Former Blackpool captain Andy Taylor has described the bittersweet nature of the club's 2017 promotion, achieved during the fan boycott against the Oyston ownership. The 40-year-old, now an assistant coach at Barrow, missed the 2-1 play-off final victory over Exeter City through injury and reflected on the empty stands at Wembley.

Taylor first arrived at Bloomfield Road on loan from Blackburn Rovers as a 19-year-old in 2006, playing under manager Simon Grayson and assistant Tony Parkes alongside the likes of Peter Clarke and Keith Southern. He returned a decade later after a call from Gary Bowyer, his old youth team manager at Blackburn. Taylor said, but his comeback coincided with the height of the supporter protests.

Matches were played in front of tiny crowds, and the promotion-clinching day at Wembley saw only around 5,000 Blackpool fans in attendance, a fraction of the typical 40,000. Taylor became club captain that season but was injured in the last 20 minutes of the semi-final second leg at Luton. He trained two days before the final but had to withdraw. "At the time it was horrible because I was so desperate to play," Taylor said. He watched from the sidelines, feeling powerless as his teammates secured promotion.

A success unshared

The emotional core of the achievement was tempered by the absence of the club's supporters. Taylor credited the staff, led by Bowyer, for shielding the squad from the off-field turmoil. "It was just a real shame because we ended up having a successful season and we won the play-offs, but we weren't able to share that," he stated. The victory was a professional triumph but a personal and communal loss.

Taylor noted that the team's focus on the pitch was remarkable given the circumstances, with the group's performance a key factor in their success. He said the unity within the playing squad was key during a period when the club's wider squad was under immense external pressure.

Blackpool's current campaign sees them 15th in League One with 8 points from 7 games, their recent form reading one win, one draw and three defeats. They travel to face 20th-placed Notts County this Saturday, looking to build momentum from their last victory, a 4-0 win over Peterborough in late August. The club's current squad is aiming for a more consistent run of results as they prepare for their upcoming fixtures.

More detail at blackpoolgazette.co.uk