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6/12/2001

SEASIDERS chairman Karl Oyston has confirmed that the fans will determine how quickly the multi-million pound development of Bloomfield Road progresses.
Ahead of tonight?s clash against high-flying Brentford, Oyston told The Gazette that ? bar the Northampton match ? he has been delighted with the attendances.
He confirmed that if the crowds stay at the level they were against Port Vale on Saturday, then he would have no choice but to rush on with the building of a new South Stand.
The number of Pool fans attending home games has been on the up since the dramatic drop between the first and second games in the new stadium.
There were 7,175 home fans against Huddersfield, 6,059 for Tranmere and 6,073 against Port Vale. Only the Northampton figure of 4,713 is disappointing.
?It was a superb atmosphere on Saturday and if we can generate that each week then there?s nothing to hold us back,? said Oyston.
?We may end up in the position where the attendances mean the South Stand will be built rather than anything else.?
?That would be very nice. I think we pitched the capacity about right, just short of 8,000 for the first phase, and if we can keep filling the place up obviously we?ll have to build some more.?

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14 January 2003

SEASIDERS chairman Karl Oyston has promised the redevelopment of the South Stand WILL go ahead ? but insisted he won't be pressured into making any rash decisions.

Oyston revealed that plans are at an advanced stage and said he spent yesterday locked in talks about the project.
But the chairman vowed he would make an announcement only when the time is right and all plans for the new multi-million pound stand have been finalised.
"One or two vociferous and un-informed supporters might be shouting and screaming about lack of progress but I will make an announcement when there is something to say," Oyston stated.
"There is no point me doing anything before decisions have been made. I won't be pressured into making promises or guarantees, and that applies to everything connected with the football club, not just the South Stand.
"But the South Stand will go ahead.
"I was in a meeting about it yesterday and progress is being made. A lot of my time and Peter Whitehead's time is taken up with the South Stand project.
"It is something we are still committed to but we can't rush into things. There are still matters to be resolved and we can't make an official announcement until everything is finalised."

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KARL Oyston has revealed Pool would have to be "going very well in the First Division" before the club considers building a new East Stand.

Plans for the South Stand are still continuing apace but the demolition and replacement of the East Paddock is still a long way off.
That's because any new East stand would have to be funded wholly from the football rather than the business side of the club? and that means the Seasiders must be successful enough on the pitch for the building work to be done.
"The East is a proposition we've not really looked at too much," Oyston explained. "It's a straightforward cost with no alternative income and the decision to build that as it stands, with the current planning consent, would be solely a football decision.
"So we'd have to be going very well in the first division to even consider building that one.
"The South is a completely different kettle of fish. There's other income we can obtain from the South. It makes more sense in other ways to build that one."
Asked if there was any news about when work on the South Stand might begin, Oyston said: "There's lots going on but again I'm not going to make any rash statements.
"It will happen as soon as we can make it happen but we're working very hard towards that goal."
Oyston added: "I think I would see getting the South Stand done as some form of completion."

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1/4/2003

STAND AND DELIVER!

Pool set for next phase of duo's 3-year dream

BLACKPOOL director Peter Whitehead today reflected on the latest step of the mission to create a Seasiders super stadium.
Along with chairman Karl Oyston, the pair have already splashed out ?7m on new North and West stands and will this week begin the latest part of the dream ? demolition of the eyesore East stand.
A 2,000 capacity temporary stand will be erected in its place to house away fans. When that is completed ? probably by the start of the season ? work will begin on demolishing and rebuilding a new South Stand.
Whitehead, who joined the Pool board after meeting Oyston at a Blackpool-Preston match almost four years ago, admitted the start of the latest work would be a pivotal moment.
"It is very satisfying," he said. "When I arrived at this club three and a half years ago myself and Karl sat down with a blank piece of paper and drew out a plan, and looked at the finances.
"We knew what we were trying to do was going to be a big job but we always felt confident we could achieve it. There is still a long way to go, but ? particularly when we actually start work on the South Stand ? it will be a good feeling because we know we will have broken the back of it. At that point we will be more than half way there.
"A lot of people, such as the stadium manager John Turner, have been working very hard towards making this happen and we're pleased with the progress we have made."
When the bulldozers arrive at Bloomfield Road in the next few days it will signal the start of a frenetic period of work.
As well as the work inside the stadium, a new car park will be constructed behind the North Stand.
Ballast ? who built the North and West stands ? won't be employed this time. Instead the club will oversee the job themselves, employing sub-contractors and various specialist firms to carry out specific work.
The timetable of events this summer is: demolition of East Stand; erection of temporary stand; then ? when the necessary safety certificates have been obtained for the temporary standing ? rebuilding of the South.
The club will take their time with the work, safe in the knowledge that if needs be they can use the temporary stand all season to house visiting supporters.
When bigger visiting teams, like Sheffield Wednesday, arrive at Bloomfield, extra sections can be added to the temporary stand to allow more opposition supporters in.
The eventual plan is to complete all four sides of the ground, giving a total capacity of almost 20,000, but Oyston said the club would have to be "going very well in the First Division" before a new East stand will be built.
"We haven't finalised the long-term strategy of the East Stand yet," confirmed Whitehead. "That is something that is connected to the borough council's plans for the redevelopment of Blackpool's central corridor."
The first phase of the ambitious project to turn the ramshackle old ground into a state-of-the-art arena was finished in February 2002 when the new North and West stands were unveiled in front of a packed house against Huddersfield.
It ended over 20 years of misery for Blackpool fans who had had to suffer a seemingly endless on-off stadium saga.

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25 June 2003

SEASIDERS chairman Karl Oyston will NOT name an opening date for the new South Stand ? to avoid the problems which haunted the North and West openings, writes STEVE CANAVAN.

Then, Pool promised fans the new stands would be opening on specific dates only to be hit by several delays.
When the stands finally opened in February 2002, they were months behind schedule.
This time the chairman is ensuring there will be no repeat by adopting an attitude of "it will be done when it's done.
"We absolutely will not name a completion date or will be pushed on that in any way, shape or form," he stressed.
"We'll do it at the right deal and the right pace for the club so we will get the best possible deal and the best possible quality.
"My hope is that it is completed as soon as we can physically complete it without putting undue strain on the club or doing too many bad deals with the contractors who are going to do the job."
Work on demolishing and rebuilding the South Stand will begin as soon as the East Stand has been flattened ? work that is due to start in the next week ? and a temporary stand to house visiting supporters has been erected.
After already building the North and West stands, Oyston has the experience of knowing what's involved ?something he says which will be invaluable.
"The experience of doing the other stands has certainly made it easier for us this time," said Oyston.
"It was a very big step for the club to knock down stands and start the building process.
"But obviously we learned a lot from that and now we want to finish the job."
The demolition work and the building of the new South Stand is expected to cost between ?2 and ?3m.
The temporary stand on the East side will have a capacity of 1,833 and will be 12 rows deep (to give an idea of how big that is, the West Stand is 20 rows deep).

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After 20 years of frustration and misery, Seasiders fans are finally beginning to believe that they will get the new stadium they have coveted for so long.
Chairman KARL OYSTON has announced that work on the South Stand is to begin this summer just 15 months after the ?7m north and West stands opened.
Speaking to The gazette's Steve Cnanvan about the latest venture, plus the demolition of the east Stand and the rection of a temporary standd, oyston outlined his vision for the future.

Is this the end of an era as far as Bloomfield Road the ground is concerned?
The balance of the old stadium will largely be gone. Only the North East floodlights will remain so yes and it's good news.

Why has it taken so long?
I don't know if it has been a long time coming. Myself and Director Peter Whitehead have not been here that long. We've taken things as quickly and as sensibly as we've been able. Obviously I'd like to see the whole place finished as quickly as possible but in the real world things don't happen as quickly as that.

Will there be a delay between demolishing the East and South Stands?
There won't be any stop-start. The demolition contractors will more or less just work their way round from the North East corner through to the South West corner and take everything out. Then we'll be left with the temporary standing to house the visiting supporters, with catering and toilet facilities.

What will the effect be on local residents?
The residents of Back Henry Street should be pleased because their environment will significantly improve as it also will for the residents of Seymour Road, Bloomfield Road and ? more importantly ? the entrance into Blackpool.
I think the South Stand has become more of an embarrassment to the town that it has perhaps ever been and we really feel the time is right to flatten it and start the construction of the new one.

What other work will take place?
As part of this package we're also resurfacing and raising the level of the North Stand car park which will then be marked and ready for action, also creating a bit of car parking where the East Stand is now for office use and function use throughout the week.

Ballast were employed to build the North and West stands. What is happening this time?
It's not the same package as last time where we employed a major contractor. There will also be no time constraint whereas last time I felt that the quality of the final product in certain areas suffered because the contractors were really running against the clock all the time. So we want to remove that potential problem.
It means we as a club will have more control and will also get a better quality job for the right price.

What will the capacity be next season, with no South Stand but a temporary East Stand for visiting supporters?
The temporary stand puts our capacity to about 11,000 initially and it can be used indefinitely. We're building into the plans, in discussion with the council, that we can extend that if we get a big game, a cup match or whatever.
We can just add to the temporary stand. There will be 1,833 seats in the temporary stand but we can add on and get about 3,000 in. It will be approximately 12 rows deep ? that compares to 20 rows deep in the West Stand

How much will the work cost?
It will cost between ?2 and ?3m. We are creating a vast area of floor space ? roughly 50,000 feet ? within just the South Stand and the South West corner and our hope is that those areas will be rented out and that will fund more work.

Office space within the North and West stands being let out has helped fund the South Stand construction. Does the construction of a new East Stand therefore depend on office space within the South Stand being let?
No, that won't make a difference with the East. The East Stand has always been solely a football issue while the South has been a property/football issue.

Does that mean you will build the East when you get higher crowds?
Yes.

How will the stadium look for the opening home game?
A big mess probably! I won't know how the timescale is going to go. We've had permission to retain and use the South Stand for the friendly games if we need to and we will see how it goes.
The demolition contractors don't hang around. The East Stand is mostly concrete and steel so it shouldn't take them too long.

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THE Seasiders temporary East Stand could be in place for up to five years.

A new ?2m South Stand will gradually be built throughout the course of the next two seasons.
But Pool chairman Karl Oyston is in no hurry to begin work on the East side of the ground and is satisfied that the temporary stand will be an adequate substitute for a lengthy period .
Oyston told The Gazette the stand may be there for "two to five years", which means it will be a while yet before all four sides of the new-look Bloomfield Road are completed.
The chairman meanwhile admitted he was "disappointed" that the East side couldn't be opened for the recent visit of Barnsley.
The stand was in place but didn't fulfil all the safety requirements. It meant Pool were forced to house a reduced number of visiting fans in the West Stand ? a move that cost the club several thousand pounds in lost gate receipts.
Work is still continuing on the temporary structure and it has yet to get the required safety certificates.
But Oyston hopes it will be up and running for the visit of Bournemouth next weekend, which will be a trial run for the big test ? when Premiership Birmingham come to town in the Carling Cup on Tuesday September 23.
Asked if he was disappointed the East stand failed to open against Barnsley, Oyston replied: "It's always disappointing but you've got to look at things over the long term.
"That stand could be with us for the next two to five years. Of course it's disappointing when things aren't ready on time but we are governed by safety rules, police, football licensing authority and so on.
"For absolutely the right reasons we weren't in a position to open that stand.
"I'm hoping that it will be open for the Bournemouth game but again, if everything is not right and not in place and the relevant authorities aren't happy with the safety aspects, then it won't open. But we're getting pretty close now.
"To be fair I think it's been a lot bigger job than maybe we thought, a lot of unforeseen elements. But overall I'm very happy with the progress and like I say it is going to be there for a long time so we've got to get it right."

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THE South Stand took a step closer to being built today after the Seasiders signed a major deal to bring in extra cash.

Blackpool's Primary Care Trust team is relocating from its existing HQ in Wesham to Bloomfield Road, letting out office space within the West and North Stands.
After months of negotiation, contracts have been signed ? and the deal will earn the football club an estimated ?360,000 a year.
"It is a boost for the overall development of the ground," confirmed Pool director Peter Whitehead today.
Asked if it would enable building work on the new South Stand to begin, Whitehead said: "It moves it a step closer. We still need to sort out a certain amount of pre-letting space within the Southern section and I am on with that at the moment.
"But certainly the completion of the Primary Care Trust deal is very important to us."
The Trust will move to Bloomfield Road next year and is taking 40,000 square feet of office space.
Meanwhile, Whitehead and chairman Karl Oyston were heading for Bradford today to attend a meeting of Football League chairman.
The Seasiders squad are back in training ahead of Saturday's trip to Peterborough.
The only injury doubt is Steve Daviswho is still shaking off a bout of flu though he is expected to be fit.

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04 December 2003

UNLESS capacity crowds start flocking to watch the Seasiders, the South Stand won't be built until more businesses move to Bloomfield Road.

Chairman Karl Oyston has outlined the plans for the new ?2m stand ? and says the club won't make the same mistakes as last time.
He is referring to the construction of the North and West stands, when the search for tenants to occupy the office space within did not begin until building had been completed.
This time tenants will be attracted before building work starts.
The only way the plan will alter is if Pool are forced to start building a new South Stand because of fan pressure.
"If we were to get capacity crowds every week, then we could go ahead with building the South side," explained Oyston. "Then it would become a football issue rather than a property issue.
"But that doesn't seem as though it is going to happen, so at the moment it is a property issue."
"The vast majority of phase one, the North and West stands, will be occupied when the Primary Care Trust move in.
"The only remaining available space will be two units on the ground floor of the North Stand.
"There are a couple of other small areas which are unoccupied but they are not meaningful space.
"As each stage goes by, barriers are removed from attracting tenants to the South Stand.
"It would be wrong to say that we need to pre-let all the space within the South Stand before we actually build the South Stand.
"It doesn't have to be like that, although that is almost certainly the way we will do it because we don't want to build anything else on spec.
"When we were doing the North and West Stands, we built them and then set about letting out the space within. We want to do it the right way round this time."
It is clear, then, that the construction of a new South Stand is still some considerable time away.
But the temporary East Stand, which is being used by visiting supporters in the absence of a South Stand, has proved such a success that Oyston won't mind.
"I am pleased with the way it's going," he replied, when asked about the East Stand. "The only thing we need to sort out at the East side of the ground is to make sure the away supporters have access from Bloomfield Road.
"At the moment, they go in and out of the ground from Back Henry Street. We are changing that to make sure they gain entry and go out onto Bloomfield Road. That's not on police advice, it's just common sense."

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13 January 2004

REVISED planning permission for a South Stand at Bloomfield Road was last night passed by Blackpool Council.
Permission for a three storey stand had previously been agreed but it has now been revised to include a fourth storey.
"It means the stand will be about one metre higher than the North and West sides," said director Peter Whitehead.#
"There are still some other loose ends to be tied up but we are continuing to get closer to a position where we can begin construction."

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9 June 2004

Working here is no Summer Holiday

THE hard work starts now.

THE construction of the Jimmy Armfield South Stand will start in February.

Seasiders chief Karl Oyston has announced that the long-awaited ?2m development is finally ready to get off the ground and construction workers are on standby to start the job.
The chairman won't commit himself on a finishing date for the venture, so it's impossible to say whether it will be open for the start of next season.
Oyston does not want to burden himself with the same problems he had with the North and West stands, when an opening date was set and then had to be postponed several times.
When it is done, the stand will add another 2,000 to the capacity and see three sides of the new-look Bloomfield Road completed. The North and West sides of the ground were redeveloped at the cost of ?7m and opened in February 2002.
"There is a lot of work going into it at the moment and it is pretty much our main objective at this time," said Oyston.
"We are trying to push it forward. It won't be Ballast (who built the other stands) but professionals have been appointed to build it.
Right
"The way we will do it will give us flexibility on timescale so I won't say that it will be done for the start of next season. One of the reasons we are doing it the way we are is so we can control the pace of the construction. I'm going to get it right that's the most important thing.
"It will be attached to the West stand so there will be a south-west corner. The only slight alteration is that there will be two rows of windows looking out on to the pitch, whereas in the North and West Stand there is one row.
"That could be for executive use or it could be to let out. For example, the windows which look out of the North Stand are the offices now occupied by the Primary Health Care Trust ? they continue to move in there as we speak."
Oyston and director Peter Whitehead are spending the majority of their time putting the finishing touches to the plans. They are also working hard to secure lucrative sub-letting deals to ensure the club continues to remain in a healthy financial position.
They want to encourage companies to move into office space within the stand ? the Primary Health Care Trust is paying an estimated ?360,000 a year for its offices in the North Stand.
When the South Stand is completed it will house visiting supporters, who are currently open to the elements in a temporary stand on the east side of the ground.
The long term plan is to complete all four sides and raise the capacity to almost 20,000. However, Oyston has said that the club would have to be "going very well" in the Championship before a new East Stand is built.
But even three sides of a new-look Bloomfield Road is a massive boost for Seasiders' fans, who had to suffer disappointments galore for more than 20 years during a seemingly endless on-off stadium saga.
Whitehead, who in his role as director has helped the stadium dream become reality, has said: "It is very satisfying. When I arrived at this club three and a half years ago Karl and I sat down with a blank piece of paper and drew out a plan.
"We knew what we were trying to do was going to be a big job but we always felt confident we could achieve it. There is still a long way to go but ? particularly when we actually start work on the South Stand ? it will be good."

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13 September 2005

SEASIDERS chairman Karl Oyston has dismissed rumours he is on the verge of quitting Blackpool FC and vowed his interest is "as strong as ever".

The appointment of the club's first ever chief executive Peter Orr had sparked speculation that Oyston was ready to end his six-year tenure as Pool chief. But in an interview with The Gazette he said that was not the case.
Oyston says he has brought the new man on board to allow him to concentrate on the South Stand development, and insisted he is still committed to taking the club forward.
"I am still as keen and committed to the club as ever but because of all that is going on I think I just need to extract myself from the bulk of it and concentrate on other things," he said.
"I thought it was important I took a step back from day-to-day management.
"I think I have probably gone as far as I can get with it now and we need someone with a fresh set of ideas to drive it on in the areas that it needs driving. That's really the motivation for what we've done. The best thing for me to concentrate my efforts on is on something I can do and something I can make a difference on and that is to develop the hotel and the pub (on the old Tangerine club land) and the South Stand.
"You can only spread yourself so thinly and the day-to-day management, along with the undertaking of those three projects is probably too much, especially with all the other things I'm involved in."
Asked if there was any truth in the rumours he was about to sell, Oyston replied: "There are always rumours at a football club. But if I answered rumours I would be doing nothing else.
"I'll say what I've said many times before. In order to sell anything you need to have someone prepared to buy and as things stand there is no one prepared to buy it.

"So the situation has not altered and if it does you will be the first to know."
The new chief exec will initially oversee the PR side of the club and try to improve customer relations.
Oyston will continue to liaise with manager Colin Hendry and orchestrate the football side ? though he eventually plans to make that Orr's responsibility as well.
Oyston added: "I just think there are skills that are needed now to push a lot of areas of the business forward.
"We need someone in who is consistently here all the time and who can put the benefits that the club gives to the community out better than what I did. Peter can do that.
"If we've got any serious ambitions to move up to the division above, which we have, then I think we needed to become a little bit more professional."

KARL Oyston has promised that no money will be taken out of the football club to pay for the huge hotel and pub development next to the ground.

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7 February 2006

BLACKPOOL FC are set to start work on the long-awaited South stand later this month.

The Gazette can reveal that builders will finally begin work on September 23 - the same day as work begins on the hotel complex on the site of the old Tangerine club.
Chairman Karl Oyston is keen to keep news of the building work low key because it is only the South West corner that is being completed first.
The actual full South Stand - which will cost a total of ?2.5m to build - will not be built until the interior office space has been let out.
"I don't want to make a big fuss about it because it is the only the corner of the stand initially - not the main part of the building work," said Oyston.
"There will be some work done on the South stand as well but that will be very much just the groundwork.
"The full South stand won't be built until we get all the interior office space let out.
"As you drive down the central corridor at the moment you can see into the ground. The building of the South West corner will block that opening significantly.
"The South West - which will add an extra 1,000 seats to the capacity - needs to be done first because the South will be then attached to it afterwards, at a later date. The corner will be three-storey, the same as the current stands.
"The South stand proper though will be a four-storey building, though the seating will still rise to the same height as the other stands."
Seasiders fans have been waiting for four years for the work to begin.
The ?7m North and West stands were unveiled in February 2002, when an excited, capacity crowd packed into Bloomfield Road to see the Seasiders play for the first time in their new-look ground.
However, the club took a risk with those stands because prior to building work starting they had not let out the office space - and Oyston has repeatedly said since that he regretted how it was done.
So with the South side of the ground he wants to make sure he has tenants in place prior to building to help fund the work, and that is why it has taken time.
Though work on the south west corner begins at the end of the month there is no date on when the actual South stand will be constructed.
But at least it's a step closer to completing the third side of the ground and good news too for Jimmy Armfield. The South Stand is to be named after the Blackpool legend.
When the full stand is completed it will house away supporters. For the last four years visiting fans have been forced to use temporary open terracing on the East side of the ground.

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31 January 2007

A FURIOUS Karl Oyston today warned work on the South Stand could be further delayed by the decision not to give Blackpool the super casino.

The Seasiders chairman reacted with anger after Blackpool lost out to rank outsiders Manchester in the race for the UK's first supercasino.
And Oyston ? who owns land on what would have been the casino Central Gateway site ? said the bombshell news could drive potential investors away from buying up space in the South Stand.
Oyston has previously insisted work will only begin on the long-awaited South Stand when office space has been snapped up.
Today, Oyston told The Gazette: "Blackpool is crying out for help and regeneration and I think this decision is a scandal.
"I am flabbergasted that this Government has given a casino to a massive city that has been regenerated extensively ? even since the IRA bomb ? when Blackpool has had virtually none.
"As far as the football ground is concerned, a strong property demand may have helped the club to speed up with the development of the stadium by occupying space within it.
"This casino decision will make attracting these sort of people harder.
"We plan on preparing pre-lets and it may delay it further. It does not help us at all.
"It would have driven up the property market in Blackpool. It has hindered that growth and we will have to go away and consider the implications on the football side and the property side.
"We have invested significantly in the footballing side and it's extremely disappointing this scandalous decision may hamper what Blackpool is trying to achieve."
Work on the South Stand was due to have been started in September but was put back.
Since then Pool have stormed up the league with 9,500 sell-outs against Carlisle United on Boxing Day and Norwich in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Race
Fans have flooded message boards with calls to urgently begin work on the South Stand in light of the bumper crowds.
But the controversial casino decision may throw a further spanner in the works.
Oyston also refuted rumours Blackpool would have moved to a new stadium at Whyndyke Farm near the M55 junction at Marton if Blackpool had won the coveted super casino race.
It had been suggested Bloomfield Road could be knocked down and the club moved to a new site just a few miles away.
But Oyston said: "Whyndyke Farm has been mentioned as an option but it is not on our radar at the moment. There has never been any view to that happening."

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SEASIDERS chairman Karl Oyston has reiterated his desire to see a new South Stand at Bloomfield Road built as quickly as possible ? but he insists he will not jeopardise the club's footballing ambitions in order to achieve it.

And the Pool chief remains adamant that his stadium development policies will not change ? no matter how long it takes or how much criticism he receives from disgruntled fans.
The chairman's warning that the failure of Blackpool's supercasino bid could threaten the South Stand project angered some supporters.
He argued that the government's decision could discourage businesses from investing in Blackpool and make it more difficult to rent office space in a new stand at Bloomfield Road. His comments prompted a steady stream of letters and emails.
Oyston told The Gazette yesterday: "We are doing everything we can to secure the construction of the South Stand and of the East Stand as well.
"But the South Stand is a big construction project which will cost ?5m-?6m in a town where it is very difficult to let out space.
"The business plan has always been to fund the stadium development with external rental income and not by taking money from the playing side."
Oyston explained that the club operates on a player of ?1.5m-?2m, though this would have to be reduced if the club used its own resources to fund stadium developments. He suggested the playing budget could be hit for between 10 and 15 years.
The chairman added: "I'm not going to be forced into a decision which could affect the football side.
"The timescale for building the South Stand has never changed ? as soon as it is possible it will be done. To impose any other sort of timescale is nonsensical."
As for Gazette readers who wrote that he was using the casino as an 'excuse' not to press ahead with the South Stand, the chairman said: "These people are entitled to their opinions but their comments are misinformed and misguided.
"The supercasino decision was a big disappointment for the town as a whole and my comments were mainly about the impact it could have one the town.
"Generally, the decision makes the job of attracting investment to the town much more difficult ? for the football club and for everybody ? that's a fact.
"The South Stand has suddenly raised its head as a massive issue but most of those who are making criticisms have their own agenda.
"We all want to see the South Stand built and we all have a common aim to see the team progress up the Football League, and I really don't understand why some people feel the need to be divisive."

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18 April 2007

KARL Oyston has promised that work on the south-west corner stand will begin as soon as a deal with the tenant is signed ? and he hopes it's close to happening.

The chairman admitted that he has been as frustrated as everyone else at the hold-up but said the list of problems delaying the start of work is growing shorter by the day.
"There have been delays for a variety of reasons in construction of the south-west corner," said Oyston.
"But it will happen as soon as one or two things have been ironed out in the pre-let deal we are doing, which aren't ? as far as I'm concerned ? major problems.
"We are working flat out to tie all the loose ends up and get this deal signed so work can begin.
"Overall the news is positive and I am looking forward to getting the corner built because it will have a very significant impact on the external appearance of the stadium.
"From the outside having the corner on will make it look a lot different, a lot better.
"When people are coming into Blackpool along Yeadon Way it will be the first thing they will see so it will have a big impact on people's perception of the club."
The south-west corner will have a capacity of around 1,000 when it is built.
As for the south stand, Oyston insisted the club is continuing "to work tirelessly" in search of tenants and that positive meetings continue to take place.
The chairman is keen to fund the project by securing pre-lets on space that will be created inside the new stand. He wants to do that prior to starting any work ? but it is taking time.
"We are equally as frustrated as supporters about the length of time it is taking to find tenants," said Oyston.
"I would like to assure supporters that we are working hard to secure the necessary occupiers to be in a position to build.
"Having said that, it is interesting to note that any new seats would not have been required in what has been a very successful season.
"I would hope that the support will continue to grow in order that any further seats are filled."
Revenue
The chairman added: "The south stand is being built on the same basis as how we built the rest of ground.
"By that I mean it is an external property and I want to make sure we can fund it and for it not to be a drain on the actual football finances.
"No one would thank us for building a nice new ground and draining football squad revenue."
Oyston did reveal that "contingency plans" had been made should Pool win promotion.
With many Championship clubs having large numbers of travelling supporters, the Seasiders would probably look at erecting a temporary stand on the south side of the ground, as well as the east.

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20 April 2007

Blackpool FC's Latvian director Normund Malnaks was open to question from The Gazette's Steve Canavan. Here are the questions and answers...

If the club does go up will there be greater emphasis put on building the South Stand?
I know this is sore point for many supporters and ourselves as well. Let me assure them that job is being done to ensure that the south stand is built asap. However, substantial financial investments must be made based on sound financial calculations and assumptions. Over the past year, in order to develop a competitive team the club has substantially increased players' payroll. While the attendances are increasing, they are still quite far from covering the increased payroll expenses despite the wonderful run the team is having. Supporters are demanding long-term financial commitment from the club, but are not very willing to commit themselves even for a season ? season tickets sales this year has increased only marginally. Having said that, the club is working towards building the south stand and it will be built in due course. And the south-west corner stand will be a good start.

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01 May 2007

KARL Oyston has admitted that a temporary south stand is likely to be built if the Seasiders win promotion to The Championship.

With Pool in with a great chance of reclaiming their place in the top two tiers of English football after an absence of three decades, preparations are going on behind the scenes about how to cope if it does happen. With Championship clubs sure to bring larger away followings, the major concern is getting the ground right.

A south-west corner, increasing the current capacity by about 1,000, will be built regardless of what division the club is in.
But if Pool win promotion a temporary south stand is almost certain to be erected.
Oyston told The Gazette: "We'll see where we are once the outcome is apparent and then we can really plan where we go from there in terms of required accommodation.
"I think it would be nice if the season ticket take-up and the away demand was such that we could justify putting extra seats in.
"Temporary stands are far from ideal but I think they're better than having nothing there and I think, if the demand is there, it would be an acceptable ? if not perfect ? addition while the development is finished."
That doesn't mean a south stand won't be built though.
Asked about that end of the ground and the time it is taking, Oyston replied: "It's been frustrating for everyone, both the supporters and myself ? and that's not a snipe at anyone at all.
"Sometimes things take time ? both procuring contractors and getting things done at the right price and the right standard of work; and in terms of tying up occupation agreements with tenants for the space at the rear of the seats.
"Work will start as soon as we are in a position to get a legal agreement in place with the occupier and we are able to raise funds."
Oyston also defended the way Bloomfield Road has been redeveloped.
Other clubs, such as Scunthorpe, built smaller stadiums but got them all done in one go. Pool chose to go for a bigger ground ... but the flipside is that in 2002 they could only afford to build the north and west stands, with the south and east to come at later dates.
Funds
But Oyston does not regret how he did things. "We made the decision to go for a higher capacity than we thought we'd sensibly achieve in this division and possibly even the division above," he said.
"We thought if we built half a ground, but with a potential higher capacity, that was the right way to go.
"We also had to build it in a way that didn't drain funds from the football budget. In effect we didn't want the supporters to be paying for the construction of the stadium ? that has really been the cornerstone of my ground development plans from the day I took over.
"I think we could have come up with a solution where, without being critical of Scunthorpe or Walsall or clubs like that, we could have built a ground like theirs in its entirety on day one with four sides ? but I just feel we would have really consigned ourselves to lower league football forever if we'd have done that.
"It's always nice to have the hope that if things go well and there is a big demand for seats ? and if the property side of the company goes particularly well and you find occupiers and are able to build the stadium on the back of that ? that gives us somewhere to go.
"Looking back I still think it was the right decision and the amount of criticism we get is because it's the hot topic.
"There's always a hot topic in football. The fans have always got some target in front of them.
"If we built the south the target would then be to build the east and there would be disaffection if we didn't build that.
"If we built the east the target would then be to go up a division. So there is always a target, there always has been, that is put in place for you by supporters ? not that we need it.
"We drive ourselves on, we don't need driving on."

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08 June 2007

THE Seasiders are locked in discussions about building a new South Stand and increasing the capacity at Bloomfield Road to almost 13,000.

Chairman Karl Oyston told The Gazette that most of his time this summer will be spent making sure the stadium is improved ready for the start of the Championship season.

He confirmed that there will be a new South Stand of some description next season, adding a further 2,997 seats to the ground's capacity.
Oyston said: "We are currently assessing our options, which include a temporary stand or a stand with a permanent element."

Expaining the latter, Oyston added: "It would be a permanent stand with seats but without the big bit on the back or a roof.

"That way we can put a big building on the back at a later stage.
"Getting promotion meant that it was no longer an option for us not to do anything.

"The ground clearly had to be improved, not least because we need to ensure we maximise the revenue available to us with increased attendances. We are working hard to ensure that we do a good job."
Oyston will meet with an architect next week and will then decide which option to take.

But whether it's permanent or temporary, the good news for supporters is that there will be a stand on the south side of the ground next season.

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21 June 2007

BLACKPOOL FC directors have made the milestone decision to go ahead with building a new South Stand at Bloomfield Road.

The green light was given at a summit meeting of directors held in Latvia, home country of the club's president Valery Belokon.
It will be greeted with jubilation by the Seasiders' supporters, who have long lobbied for the re-construction of the stadium to be completed.
Currently only three sides of the ground are open.
Chairman Karl Oyston, who made the announcement today, said the time-scale for the work to be completed is put at 36 weeks.
The board has shelved any plans to erect a temporary stand on the site.
Oyston described such a move as a "retrograde step that should be resisted at all costs."
With the completion of the South Stand, Bloomfield Road could hold as many as 16,000 fans.

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09 August 2007

THE Seasiders are hoping to get the go ahead on a 1,000 seat extension to Bloomfield Road in time for the big kick-off.

Valery Belokon and Karl Oyston have agreed it is in the club's best interest to try to increase the capacity of the East Stand.

It will allow them to accommodate more away fans into the stadium ? and earn much more from gate receipts in the process.

They'll do it by extending the current East Stand and putting in extra temporary seating, enabling the club to increase the capacity at the ground to around 10,500.

The likes of Wolves, West Brom and the two Sheffield clubs will all bring large contingents to Blackpool this season, not to mention Preston and Burnley for the eagerly-awaited Lancashire derbies.

Increasing the East Stand capacity from 1,900 to almost 3,000 will ensure the Seasiders maximise income during a period when the South Stand is being built.

"It is something myself and Karl are discussing," said the president, Belokon.

"The South Stand is really necessary to do but because it will take 40 weeks, we are building a bigger East stand for financial reasons.

"The idea is to put up a new temporary stand before the season, and the South will be built as the season progresses.

"We need more space because there are more fans coming. Maybe we will be told that it is not possible but if it is, it will help us in the long run."

Chairman Karl Oyston confirmed the plan to make the East stand bigger.
"We are looking at whether or not we can add an extra 1,000 seats to the temporary away stand to take a few more away fans," he said.

"We should have an answer on this in the next week or two."

Pressure

If the plan gets the thumbs up, the club will have to get the necessary safety certificates ? something that took time when the East Stand was erected originally ? but they will be hopeful that they will be able to get everything in place by the end of the month.

The fact that Bristol City are the first visitors alleviates the pressure to get it done quickly as the Robins don't have massive travelling support.

The stand is aimed more at the bigger Championship sides who would fill 3,000 seats.

And with almost 6,000 season ticket holders among the home supporters, it is sure to result in 'full house' signs outside the ground on a regular basis this season.

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KARL Oyston has announced that there has to be a "change of culture" at Blackpool if the club is to thrive in the Championship.

And he has also spoken about the need to "move forward" with the stadium redevelopment.

The chairman wants every aspect of the club to adapt and be improved as the Seasiders attempt to begin a new golden era.

Initial signs on the pitch show that with Simon Grayson at the helm, Pool have the potential to prosper in the new division.

But it's the off-field area that Oyston has targeted. "With Championship status must come a change of culture at the football club in virtually every area of operation," he said.

"If you look at the pattern over recent years it is usually the poorer followed clubs with low turnovers and low player wage budgets that struggle to survive in the Championship.

"So we're focusing on measures that will increase turnover and therefore players' wage budget and increasing attendances.

"It is very encouraging that we now have close to 6,000 season ticket holders, our previous best being 3,000, and there is a real possibility that non-season ticket holders will at times struggle to obtain seats for certain home matches.

"I think that the Championship is a very competitive division and there's no doubt there will be ups and downs throughout the season.
"I'd ask all supporters to get behind the team, not that I need to ask.

"Your support is vastly appreciated and makes a very real and positive contribution to the team ? and here's to a successful season!"

Work on a new south stand is set to begin shortly, and the club is still investigating the possibility of a 1,000-seat extension to the temporary east stand to house a larger number of visiting fans this season.

Oyston added: "I have spent a considerable amount of time over recent months on the development proposals for the rest of our stadium as this will be one of the key drivers for increasing turnover.

"It will also give supporters a very real boost to both their perception of the stadium and the club in general.

"I am very conscious that we must move forward with the stadium development as there is now a very real demand for seats and we're expecting to run close to the current capacity.

"I will keep supporters informed as and when things are going to happen physically on site and/or any changes or development proposals elsewhere in the vicinity."

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Exclusive Interview with Karl Oyston

6 October 2007