Blyth Spartans under new ownership as Tyneside businessman takes control at National League North club

New Blyth Spartans owner Irfan Liaquat has called on the local community to get behind the club as he looks to build on the foundations built by former chairman Tony Platten.

After a 25-year reign at Croft Park, Platten confirmed Spartans had been sold to the Tyneside-based businessmen and his ownership will get underway this weekend when Jon Shaw’s side host National League North rivals Boston United.

In preparation for the game, Spartans new ownership team are giving away free tickets to the local community as they look to kick off their own tenure in front of a big crowd at the club’s famous old home. As part of a stated aim of ‘championing the local community and ‘connecting new fans and old’, Liaquat has called on Spartans supporters to give their backing to Shaw and his side as they look to make a positive start to a new chapter in the club’s history.

He told The Gazette: “Get behind us because there are exciting times ahead.  

“This is a new start, we need you to back us because look at this as a new chapter.  The club is yours, you are our community and we want to be there for you.  You need to get behind the players and get behind Jon Shaw because it’s amazing what support does for the club.  I want to see as many people in there on Saturday and let’s do this collectively.

Liaquat has already put in a place a new look board with business development specialist Bernice Taylor, Blyth-born education specialist Richard Kirby, risk management expert Craig Ridley and current managing director Colin Blackett all heading up a new look hierarchy.

Former Leicester City, Luton Town and Derby County striker Steve Howard, who spent time playing non-league football in the North East with Tow Law Town during the formative years of his career, has also been appointed to aid the on-field plans in a newly created sporting director role. With his team in place, Liaquat has stated why he targeted Spartans ahead of the takeover and stressed he is keen to ensure the club moves into a ‘very good place’ over the coming months and years.

“Blyth Spartans are the world’s most famous non-league team, they are very well known and it’s a name that doesn’t need any announcement.  I’ve looked at the project, I know what it needs to get to the next level.  My background, for what I’ve done and achieved, this was just perfect because with my skills and experience at the age of 41, if I can echo that into this football club, on and off the pitch, I think we will all be in a very good place."

For Platten and former vice chairman Kevin Scott, the sale of the club to Liaquat brings an end to almost quarter of a century in control of the reigns at Spartans.  The duo delivered emotional messages at Wednesday morning’s press conference announcing the completion of the deal as they reflected on a challenging time in charge at Croft Park.

Platten gave an insight into how the search for new custodians had played out over the last 12 months as backed Liaquat and his team to build on the foundations he has put in place and take the club to a new level.

He said: “We appointed an agency to help us out and we were a bit reluctant to do that but I am pleased to have got this far without anything leaking out.  We came across Irfan in November time and we started negotiations.  Kevin and I have been involved for a long time and it was absolutely vital that we found an organisation to take the club forward.

“They would have to bring elements of professional management but we also felt it had to be locally based.  Irfan and his team are all local people, they know the community and we had chancers approach us but we’ve heard tales of some going into clubs, some not too far away from us.

“We were determined to find the right team and in Irfan and his team, each meeting he brought an element of his team in.  He was putting is plans together and bringing in various people over the course of time.  We now have footballing expertise, media expertise, community expertise.  As the team developed, we felt he was putting together a team that could take the club where we want it to go.”