Part 3
Can we please get the pigeon infestation sorted once and for all? (BFC Volunteers)
BM: The Club is doing its best with the legal means which we can utilise. We are trying to do the best we can with the infrastructure we have got.
BG: We need to recognise the great work all of the volunteers do to clean up around the stadium for no reward. The Club will work to help as much as we can.
Is there a timeline for the East Stand redevelopment now we are an established Championship Club? (various inc. Mark Turner)
BM: Most supporters are aware that along with Blackpool Council, we made an application for some town deal funding – known as levelling up money. We were successful in acquiring £6.5million of funding, which can be used to enable the progression of the project. The actual building of the stand and everything that happens on the footprint will rest with the Club and Simon. Some progressions to the back of the North Stand car park where the housing site is will be seen in the coming weeks, and we are able to start work on this area. We now need to finalise the plans for the stand and what we should and shouldn’t put in there. We need to make a planning application for this, which may need some acquiring of land behind the East Stand. Timing of any announcements are difficult on this because of how the process may go with some of that land that needs acquiring. We will try and finalise our plans for the East Stand and seek to make a planning application as quickly as possible. We have until March 2026 to access the £6.5 million of funding.
SS: You’re probably looking at £2,500-£3,000 per seat, which if for instance we built a 5,000 seater stand will cost £15million, so you’re looking at a major investment. We want to ensure the Stadium is developed correctly, and this includes improved access for disabled supporters. Ultimately, we just want to get the Stadium completed. We might have five years, but we just want to get it done and get it done correctly as soon as possible.
Policing:
Regarding the away game at Preston, what representations have the Club made to PNE and West Lancs Police, if any? And what approach would the Club wish to take to next season’s two fixtures? (BST - ?)
BM: For the home fixture, we had the demand to sell to our own supporters, so we decided to sell to them rather than give Preston an increase of away tickets. They received just over 13% of the gate, when the regulations say they are entitled to 10%. There were then some direct conversations with Preston for the fixture at Deepdale, as we were told they were going to give us 10% for our supporters, after segregation. We pointed out that if we were to run next season’s fixture at Bloomfield Road in this way, then they would receive far less seats than they had for the fixture back in October.
Once we heard that the stand at Deepdale would be halved between Blackpool and Preston supporters, we expressed our concerns both to Preston and the police about the risk we felt our supporters would be under. That turned out to be very much the case and we followed this up. We hope to get to a place next season where ticket allocation is far better, particularly for the away fixture, and that the danger our fans were in will not happen again.
The police commanders that now run our games at Bloomfield Road are different to the ones that run the matches at Preston, and I think we’re now in a much better place. We have a bit more consistency for matches from police commanders who know Blackpool well and have more detailed knowledge of our fan base. I think the recent matches against Birmingham and Derby were well- handled under testing conditions.
What plans does the Club have to work with the police on improving post-match policing around Bloomfield Road and the safe egress of both sets of fans? (various inc. Roland Wyke)
BM: Currently working with the police and Blackpool Council on road closures around the stadium. We’re particularly looking at closing Bloomfield Road between Seasiders Way and Central Drive for a short period after the game.
Match Day Experience:
The PA system is not fit for purpose and cannot be heard in parts of the ground. (various inc. Mike Smith)
BM: That is a significant investment and we feel that money is needed in certain areas first. Reviewing the PA system as a whole is probably something to think about during the redevelopment of the East Stand.
SS: Fixing this during the redevelopment of the East Stand is the best course of action, as we want to do it properly, although we are aware it does need fixing.
The food offering could be more diverse. We did have a healthy option a couple of years ago but sadly nothing now - surely some local businesses would like to increase their takings? (Amanda Causer)
BM: We have got to understand the fact more people are moving to a vegetarian or vegan menu nowadays, although when you have between 23-26 games over the course of a season at the stadium, and speed of service is crucial, it does lend itself to a smaller menu. A more diverse menu didn’t work previously, but we will work with our catering teams and see what we can do.
SS: We want to look at ways to be greener as a Club and do our bit for the environment, not just with food. There’s a lot more that we can and we need to do.
Fans are consistently telling us that standards of stewarding at games fall well short of what they expect. Can the Club tell us what guidelines stewards are given on what their role is? What training do they receive? Will the Club work with fans to improve standards, especially at home games? (BST -?)
BM: As previously discussed, we are advertising for a new Ground Safety Officer. The recruitment and training of stewards and how we would like them to interreact with supporters, will fall under this person. Having spoken to other clubs about this subject, stewarding has been one of the biggest
challenges post-Covid. During Covid, lots of people adapted to different employment opportunities and trying to bring people back for a small amount of work on an event-by-event basis has been challenging. This means most event businesses are now using agency stewards, as they are able to provide more work with more regularity and can train them in-house. This isn’t ideal in terms of the interaction with supporters, as you don’t see the same face on a matchday. We will task the new Ground Safety Officer to recruit and train our own stewards to try and get a level of consistency. We are on with this, but this has been one of the biggest challenges for events businesses post-Covid.
As for involving BST in helping with this improvement, that is a question for the new Safety Officer when they arrive, as they are more qualified to answer that. We’re currently taking CV’s for this role and hope to have this appointment in place as soon as possible.
Could additional catering be provided in a cordoned off area outside the North to encourage fans to arrive early? (PLFS – Ashley Knowles)
BM: We are hoping to be able to make two announcements about the North Stand area as part of the close-season to aid with next season’s matchday. We are looking at the space in the north east corner, which could be used by home fans one week or away fans the next, depending on the match taking place. We’re also looking at trying to take back an amount of space in the North Stand to try to create something positive that will enable supporters to come and start their matchday earlier at Bloomfield Road. We’re going to try and do the best we can with the infrastructure we’ve got, but there a lot of formalities to get through. Hopefully, in good time before the start of the season we’ll be able to make some positive announcements on this.
When and how will more appropriate provision be made for disabled supporters and those in wheelchairs? Their view is often blocked by cameramen or standing fans. (PLFS – Pete Battle)
BM: If we can receive some specific information on this, we can take that up with the ground safety team and the ticket office. We will then deal with this directly, as we don’t want anyone’s view to be hampered.