Blackpool football fans have made a gesture to angry Huddersfield Town supporters following the abandoned match at Bloomfield Road on the last day of the season.
A Football Disciplinary Commission decided neither Blackpool nor Huddersfield Town fans should be compensated for the abandonment of the Championship match on May 2 – triggered by a pitch invasion from home supporters upset at the running of their club.
Blackpool fans want rid of chairman Karl Oyston and Blackpool Supporters’ Trust hopes to take over the club in a £16 million leveraged buy-out.
Last month Kevin Boroduwicz, secretary of Blackpool Supporters’ Trust, (BST), e-mailed Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association anxious to restore relations between both sets of supporters.
If they succeed in owning the club, either partially or wholly, they are offering to present 2,000 free tickets to Town fans for the first fixture played between the two clubs at Bloomfield Road when BST are in charge.
They would also like to arrange a collection for a charity chosen by Huddersfield Town supporters.
The Football Association has fined Blackpool £50,000 for failing to control their fans and Town went to the Football League seeking £50,000 compensation for fans, the equivalent of away ticket gate receipts on the day.
On Tuesday the Football League published the verdict of a Football Disciplinary Commission which ruled out compensation and imposed a suspended three-point deduction on relegated Blackpool.
Huddersfield Town Supporters’ Association is considering taking legal advice on where to go next.
One fan outraged at the latest decision was season ticket holder Steve Mullarkey of Mirfield.
The father-of-three said: “This decision by the authorities invites those fans who are that way out to consider stopping a match when it suits their club to get a game stopped.
“I feel like I’ve been mugged.”
Town are backing their fans and chief executive Nigel Clibbens said: “Throughout the disciplinary processes of both the FA and the Football League over the last two months, Huddersfield Town’s main focus has been its supporters and doing its upmost to fight on Town fans’ behalf to ensure those who paid over money to Blackpool in good faith to watch the final game of last season were properly and fairly treated.
“This simply meant they got their money back. It is cruelly ironic that the amount Town fans paid to Blackpool for tickets is broadly the same amount as Blackpool must also pay to the FA as a fine from its earlier hearing.
“So whilst our fans are left out of pocket, the £50,000 they could and should have had returned to them, will be going instead to the FA.”
