Blackpool – Unreliable History, Club Records & Information

For the first twelve years of the club’s life, they led a nomadic existence moving from ground to ground, before they merged with the South Shore club and settled into Bloomfield Road. Shortly after the move, there was an infestation of fleas in the East Stand and to this day, it is known as the “Scratching Shed”. They toiled away in the Second Division until they were Champions in 1929-30, when they went up to the 1st Division and liked it so much that they stayed for 37 years. Since those days, they have only returned to the top flight for one season in 1970-71. In the 80′ and 90’s, they have slid down the ladder, falling to the bottom rung, but having escaped from Div. 2, they hope to continue their upward mobility.

The FA Cup seemed, for quite a while, to be as fruitless as the League for Blackpool, as they were losing finalists in 1949 and 1951. Having returned North trophyless, it looked like the star wing wizard of dribble, Sir Stanley Matthews, would never hold a winners medal. However, in 1953, it all came right after being 1-3 behind with twenty minutes remaining, Stan produced a mesmerising display of trickery to provide chance after chance for the Pool forwards, which they gleefully accepted to take the Cup 4-3 over Bolton Wanderers. Striker Stan Mortensen (The Blackpool Bombshell) scored a Cup Final hat-trick, but in this classic match, he took second place in what became known as “the Matthews Final” . Stan often joked that if he died before Stan and was buried, the winger would attend and the whole thing would be known as “The Matthews Funeral” !!

Jimmy Armfield, the club’s stalwart left-back, was voted as the best player in that position when he appeared for England in the 1962 World Cup Finals. He has since been employed as a commentator and consultant for the FA advising on the suitability of candidates for the England mangers post.

Blackpool’s best league placing was second in Div.1 in 1956, but the Cup competitions produced more success, with a semi-final appearance in the League Cup in 1962 and a victory in the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1971, being pipped in the final the following season.

The ground at Bloomfield Road is now run down and part of the terracing cannot be used for safety reasons, but jailed Millionaire chairman, Owen Oyston, has a big hat and big plans for the club, including a move to a purpose-built new stadium and hotel/complex to take the club into the 21st Century.  Having taken on former England international Steve McMahon as manager, the Seasiders were unable to move away from the bottom of the Second Division and at the end of season 1999-2000, they were relegated to Division Three.  With few sticks of rock being offered to the ex-Liverpool man when the team were struggling in the 2000-01 season, he pulled them up and got them to the play-offs, where they beat Orient to move up to Division Two.  Investment was needed to ensure that Blackpool is noted for more than just it’s front.

And the Wonga came with promotion to the Premier League in 2010 thanks to Ian Holloway’s inspired management and the sponsorship from a money lending firm that charged inflated interest rates and was called … Wonga.com.  After a bright start, the interest dropped off in the team who played attacking football, but were going down the table as the future didn’t look so rosy for the Oranges.  Relegation followed with a series of managers being poached before Blackpool could rock back into the top flight as they hit the bottom division and have started a gentle climb back up.

FAMOUS PLAYERS: – Sir Stanley Matthews, Stan Mortensen, Barry Batt, Alan Ball, Jimmy Armfield, Trevor Sinclair, Paul Stewart.

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