When Nathan Fogg attended his first Blackpool game with his dad in the 2001-02 season, little did he know that he would be releasing a book about the club’s downfall 20 years later.
Fogg, 27, a lifelong Blackpool fan from Nelson, has released a book titled ‘How Not to Run a Football Club’ featuring exclusive interviews covering the chaos and boycotts that were commonplace at Blackpool FC under the Oyston regime.
The book toppled Sir Alex Ferguson’s release ‘Alex: The Man Behind the Legend’ from the number one spot on the British football book charts on Amazon, and it is now only second in the sports charts behind the late Shane Warne’s autobiography.
Fogg is delighted at the book’s success. He said: “It is the most definitive account of Blackpool FC that you’re ever going to get.
“I interviewed 50 or 60 people for it and there are a lot of stories in the book that people have never heard or dared to publish before.
“And I think it will shock even the most diehard Blackpool fans, it’s a must read and a warning to other football fans on how bad a club can get, how little the football authorities stepped in and how the club was left to die in a sense.”
The project has been a labour of love for Fogg.
He began writing the book at Leeds University in 2015, while the Oyston family was still in charge, but he didn’t feel the story was ready to be told quite yet.
Since then, the author has been able to interview Karl Oyston and Valeri Belokon, two of the main antagonists within the saga.
“I wouldn’t have been able to interview them back then, as they were still going through court.
“But thankfully no-one beat me to writing the story,” he said.
The writer has also worked for DAZN, but during lockdown lost his job due to there being no active sports.
He then worked at a pub, where he spent most of his free time working on the book.
“I wrote the book a lot on that sort of sabbatical and since last July I have worked at ITV in the transmission department; I work in broadcast,” he said.
Blackpool now sit upon rosier times, with the Oystons being forced to sell the club, in which local businessman Simon Sadler took the reins.
Now, the Seasiders sit mid-table in the Championship, and manager Neil Critchley has given the fans a new lease of life.
Nathan still attends matches with his dad – who is yet to read the final version of the book.
He said: “I hope he’s proud, he’s looking forward to reading it.
“He has read a couple of draft chapters but not the whole thing yet and I think he’s going to enjoy it like any fan.
“It’s going to be cool sharing that experience with him for sure.”
‘How Not to Run a Football Club’ can now be found on Amazon and in Waterstones.
