CARLISLE United boss Paul Simpson has thanked Blues supporters for their 'absolutely magnificent' response to the abuse he faced at Blackpool. 

The United boss the target of abuse from a section of Carlisle's travelling fans after the Blues were defeated 3-0 at Bloomfield Road last time out in League One. 

Since the incident, Carlisle fans have rallied around their boss, and in the run-up to the Blues' home clash with Northampton Town, Simpson paid tribute to those who have supported him.

He said: "The biggest thing I have got to say is the reaction from everybody else has been absolutely magnificent.

"There has been a huge outpouring of support and I didn't do it for that, I didn't do it because I wanted people to say nice things about me or us.

"I just spoke from the heart because it affected me last Saturday so all I wanted to do was make a point that it is not acceptable. 

"I don't know why people think they can go into a football game and do what they want and abuse people just for their own pleasure, I don't think that is right.

"We also know that we have to be better, people pay their money to go to a football game but that does not give them the divine right to say whatever they want if they don't want to support the team they don't have to but what I will say is since I have come back into this club, the support we have all received has been fantastic and I want that to continue."

Simpson also discussed how the incident at Bloomfield Road is a stain on the club for everybody involved, from the new American owners to the supporters, and hopes that it will not happen again.

He said: "The Piataks have come in and this is now their football club, I have been a Carlisle supporter all my life, even if I played for anybody else I still followed Carlisle's results.

"It's a stain on my football club as well, it is a stain on our supporters' football.

"We have had some real isolated incidents of flares being thrown or people running on the pitch, we have had real isolated incidents that have gone on in the 18-20 months I have been back but last weekend took it to another level.

"Hopefully it was a line in the sand where we can say that it wasn't acceptable, we have to be better and know we have to give a performance and get results that do not encourage that type of behaviour."