Karl Oyston

Infobox Person
name = Karl Oyston


birth_name = Karl Oyston
birth_date =
birth_place =
death_date =
death_place =
death_cause =
nationality = British
known_for = Blackpool F.C.
occupation = Businessman
networth = £105M
parents = Owen Oyston, Vicki Oyston
education =
spouse =
religion =

Karl Oyston is an English businessman and the current chairman of the English football club, Blackpool F.C.

Background

Up until 1999, Oyston spent much of his time involved in running the the Oyston family businesses including property management, farming interests and publishing. cite news
last = Rosthorn
first = Andrew
title = Guardian's land sale riles Oyston
publisher = The Independent
date = 1995-09-17
url = http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19950917/ai_n14007042
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

Blackpool FC

In March 1999 Oyston took over as chairman of Blackpool FC from his mother Vicki. He is the third member of the Oyston family to occupy the role, after his father, Owen, and mother, Vicki. cite news
title = Oyston not worried about critics
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2008-05-08
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/7426132.stm
accessdate = 2008-08-31] Initially he took over the role of Managing Director, following the resignation of both the previous Managing Director, Gill Bridge and Vicki Oyston, who had resigned as chairman following what was described as "an ugly 'Oyston Out' demonstration by fans at the stadium". Oyston had been handed control of the club by his father who was at the time still serving a prison sentence for rape. Oyston stated that his mother had quit to give him a level playing field and let him run the club his way after his father had promised he would not seek to take over again when he got out of prison. cite news
title = Why Gill had to go
publisher = Lancashire Evening Telegraph
date = 1999-04-02
url = http://archive.theboltonnews.co.uk/1999/4/2/776229.html
accessdate = 2008-08-31]

In 2001 he oversaw the building of new West and North stands at Bloomfield Road, the first new facilities at the ground in around eighty years. He has also seen the club improve its financial situation and avoid the worst effects of the ITV Digital collapse, which saw several Football League clubs go into administration. He has though been at times a controversial chairman of the club. In May 2008 during an interview on BBC Radio Lancashire, after he had been criticised for season ticker price rises, Oyston said that he would continue to make decisions in the club's best interests even if that made him unpopular with supporters of the club.

In July 2005 he was elected onto the Football League Board of directors as a representative of League One, cite news
title = Beeks is elected to League board
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2005-07-09
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/wycombe_wanderers/466907.stm
accessdate = 2008-09-08] and in June 2006 was elected back onto the board. cite news
last = Scott
first = Matt
title = Sheepshanks gets back on board despite role in ITV deal fiasco
publisher = The Guardian
date = 2006-06-24
url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2006/jun/24/worldcup2006.sport9
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

In September 2006 after an undercover investigation into illicit payments in football on the BBC Panorama current affairs documentary series, Oyston claimed that he had been offered bungs by football agents, saying "I've been offered cash as a bribe to bring a player to the club and it's happened more than once. In one instance, someone wanted me to take a player on a higher salary than we would normally pay, so he offered me a certain amount of cash as a gift to get me to do it. I said no and it didn't take any time whatsoever to reach that decision. Since 1999 when I became chairman here, my managers have been offered bungs. We've missed out on a lot of footballers because of it and that is one of my biggest concerns. It is very disturbing and in the Premiership where there are huge, huge deals taking place, it is a major problem." cite news
title = Liverpool ponder BBC legal action
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-09-22
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/5369734.stm
accessdate = 2008-09-08] cite news
last = Szczepanik
first = Nick
title = Sirens sound as inquiries follow hot on heels of Stevens report
publisher = The Times
date = 2008-05-08
url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article2088103.ece
accessdate = 2008-08-31] cite news
title = Blackpool Chairman reveals multiple bung offers
publisher = ESPNsoccernet
date = 2006-09-21
url = http://soccernet.espn.go.com//news/story?id=380805&&cc=5739
accessdate = 2008-09-08] The Football Association asked Oyston, and others who made similar claims, to name the agents concerned, saying that they had a duty to provide evidence. cite news
title = FA demands evidence of corruption
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-09-29
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5393448.stm
accessdate = 2008-09-08] cite news
title = BBC & FA hold bung evidence talks
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2006-09-25
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/5376898.stm
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

The Sunday Times Rich List, which anually lists the 2,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom has Oyston's wealth along with his father Owen at £105M making them the 759th richest in the country, down from 659th in 2007.cite news
title = Owen and Karl Oyston
publisher = Sunday Times
date = 2008-04-27
url = http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/article3796552.ece
accessdate = 2008-09-08]

References