The Mortensen Statue
It is unlikely that any football "company" has ever made quite so many mistakes, severely misjudged so many situations or so grossly underestimated its customer base as Blackpool FC did in 2014-15. The behaviour and actions of our club’s owners will rank alongside the greatest examples of how not to run a football club.
The Oystons have ensured their notoriety within the football world. Their name is now synonymous with the very worst excesses of private ownership. When football governance is changed, it will be the Oystons who, more often than not, will be used as an example of why we need fan ownership to protect our football clubs.
The recent removal of the statue of Stan Mortensen, one of the most revered and beloved of Blackpool FC’s players, proved the nadir and a watershed for the current owners. The decision was an affront to the decency of Blackpool supporters and the legend of the Stan Mortensen himself.
No satisfactory explanation has yet been given for the statue’s removal. The "company" originally suggested that the police proposed it be removed ahead of the scheduled protests. The police categorically denied giving any such advice. So why would the current owners mislead everyone in this way? Either they do not know why they temporarily removed it or they don’t have the courage to admit the real reason.
Although the statue has lately been returned to its former place, it is now clear that is that the removal has resulted in the statue being
re-affixed in such a way that it is no longer secure in its position.
There are also structural concerns relating to the way in which the
statue has been re-attached to the plinth. There is a parallel with the football club: when viewed from a distance everything looks just the same, but when you investigate more closely, the negative and corrosive impact of the current owners becomes only too apparent. Rather than carefully stewarding the club that has been placed in their care, the owners have acted with scant regard for the traditions, the history and the responsibilities with which they have been entrusted.
We have written to the club, detailing our concerns and asking them to respond. The "company" needs to now give careful consideration so as to prevent any further or future damage being done to the statue.
Blackpool Supporters’ Trust proposes that as a starting point, immediate arrangements should be made to have the statue examined by a suitably qualified expert who can advise further on the adequacy of the current fixings and the available options if our members’ concerns are confirmed.
Furthermore, as the statue was originally donated by Blackpool FC fans, we also request that the Club should donate or bequeath the statue to Blackpool Supporters’ Trust and we will then fund the cost of obtaining a structural report, pay for proper safe and secure restoration of the statue and be responsible for its care in perpetuity. The "company" has proven itself unfit to safeguard a monument as significant and important as the Mortensen Statue. | |
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