Tangerines shirt sponsor regrets signing deal

THE shirt sponsor of League One football club Blackpool has admitted it made a mistake backing the troubled Bloomfield Road side.

After meeting with disgruntled supporters groups Tangerine Knights and Blackpool Supporters’ Trust, Village Hotels boss chief executive  Gary Davis said supporting the Tangerines was something “we should have avoided”.

The one-season agreement was sealed at the end of July, but according to local reports fans have stopped using the hotel and cancelled golf and leisure club subscriptions.

Davis told the Blackpool Gazette: ““Blackpool is one of many teams we have supported and in hindsight maybe it’s something that we should have avoided, but the shirt deal is done and we will honour the contract this season.

“However, we have no direct interaction with the club owners at any level and will not be renewing at the end of the season.

“We will be happy to continue future sponsorship to a new ownership.”

Since his meeting with fans, Davis has advised the fans to continue using the facilities of Village Urban Resorts and its services.

Meanwhile, the club – currently bottom of the league – has released a statement criticising the reporting of Blackpool in the Gazette.

“At a time when Neil McDonald is working to turn the club’s fortunes around, the Blackpool Gazette feels compelled to continue with a number of inaccurate and misleading headlines or articles,” it said.

“In a recent column, it was stated in the Gazette that the club was giving ‘preferential treatment’ to media partners in what was ‘basically a pay-as-you-interview scenario’.

“This has not been the case, as highlighted by the interviews the manager has done with eight different media organisations outside of match obligations.

“The club has made clear that it will favour sensible, balanced media alongside those that hold arrangements with The Football League this season.

“It is important that supporters continue to seek accurate information regarding the club on the official website and via other media outlets.”