Paul Stewart column: Blackpool FC’s new dawn - and what it means for my proposed purchase

Two days after the High Court ruling to place a receiver in charge of the club, is it the final curtain for the Oyston family’s stranglehold over the club?

Fans were in jubilant mood following Wednesday’s ruling by Judge Marcus Smith, who ended years of court wrangling by approving an application to appoint a receiver to recover money owed to Valeri Belokon and effectively end the stranglehold held over Blackpool FC by Owen Oyston.

This is a momentous day in BFC’s history and all the credit must go to the fans who, over the years, have protested, demonstrated and refused to give a penny more.

Blackpool Supporters Trust, who have been at the forefront of everything from day one, must surely take most of the credit.

I’m sure they will be the first to say it couldn’t be done without the backing of the fans, who supported them all the way.

Wednesday’s court ruling was a victory for supporters and shows how influential football clubs’ fans can be.

So what next?

At the point of writing this article it would seem that Oyston is soon to be a distant memory – but are we expecting a curveball?

I hope that this is not the case and any other matters are dealt with between Oyston and Belokon, leaving the receivers to get on with their job which, as we know, is to find buyers.

Naturally this brings me to my position, and as you know, I was involved in trying to buy the club prior to Wednesday’s court ruling.

Two offers were made but it transpired that Belokon had no power to sell, as he had no charges over Blackpool FC nor any of the associated companies, despite asking us to make an offer.

My reason for trying to make the deal happen was purely in the club’s interest; being fearful of a 12-point deduction, which is still a distinct possibility, and to try and give the club back to the town and fans who had suffered enough.

I believe a football club is an essential part of a town or city’s community; it goes much further than what happens on the pitch, and can affect many people’s lives in so many ways.

Whether it is right or wrong to throw my hat into the ring so soon after the ruling, I am still proceeding with trying to acquire the football club.

I will be contacting the receivers this week and informing them of my intentions as well as sitting down with my team and ironing out a deal that, hopefully, is substantial enough to take control.

I am aware it is a lottery now and the receiver is duty bound to take the best offer, even if this is not in the best interest of the football club.

I would hope the public and fans support my bid, as I would love to give something back to the club that I started my career at some 37 years ago.