Crewe supporters refused entry to Bloomfield Road

Fans of Crewe Alexandra have accused Blackpool of excluding them from Bloomfield Road for supporting anti-Oyston protesters.

This weekend, a group of Crewe Alexandra fans brought a home-made banner with the message “Crewe are with you! Oyston out!” and claim they were then denied entry to the ground by stewards because of their participation.

One Crewe Fan interviewed outside the ground after being refused entry said: “It’s the first fixture you look for, Blackpool away. Our friends brought a banner which said ‘Oyston out’, nothing horrible. 

“One of the stewards said Oyston’s seen it and you’re not coming in.”

A large section of the Blackpool fanbase remain unhappy with Karl Oyston’s management of the club, and have been running a long campaign to replace him as owner – with relations between supporters and owners at an all-time low.

Earlier this year, Blackpool Supporters’ Trust tabled an offer to the owners to buy them out – using the sale of some club assests to fund the bid.

The Crewe Alexandra fans claim they were happy to give up the banner, and continue into the ground without it – but this was offer was rejected by the Blackpool stewards. 

“It’s disgusting,” the Crewe fan said. “We’re just here to support the Blackpool fans and see the Alex. All we want is to see the Alex. We’ve come all this way to watch our team and now we’re stuck outside.”

Cheshire Police confirmed that those fans who were refused entry were ‘not known to them‘, and intervened with stewards to ensure the fans got their ticket money refunded. 

However, the club has denied that the Crewe Alexandra fans were refused entry to the stadium because of their opinions on Oyston’s ownership. A spokesman for Blackpool FC said the supporters were permitted access to the stadium, on the grounds that the banner was left behind.

“All banners are subject to inspection and must be made from fire retardant material,” a club spokesman said. “A valid fire retardant certificate could not be produced and the supporters in question were kindly asked to leave the banner at the turnstiles when entering the stadium.

“Unfortunately the supporters refused to comply with the request of the ground safety team on three occasions, despite being informed prior to purchasing tickets.

“Even though this request was not adhered to, the ground safety officer still authorised refunds on the subsequently purchased tickets.”