Blackpool supporters group call for the board to leave, in response to statement from CEO

Blackpool supporters group call for the board to leave, in response to a statement from CEO Julian Winter earlier this week.

David Ragozzino called for CEO Julian Winter and sporting director David Downes (along with the board) to go, after CEO Julian Winter spoke a frustrating 2025/26 League One season so far, with the club sitting 19th in League One, with 33 points from 31 games played, a point above the drop zone, and through around them have a game or two in hand.

The team have underperformed despite heavy investment by owner Simon Sadler, and while Ian Evatt had a promising December form, his side have endured setbacks from injuries, refereeing decisions, and now a recent heavy home 4-0 defeat to Plymouth has only left fans concerned that their side may end up looking at League Two football for the first time next season since the 2016–17 season.

STATEMENT FROM CEO:

As we head into the final few months of the 2025/26 campaign, we’re all hopeful of ending our season with positive performances and results.

There is no hiding away from the fact that this has been a frustrating season to date. Collectively, we have not hit the levels expected and are not where we set out to be at the start of the season, despite the optimism we all shared in the summer. The disappointment in where the team currently sits in the league table is shared by everyone, none more so than Simon. He has invested heavily into the playing squad over the past 12 months in particular, and continues to remain fully committed to the Club.

It was important to us, when recruiting for a new Head Coach back in October, that we appointed someone who could come in and implement an immediate change of form on the pitch. In Ian, not only do we have a Head Coach who knows the football club inside out, but he is someone who epitomises exactly what the Club and town are all about, with his leadership qualities and hard-working nature big factors in why he was appointed.

His record speaks for itself, with promotions, play-off campaigns and a cup win on his managerial CV already. During the interview process, his passion for Blackpool and desire to lead and bring success back to the Club shone through. Our form throughout December showed what we are capable of, with some eye-catching results and performances. Despite long-term injuries to the squad and numerous officiating decisions at key times in matches that have gone against us since the turn of year, we have seen strong signs of what an Ian Evatt team can produce on the pitch on a regular basis.

That inherent hard-working nature that he had as a player is reflected in this squad, something which was evident last weekend against Huddersfield, and I have every confidence that once a few more players start returning to the fold, we will continue to climb the table and look up with anticipation.

Away from the pitch, one area that we recognise improvements must be made on is communication. We understand how important updates are to our supporters, providing clarity and reasoning behind decisions made. We therefore commit to better communication from all areas of the Club on a more consistent basis.

This time of year is special to every Blackpool supporter, as we approach the seventh anniversary of the Homecoming Fixture. After several years of intense division and distrust between the previous owners and the supporters, that game against Southend United on 9 March 2019 must have been a deeply poignant moment for thousands of you, all coming together to celebrate your Club as one.

What that day demonstrated was the close bond and unity that exists between the players, staff and supporters – something which I know is of vital importance to Ian, as he looks to bring back similar levels of success he had here as a player. It is essential we continue to build on that emotion and positivity moving forwards.

After discussions with various supporters groups over recent weeks, we felt it was right to recognise the significance of this upcoming anniversary. We’re therefore pleased to reveal that our league match against Burton Albion on Saturday 28 March will be our ‘Homecoming Anniversary’ fixture. Admission has been discounted for all ages throughout the stadium, with adult tickets on sale from just £15, with U14’s just £1. Further details on this will be confirmed in the coming days.

After a turbulent season so far, there is still plenty to play for and many points to win. With 16 games to go, starting with back-to-back home games over the next few days, now is the time we must all come together as one in that same spirit that has been demonstrated over the years.

Thank you for your continued support and Up The Mighty Pool!

Credit to Blackpool fans for continuing to keep the Oyston protests alive eight years after he left the club. pic.twitter.com/MxruLPojVF

— Aaron (@FeedTheSpud) February 14, 2026

This is our email from our supporters group to the club. Please share. Also feel free to email any of them as well👍 enough is enough now. The board has to go🍊 pic.twitter.com/aDWbZFbKl5

— TheMuckers2.0 (@TheMuckersNew) February 15, 2026

The email read:

What an absolute load of nonsense that statement is. Honestly embarrassing.

All we ever get is the same recycled waffle… “frustrating season”, “optimism”, “commitment”, “positivity”, “come together”. Words, words, words… and not a single real answer to anything that actually matters at Blackpool Football Club.

You talk about standards and leadership, yet you, as CEO, have been silent for well over a year while the club has gone backwards. That isn’t leadership, that’s hiding. Disgraceful.

You talk about investment… but what about the results of that investment? Three years of recruitment that has taken us nowhere. What exactly does David Downes have to do to be held accountable? Because from the outside it looks like there are no standards at all. Absolute joke.

And don’t try dressing it up with talk of injuries and referees. Every club deals with that. Properly run clubs improve anyway. We haven’t.

You mention communication like it’s some new idea you’ve just discovered. Fans have been begging for transparency for years. Now suddenly you “recognise improvements must be made”. Ridiculous. It should never have got this bad in the first place.

Meanwhile the basics of the club are still being ignored. The ground still looks tired and filthy. The broken screen still there for everyone to see. Promises about improving the stadium go nowhere. Where is the progress on the training ground? Where is the ‘new stand’? Where are the improvements around Bloomfield Road that were talked about? Everything takes an age to do, if indeed it ever gets done at all! It’s a joke…

Even simple things like sorting the lighting on the statues and the presentation of the club get left. It all reflects the same thing… poor standards everywhere.

This is Blackpool Football Club. Our club. Our history. Our town. And right now it feels like it’s being run with absolutely no pride and no urgency.

You talk about unity and homecoming anniversaries and cheap tickets, but unity comes from trust and trust comes from competence. You don’t get it from PR and discounts. You’re going to do the occasion a disservice and embarrass our club further. Everything is half arsed, and I’ve no doubt this will bl too…

The truth is the club feels directionless, poorly run and miles off where it should be. Fans don’t feel led, they feel ignored.

This has set us back years.

Enough of the spin. Enough of the excuses. Enough of the nonsense.

You, Julian, and David Downes have overseen decline, poor standards and zero accountability. Neither of you should be anywhere near this football club. Get out.

Blackpool deserves better than this. Absolute disgrace.

Yours sincerely,

David Ragozzino

Ian Evatt’s reaction.

🍊 #UTMP | @sbk pic.twitter.com/2BnI7xffDM

— Blackpool FC (@BlackpoolFC) February 14, 2026

After holding the players back in the changing room for over an hour after the 4-0 defeat to Plymouth, Blackpool boss said, per Blackpool Gazette: “It’s a dark day. It was incredibly disappointing from minute one, we got rocked by the first mistake we made, and the theme of this season so far has been recovery.

“When we start well and we’re having positives, that snowballs and we grow, but when people make mistakes or we concede, we can’t and struggle to recover.

“I don’t think it’s a care thing, I genuinely don’t. In many ways they care too much. They go into their shell.

“I played in a team here that conceded loads of goals, but the one thing that team had was a desire to outscore the opposition, and it also took offence to people scoring against us.

“It affects us and rocks us and makes us shy away from what we should be doing. Today wasn’t a day where we were technically outplayed; we didn’t do the basics anywhere near well enough. Running, competing, and winning duels are the basics of football.

“We’ve been in there for over an hour and for the first time since I’ve been here, we spoke some clear home truths. That’s taken a lot of time, and in football you can’t waste time – we have to action what we’ve spoken about.

“I don’t need to share it. I think everyone knows me well enough around here to know the conversation we’ve just had. I’m bitterly disappointed with today. We have to reset, and we have another chance on Tuesday.

“Games are running out, but we’ve got 15 cup finals to make sure we’re nowhere near where we are right now – that has to be our motivation. For now, it’s not about words, it’s about actions.”