Blackpool fan takeover rejected

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Blackpool owner Owen Oyston has ended talks with the club’s Supporters’ Trust over a possible takeover. The Trust had launched a £16m bid in July.

In a letter on the club’s website, Oyston said: ‘I believe that if you were left to run the club you would go to the wall because you do not have any money or the experience necessary to support the club in its moment of need.’

‘It would be irresponsible of me to simply hand this over to you as it is clear to any independent observer that you could not operate it successfully.’

The ‘bubble’ match

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I hadn’t heard of ‘bubble matches’ before I read this article from the Football Supporters’ Federation.  It’s a means the police use of controlling matches where they think there might be trouble.   For last night’s match between Cardiff City and Bristol City, away fans had to go to a service station within a half hour window to collect their tickets.   This meant they were obliged to travel by car.

Are Uefa targeting Manchester City?

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Manchester City face with being charged by Uefa after their fans booed the Champions League anthem before their match against Seville on Wednesday.  Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body are to consider ‘the disruption of the competition anthem’ at their meeting on 19 November.

Uefa sources are discounting the prospect of a formal charge, but City intend to robustly defend their supporters’ right to peaceful protest and are instructing lawyers.

Former Leeds boss loses court action

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A former managing durector of Leeds United has been ordered to pay more than £121,500 in costs to a London lawyer he accused of ‘human trafficking’.  

David Haigh brought a private prosecution against his former business partner Peter Gray alleging that he conspired with two colleagues to entice him to Dubai with the false promise of a job.  He was then arrested and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for embezzlement and breach of trust.