Blackpool friendly abandoned after pitch invasion

Blackpool's pre-season friendly at Lancaster City on Saturday was abandoned after a section of the club's supporters again invaded the pitch in protest against controversial chairman Karl Oyston.

The beleaguered League One club led 3-1 against the local non-League side when a small group of fans walked on to field and refused to leave, forcing both sets of players to depart and the match to be cut short.

Similar scenes brought a premature halt to relegated Blackpool's final Championship fixture against Huddersfield Town at Bloomfield Road in May - a move that saw the Lancashire club charged by the Football Association (FA). 

The FA also took action against Oyston last month after he sent abusive and insulting messages to a fan, resulting in a six-week ban. 

Oyston admitted five breaches of aggravated misconduct following the exchange with a supporter in November 2014, in which the Blackpool owner made references to disability having been heavily criticised for his running of the club.

It is the second season running that Blackpool's pre-season preparations have lurched into chaos, with the club forced to cancel a close-season tour last year due to their threadbare squad.

It set the tone for the following campaign, as managers Jose Riga and Lee Clark came and went, with the club eventually dropping into the third tier after amassing just 26 points.