Today's SLO column in Blackpool Gazette

SLO_BFC

Well-known member
Happy New Year, Seasiders. Let’s hope it’s a good one for Blackpool FC. After the bitter disappointment of relegation in 2023, a top six finish and a chance to get back to the Championship via the play-offs has to be the aim this year.

We’ve become a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde outfit lately, with the majority of our points being picked up at home. Our fortunes away from Bloomfield Road need to improve.

January may be a pivotal month. The transfer window is now open. If we can hang on to our loan players for the second half of the season, that will help the cause, and there is an opportunity for us to strengthen the squad if the right deals can be done. With twenty league games left, there is everything to play for. As a fanbase, I’d say we need to keep believing and supporting the team. The difference that encouragement and positivity from the stands makes just cannot be underestimated.

However, our next couple of games are cup matches. On Sunday we face Premier League opposition in the 3rd round of the FA Cup away to Nottingham Forest. There are still spaces left on the Club’s supporters’ coach. What are the chances we can knock them out just like we did on the corresponding day a year ago? Good luck to Neil Critchley and the team.

Then on Wednesday the Seasiders are in EFL Trophy action at Bloomfield Road. This is a last sixteen tie against Burton Albion. Kick-off is at 7pm and tickets are £10 for adults, £5 for young adults and £1 for under 18s, all available from the Club ticket office right up until kick-off. Who knows, we may be three games away from another day at Wembley.

Off the field, the Club will be holding the first Structured Dialogue meeting of the season with supporters’ groups representatives in a few weeks’ time. I’ll be contacting supporters’ group secretaries shortly about this. I did promise you an update on progress towards the new supporter engagement strategy that the Club is developing. It’s my understanding the draft is nearing completion and may well feature at the Structured Dialogue meeting.

I’d like to give feedback on one other item about which I’ve received a lot of messages recently. It’s a reminder that Blackpool FC (in common with the majority of sporting and entertainment venues) does not permit hot food to be taken into the ground. It’s caught quite a few fans by surprise that stewards have asked them to either finish eating it or bin it before entering the turnstiles. So if you do support the food franchises in the surrounding area, please allow time to finish your hot food before joining the turnstile queues. And I should add one more reminder, that the concourse concessions are all cashless nowadays.

Finally, if any fan wishes to contact me for any reason at all, my email is slo@blackpoolfc.co.uk and you might also like to follow @bfcslo on Facebook and X.

UTMP!
Steve Rowland
 
I think it's pathetic that hot food can't be taken into the ground for a night game. Some of us are travelling to a night game straight from work or home away from the Fylde and don't have time to have a proper meal before travelling over. If I buy a chippy tea before going to the turnstile it's ridiculous to make me finish it at the turnstile rather than ten yards later inside the stadium.
 
I think it's pathetic that hot food can't be taken into the ground for a night game. Some of us are travelling to a night game straight from work or home away from the Fylde and don't have time to have a proper meal before travelling over. If I buy a chippy tea before going to the turnstile it's ridiculous to make me finish it at the turnstile rather than ten yards later inside the stadium.
Even more so, confiscating my little lads applejuice, all because I made it at home, and the seal was broken on the lid.
Took it off him stating that for all they knew it could be alcohol.
Gave them the option of tasting it, but they refused and just binned it.

God only knows what you could be smuggling into the ground under a pile of chips , Ha!
 
I was watching Lee Charles live from the other day and he said the club aren't allowing filming anymore, I'm sure previously he'd said it was his choice to focus more on other things, but I think it was fairly obvious why it suddenly changed on his videos.

Now this may be coming from the football authorities but a few seconds of footage from an obscure angle isn't going to stop people watching official highlights for e.g. also it seems others aren't given the same warnings.


1 hour 1 minute, incase timestamp didn't work.
 
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I was watching Lee Charles live from the other day and he said the club aren't allowing filming anymore, I'm sure previously he'd said it was his choice to focus more on other things, but I think it was fairly obvious why it suddenly changed on his videos.

Now this may be coming from the football authorities but a few seconds of footage from an obscure angle isn't going to stop people watching official highlights for e.g. also it seems others aren't given the same warnings.


Absolutely pitiful.
 
Jesus Christ. Some of the whinging on here is mad. You can’t do at Bloomfield Road what you can’t do at hundreds of other grounds up and down the country for exactly the same reasons. You may think the stewards are being jonsworths… but yeah - it’s their job. And they’re not gonna risk losing it, or even getting a slight telling off from their boss just to keep you, your kid, grandkid, husband, wife or dog happy. The rules are pretty clear. The SLO has clarified it.
 
Blackpool Football Club has the following important message for Our Loyal Fanbase (R).

Here at Blackpool FC we understand the needs and aspirations of Our Loyal Fanbase (R) and we would like to ensure them that we have senior executives working hard to ensure that our exciting, corporate matchday experience is tailored to their every need: from the lovingly hand-crafted pies, proudly presented by our caring catering team, to the thoughtfully chosen range of drinks and confections; all served exquisitely in our carefully designed fanzone Cafés and sophisticated bars. Today's supporter can attend Bloomfield Rd in the secure knowledge that their every wish is catered for. Importantly, this close attention to the needs of Our Loyal Fanbase (R) means that we must protect our matchday experience from any victuals sourced from outwith our lovingly structured environment. Quality is our watchword and we will jealously guard the proud name of Blackpool FC, ensuring that it is not left vulnerable to items of lesser quality that may otherwise sully our carefully nurtured reputation for quality and service. We are sure that Our Loyal Fanbase (R) is supportive of our efforts and intentions in nurturing such a high quality environment so that they may enjoy our exciting, Corporate matchday experience in what we have all come to rely on as the Blackpool way.
 
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I take a flask of Bovril in - it keeps the vape police busy at the back of the south as when I pour the steam makes him think I'm vaping. 😄

When I take a bottle in, I take the lid off when going in.

Sweets I just put in coat pocket.

Barely ever use the kiosks - very poor value for money. Should take lessons from Burton where it was excellent. Plus they had no issue with taking own food and drink in.
 
Football is expensive for everyone in these tough economic times.

Fans should be able to bring their own snacks & drinks in to save themselves a few bob or they may not come to the match at all!

I thought we were trying to grow our fan base after all!

With the exception of the North (until we can be convinced they have finished throwing things on the pitch during play) supporters & their families should be allowed to take their own food into the queues on the concourses are horrendous at the best of times.
 
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Bet you wouldn’t get this shít in North Korea. 😉


They aren‘t bothered by making unpopular decisions, which is clear from previous managerial appointments. 😬
 
I just think it's a bit pathetic really. It's not like they are competing with a burger van cos they don't sell chips or burgers in the ground anyway. For me and my lot, all it's done really is made it so we don't buy anything from either club or outside business now and just eat at home before we go. Still saves me about 20 quid per game.
 
There is no tradition of taking warm food into a theatre from outside. A football match takes place in the open air and for years fans have taken stuff into the ground.
At a Valencia game that kicked off at 10pm, most of the crowd brought their own food in. Baton wrapped in tin foil and drinks. HT they'd eat and then proceed to throw the tin foil screwed up at each other, or more accurately, at the back of my head.
 
I take a flask of Bovril in - it keeps the vape police busy at the back of the south as when I pour the steam makes him think I'm vaping. 😄

When I take a bottle in, I take the lid off when going in.

Sweets I just put in coat pocket.

Barely ever use the kiosks - very poor value for money. Should take lessons from Burton where it was excellent. Plus they had no issue with taking own food and drink in.

Spot on. Make the concessions both desirable and value for money then you don't need to worry about people bringing in their own grub and drink.
 
I was watching Lee Charles live from the other day and he said the club aren't allowing filming anymore, I'm sure previously he'd said it was his choice to focus more on other things, but I think it was fairly obvious why it suddenly changed on his videos.

Now this may be coming from the football authorities but a few seconds of footage from an obscure angle isn't going to stop people watching official highlights for e.g. also it seems others aren't given the same warnings.


1 hour 1 minute, incase timestamp didn't work.
Yep we stopped filming match footage last season for the reasons I have already said. The club have told other channels this season that the EFL will shut them down if they show match footage so unfortunately George from itsRamos has now stopped 😕

Meanwhile elsewhere Canbridge United have brought Fusion Josh into their own YouTube channel for his monthly roundup of his vlogs showing goals he has filmed in his vlogs and i think they're really great.

Down the road at Fleetwood Cods Vlogs has just come 2nd in the National Football Content Awards showing loads of match action.

For those that haven't seen a Fusion Josh monthly round up take a look I think its great and its a nice example of a club engaging with its fans especially with their younger support (ya know the one's that are the future😉)

 
I just think it's a bit pathetic really. It's not like they are competing with a burger van cos they don't sell chips or burgers in the ground anyway. For me and my lot, all it's done really is made it so we don't buy anything from either club or outside business now and just eat at home before we go. Still saves me about 20 quid per game.
Now there's a radical thought, eat at home!
 
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