump in with the club. There is no reason why they could not have had a good relationship with the football club and retained their independence," he said.

"The whole point of setting it up in the first place was to have an independent group who could represent the fans. Now the supporters club has become part of the club there is a danger it will be controlled by the club.

"The culture throughout the country is for more and more independent supporters clubs to set up who are not officially tied to a club. 'And what is disappointing is that BISA has given up its independence just because someone has said a few nice things. There has been nothing concrete to prompt this, he said.

Mr Booker added that he was not being critical of the way BISA had been run since he took a back seat from the organisation more than a year ago. He said the group had been successful in many areas.

Reacting to the news that a rival organisation may be set up, BISA spokesman Francis Charlesworth said he accepted other fans' points of view.

"We perfectly understand the situation. We are trying to get a bigger fan base. And if that means other groups are set up, as long as we are on the same side in that we want Blackpool FC to succeed then we will be happy to work alongside them," said Mr Charlesworth.

In the event six months after the BSA Association was formed a new supporters pressure group with a membership did emerge under the name of Real Progess (Not connected with the former fans group "Progress" in the early 90's) its aims were broadly to keep pressure on the club to fulfil its timescale and promises both on and off the field with investment in new stadia and significant resources to be made available on the playing side.

It may have been a difficult birth when BSA emerged a decade ago but today with Honorary President Jimmy Armfield OBE its well established as the club's official Supporters Association which over the years has tried if arguably not always succesfully to live up to its own ideal of being "A voice of the Fans"

However what cannot be faulted has been the tireless work of its committee in the number of excellent schemes they have been part of or supported over the last 10 years. Amongst others the Jimmy Armfield 70th birthday celebration dinner and the Gareth Evans testimonial fund the excellent Hall of Fame, Fans Forums, Quiz nights, footie tournaments, Weekends away etc etc and many more which have brought great credit to both the Association, supporters and not least the club itself.

The BSA website can be found at: http://www.bsaweb.info/default.aspx