Brett Ormerod will hold his Blackpool testimonial at AFC Fylde’s Mill Farm stadium after describing the atmosphere around Bloomfield Road as “too toxic”.
The 39-year-old forward, who made more than 250 appearances for Blackpool across two spells, was offered free use of the club’s stadium by the chairman, Karl Oyston, but turned down the proposal.
“It breaks my heart the game isn’t at Bloomfield Road but it’s just too toxic there at the moment,” Ormerod told the Blackpool Gazette. “With all that’s going on and all the negativity around the place, I didn’t want it to spoil what should be a celebration for everyone. It’s something I had to think long and hard about but I just don’t want to be dragged into the mess at Blackpool.”
The Oyston family continue to endure regular protests by supporters against their running of the club, who are 21st in League One, in their first season after relegation from the Championship. A sit-in demonstration on the pitch against Huddersfield in May, at their final match before demotion, caused the match to be abandoned, while the Blackpool Supporters Trust had been in takeover talks until Owen Oyston announced in October that those discussions were over.
“I want it to be a special day for all Blackpool’s fans,” Ormerod added. “Once AFC Fylde came forward and offered their fantastic new stadium as a venue, it was an easy decision.
“With fans banned from Bloomfield Road and others refusing to step foot inside, I couldn’t have held it there. It would have stirred up a hornets’ nest and I would have been dragged into the criticism. I didn’t want people saying I was siding with the Oystons. This isn’t a political statement. I don’t want the politics anywhere near the day.”
An Ormerod Blackpool XI will play Fylde on 31 July to mark the official opening of the National League North side’s new £18m stadium.
