Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston apologises for abusing supporter
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Version 0 of 1. The Blackpool chairman, Karl Oyston, has apologised for his part in an angry text exchange with a supporter during which he called the fan a “massive retard”, but the Football League board member could still face a Football Association investigation. Oyston, whose running of the Championship’s bottom club has attracted severe criticism, was involved in a lengthy text conversation with a supporter last month that descended into an expletive-filled row. Steve Smith, the Blackpool fan in question, accused the club chairman of being clueless and was called a “retard” and an “intellectual cripple” in reply. One text from Oyston’s phone asks the 31-year-old Smith: “Are you sure we’ve met? I would have remembered such a massive retard.” Another tells the supporter to consider himself banned from Blackpool’s stadium and to “enjoy the rest of your special needs day out”. The Blackpool chairman, who also received abuse in the exchange, has subsequently issued a statement in which he said: “I would like to unreservedly apologise for any offence or distress caused by my text responses reported in the media recently.” But he faces renewed calls to step down and Oyston, who has been on the Football League’s board of directors since 2006, may also be sanctioned by the FA. The governing body is aware of the allegations against him and is gathering information about the row before deciding whether to take action. Blackpool’s miserable season continued with a 6-1 home defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday, a result that left Lee Clark’s side 10 points behind 17th-placed Millwall and four adrift at the bottom. Smith, a former season-ticket holder at Bloomfield Road and a member of the Tangerine Knights supporters’ group, said: “I texted him to get answers about the running of the club. “The club is mismanaged and the blame lies squarely with Karl Oyston, and things need to change. I wanted to open up a line of communication with the fans that was fan-managed appropriately and not orchestrated by Karl. When he told me to enjoy my ‘special needs’ day out I thought he was taking a cheap shot at my family. He can say what he likes about me but not my kids.” Smith added: “It is certainly not the behaviour of a football club chairman. It tarnishes the reputation of the football club again. We felt it was important to get it out there and not hide the texts. I would like Karl Oyston to be kicked out of the club and we don’t feel the Oyston family is fit to run a football club.” Oyston has also been condemned by the Blackpool Supporters Association. Its acting chairman, Fiona Martin, said: “You simply cannot say things like that, whatever position you are in. You cannot say things about your fanbase regardless of what you might think about them. The FA need to conduct an investigation and let it decide what the punishment should be.” Blackpool fans have staged several protests over the Oyston family’s running of the club in recent months. The chairman has also contacted police after allegedly receiving online death threats against his family. |