The Fans Who Fought Back: The Battle for Blackpoolcomes to Sky Documentaries on 21 November

The Battle for Blackpool comes to Sky Documentaries on 21 NovemberTuesday 3 November 2026

The Fans Who Fought Back: The Battle for Blackpool comes to Sky Documentaries on 21 November

Sky today announces The Battle for Blackpool, a new Sky Original documentary exploring Blackpool FC's fairytale rise to the Premier League and the extraordinary David and Goliath battle that followed between its multi-millionaire owners and ordinary supporters.

When the self-made Oyston family took control of Blackpool FC, the club was languishing in the lower reaches of the English football league. But in 2010, under charismatic manager Ian Holloway, Blackpool defied the odds to reach the Premier League, landing a reported £90 million windfall for the club. When questions emerged over how these riches were being used, relations between the Oystons and the supporters began to fracture, setting the stage for a brutal conflict over the future of Blackpool FC.

As the club began to slide back down the league tables, a group of determined supporters launched a protest movement that would become one of the most significant fan campaigns in English football. Boycotts, guerrilla tactics and years of bitter confrontation followed, as the battle between the fans and the Oyston family became increasingly personal and entrenched. The dispute took a heavy emotional and financial toll on all, eventually ending with the Oystons forced to relinquish control of the club.

A one-off feature documentary from South Shore Productions (Freddie Flintoff's Field of Dreams),The Battle for Blackpool follows the people at the heart of Blackpool FC's tumultuous recent history. Through interviews with former chairman Karl Oyston and his father, businessman Owen Oyston, former manager Ian Holloway, former players and supporters involved in the campaign, the film covers the passion, sacrifice, humour and sheer determination behind a battle that would change the club - and town - forever. It's a story with all the character and spirit of Blackpool itself.

Hayley Reynolds, Head of Documentary Commissioning at Sky, said: We're thrilled to be working with director James Newton and the team at South Shore to bring this brilliantly British story to Sky. It's one that goes far beyond football, bringing together family drama, community spirit and a very public battle over club ownership that feels as relevant today as ever. With candid testimony from people on all sides of the dispute, the film allows those at the heart of it to tell their side of an extraordinary chapter in Blackpool's history.

The Battle for Blackpool (1x60) was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Executive Director, Unscripted Originals at Sky for C cile Frot-Coutaz, Chief Advertising and Content Officer, CEO Sky Studios. The Head of Documentary Commissioning is Hayley Reynolds and the Commissioning Editor for Sky is Jo Hughes. The Battle for Blackpool is produced by South Shore. The Battle for Blackpool is filmed and directed by three-time BAFTA award winning James Newton (Grenfell: The Untold Story, Gun No 6) and Executive Produced by Andrew Mackenzie-Betty and Kevin Sutcliffe.

Watch The Battle for Blackpool on Sky Documentaries and streaming service NOW on 21 November

For more information, contact:

Lucy.Butterfield@sky.uk

DFWF@organic-publicity.com

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