THE Oyston dynasty will live on whatever happens within the next few weeks, chairman of Blackpool Football Club Vicki Oyston vowed yesterday (November 26).

Through the agonising wait for the judges' decision on her husband Owen's appeal against convictions of rape; through the battle for control of the football club, the strength of her family around her will be her comfort and her courage.

It could be up to 28 days before the Oyston family know his fate but whatever the verdict Vicki, her son Karl and daughters Heidi and Karen, are vowing to draw on the strength which has carried them through the past 18 months since his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of a former model.

Speaking exclusively to the Citizen, Vicki talked about her feelings on the two-day hearing, what will happen if the verdict doesn't go their way and how all they can do now is wait for that all-important ruling.

Judgment was reserved at the end of the hearing on Tuesday (November 25) and Lord Justice Phillips, sitting with Mr Justice Jowitt and Mr Justice Moses, did not give a date when they would give their decision.

"It could be this week, it could be a few weeks," said Vicki. "All we can do is wait.

"I can honestly say the hearing was an ordeal.

"You work hard for 18 months to produce information and the lawyers work hard on the legal points.

"All you can do is sit on your hands while they put that information over to the appeal court detailing why Owen should have not been convicted.

"I feel we have a strong case.

"The legal points added to the new evidence show how so many lies were told."

After the hearing, Oyston, who is serving a six-year sentence, was taken back to Garth prison near Preston where Vicki spoke to him yesterday (November 26).

"He is as positive as always.

"He has learned to deal with his situation - we all have.

"There hasn't been any degree of pessimism because we have just got on with things.

"From a family point of view, of course, we have one member missing but Owen is still with us, we can visit and have conversations with him and he is still in the North West."

Obviously, the family have looked at all the possibilities of what could happen but stress they are in a stronger position now than when Oyston was first arrested.

"Then I was thrown in the deep end," Vicki explained, "but I don't have that deep end to worry about anymore and I have learned to cope with different situations.

"All the businesses have made extremely good progress, nothing is remaining static.

"I am very pleased about that because it means we have moved forward in some way.

"We will carry on whether Owen is freed or not.

"It does not create problems in that respect.

"We have taken in what is happening to Owen, but it doesn't prevent us from getting on with our lives."

It is this philosophy which has given Vicki and her family the strength to deal with any problems which the businesses have come up against, including the continuing wrangle over the Whyndyke Farm development and, most recently, the takeover threat from a consortium led by one of the club's vice presidents David Haythornthwaite.

"I cannot compliment the man on his timing," she commented, "and I think there are certain good manners he could have observed."

But she refuses to be worried about something which has yet to happen.

"There has been no bid from him - all he has done is make an inquiry."

If such a bid is ever made he will be taking on a strong family, made all the more so by the events of the past two years.

As Vicki explained: "We haven't been put to the test as a family before, but we have stood up to that test.

"The strength we have gained from each other and the lessons we have learned will carry us through whatever the next part may be."

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