A football club belongs to, and is an asset of, the area it represents and should be fully part of the fabric of that community. It is important that the Trust develops its credibility and enhances the reputation of our supporters, the club and the town. The foundations for Blackpool Supporters Trust (BST) can be traced back to late 2012 with the the Seasiders Independent Supporters’ Association (SISA) being formed in January 2103 to represent and campaign on behalf of Blackpool supporters on issues decided by its members. It was set up as a pro-Blackpool FC organisation intending to secure improved communication between the fans and the club. Blackpool Supporters Trust was set up to give all Blackpool supporters an independent fans group. The aims of BST are:
- Promoting, maintaining and valuing the history and independence of Blackpool Football Club
- Representing the best interests of our members and our football club locally, nationally and abroad
- Holding whoever owns the club to account, in the interests of supporters and the community
- Achieving supporter representation at boardroom level
To begin with, we may hold a very few shares in Blackpool Football Club and exercise very little influence, but the more supporters who join, the more persuasive we can be. One day, maybe, the club will be owned entirely by the supporters as is frequently the case in Europe [witness Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund as prime examples]. It is possible! The future is one that we ought all to be able to trust in – the future should be tangerine!
