From 1888 the club became founder members of the Lancashire League, winning the Championship in 1893-94. In 1896-97 they applied to join the Football League and were accepted. Although losing their place in 1899 they were re-elected after one season back in the Lancashire League in 1900, and have sustained their Football League status ever since although needing the help of the chairmen's votes on a few occasions. They also moved into Bloomfield Road in 1899.

Those were the days! How Non-league.......er, Seria A! This terrace has since gone. Lovely open seating these days. Photo © 2000 Ciderspace

It is easy to forget that for substantial parts of their history Blackpool were one of the powers of the land in football. Although never capturing the Division One title they were runners-up 1955-56. They were in the top flight from 1930-33, 1937-67 and 1970-71. They can also boast one of the most famous players of all time, Stanley Matthews, bought from Stoke City for £11,000, and winning the F.A. Cup in the 'Matthews Final' in 1953. Their two other Final appearances, in 1948 and 1951, ended in defeat.

After their last brief foray in Division One Blackpool were a solid enough Division Two side for the rest of the decade until 1978-79. It had been a hard winter with many postponements but seaside Blackpool had escaped and completed their fixtures early. Although it was a tight table Blackpool looked comfortably safe in mid-table and went off for an end-of-season tour in the United States. It was there they learnt every single result over the last days of the season was going against them. When in the very last game played Orient beat Cardiff City at Ninian Park to avoid the third relegation spot Blackpool were relegated to Division Three for the first time in their history. The team broke up and, as other clubs were to find, the appointment of Alan Ball as manager a couple of seasons later was not a wise move. He stayed long enough to take them down to Division Four. By 1983 they were seeking re-election.

Although this was perhaps the club's lowest point their recovery has only been partial. For the last twenty-five years they have bobbed about in the bottom two divisions. High points were promotion from Division Four as runners-up in 1984-85 and from then Division Three through the play-offs, defeating Leyton Orient at the Millennium Stadium, in 2000-01; low points relegation in 1989-90 and 1999-2000. They have had success in the LDV Vans Trophy in recent seasons, winning the competition in both 2002 and 2004.

Before the 2005-06 season the Glovers and Seasiders had met only once. In the 2000-01 season the clubs were drawn in the Second Round of the F.A. Cup. The tie at Bloomfield Road was switched to a Sunday for live coverage on Sky Sports. If the cameras had not been there we've no doubt the match would have been postponed, conditions where that bad. As it turned out the travelling fans were particularly pleased it went ahead as Nick Crittenden twinkled through the puddles to score the only goal of the game on the stroke of half-time.

Nick Crittenden scores the goal that took Yeovil through to Round Three. Photo © 2000 Ciderspace

Blackpool changed their manager again in 2005-06, Colin Hendry out, Simon Grayson in. If it made any difference it was to keep them up by the skin of their teeth, as the Seasiders spent the whole campaign battling down the wrong end of the table, eventually finishing 19th.

Over the summer hopes were high as the club gleaned plenty of publicity about their negotiations with a Latvian sugar-daddy. Valeri Belokon has subsequently put a indeterminate sum into the club. Everybody is very tight lipped as to the amount. Though the presumption is it is in seven figures a Roman Abramovich he isn't. Prediction Corner : Last season our prediction was for Blackpool to be relegated in 21st. We were wrong, but not by much. This campaign there's the unpredictable consequences of the arrival of an unknown quantity of lats into the coffers to consider. Money isn't everything however, though it sure does help, and we remain relatively unimpressed by the set up at Bloomfield Road: chairman, manager or squad. We'll go for another season where trees firmly resist being pulled up, but the extra cash avoiding a relegation battle - lower mid-table in 16th.

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FORTHCOMING FIXTURES

CLUB GOALSCORERS

Name

LGE

FAC

FAT

LGC

CC

Total

ATTENDANCE STATISTICS

Highest League Attendance: Not Applicable
Lowest League Attendance: Not Applicable
Average League Attendance: Not Applicable

CURRENT LEAGUE SEQUENCE STATISTICS

Games Without A Win:	0		Games Without A Home Win:	0
Games Without An Away Win:	0		Games Without Defeat:	0
Games Without A Home Defeat:	0		Games Without An Away Defeat:	0
Games Without A Draw:	0		Games Without A Score Draw:	0
Games Without A No-Score Draw:	0		Games Without Scoring:	0
Games Without Conceding:	0		Home Results Sequence:
Away Results Sequence:			Overall Results Sequence:

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About half the stadium looks this good - the rest still isn't built. Photo © 2006 Ciderspace

Coming off the end of the M55 simply follow signs to 'Car Parks' and 'South Shore'. Keep heading along Yeadon Way and you can't miss the ground to your right.

Parking

There's extensive Pay & Display parking just across the road from the stadium. Out of season, the holiday season not the football season, this is cheap and it's probably not worth hunting for on-street parking.

The Spion Kop Photo © 2006 Ciderspace

By Rail

Blackpool has two stations. North Station is the main one, but is about 25 minutes walk from the ground. South Station is more convenient for the ground at under 10 minutes walk, but is served by less trains.

If travelling from Yeovil the train is only really an option if you intend to make a long weekend of it. If from the South-East the best route is from Euston Station. All services require a change at Preston from Virgin to Northern Rail. Journey times are between 4 hours 40 minutes and about 5 hours. The last service out of Blackpool North to get you back to London on Saturday departs 18.26, arriving at Euston 23.30.

If arriving at Blackpool North the No.11 bus departs from the station and takes you near the ground.

By Air

Blackpool has an international airport three miles out of town. Ryan Air has a service from (London) Stansted Airport with two flights each way on weekdays and one on Saturdays and Sundays. Flight times are 55 to 60 minutes.

By Bus

From the town centre Nos. 5 and 11 are the best services for the stadium.

By Tram

Oh go on, you know you want to. The nearest tram stop to the ground is Manchester Square.

By Taxi

A selection of Blackpool taxi companies can be found here.

The Matthews Stand Photo © 2006 Ciderspace

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N.B. Unless specified opening times given still tend to be for pre the change in licencing laws on November 24th 2005. It's fair to presume no pubs will be reducing their times when open, so consider those supplied below as the minimum.

Club Bar :

The East 'Stand': open seating - don't you just love it...... Photo © 2006 Ciderspace

With the ground developments that have occurred home fans now enjoy bars and new food areas. No such bar facilities for away fans at present. The food is passable: a selection of hot pies from Hollands, hot dogs, chips together with hot beverages and cold soft drinks, but served from a single small hut in the away stand. Long queues are the norm.

Local Pubs :

Nothing special, but fairly convenient © Martin Baker Albert Hotel: Little bit further from the ground than The Old Bridge (below) - but still less than five minutes walk. Tolerable but mediocre as we recall. Allowed children in one of the rooms. Albert Hotel, 215, Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6ET. Tel: 01253 408642. Map: Click Here.

Dog & Partridge: Short distance further along than the Albert (above). A Boddingtons pub - which means little these days.......it's part of the Belgian Interbrew conglomeration, the largest brewing empire in the World. Boddingtons was a classic great beer, but its decline began in 1989 when Whitbread bought up the Manchester brewery. Boddy's produced by a company that had Flowers as its pretence at real ale - oh dear! It tried to turn Boddy's into a keg and can phenomenom - remember the 'cream of Manchester' campaign, putting less and less effort into the cask version which was so superior it was an insult it had to share the same name and should have been actionable under the Trades Description laws. In 2000 Interbrew bought up Whitbread and at the beginning of 2005 ended a 230 year tradition of brewing at Strangeways, Manchester, by closing the Boddingtons brewery down. The keg, where Interbrew's interest really lies, hasn't been brewed in Manchester for ages. However even a global giant can be shaken by bad publicity, and such was the storm of protest regarding the closure of the Boddingtons brewery that they have licenced another Manchester brewer, Hydes to produce the cask version. There's some evidence that Interbrew is prepared to promote and advertise proper Boddy's.........though the cynic in us suspects they will wait until the fuss dies down and then quietly let it wither away. Dog & Partridge, 265, Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6ET. Tel: 01253 404047. Map: Click Here.

Dunes Hotel: Flying up to Blackpool? 1.7 miles from the stadium, but only a few hundred yards from the airport. Separate lounge and public bars serving Boddingtons (the increasingly rare original, not the pathetic keg version) and Robinson's Best Bitter. There are usually three guests on, often one from the Blackpool Brewery Company or Hart Brewery in Preston. Food served until 7.30 p.m. Opening 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. Wheelchair friendly and a nice patio if the weather is good. Own parking, and on the No.11 bus route into town. Dunes Hotel, 561, Lytham Road, Squires Gate, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY4 1RD. Tel: 01253 403854. Map: Click Here.

New Road Inn: Convenient for Blackpool North Railway station but one and a half miles from the ground. Has pool, darts and a small stage for entertainment. Beers are from Jennings, and include Sneck Lifter which is amongst this reviewer's top ten beers of all time. Opening is 11.00 a.m. - 11.00 p.m. New Road Inn, 244, Talbot Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3HL. Tel: 01253 628872. Map: Click Here.

Pump & Truncheon: Just back from the seafront and close to Central Pier. Its position means it's almost always busy. Open 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. with an extension to midnight on Saturdays, and from 12 noon to 12 midnight on Sundays. The house beer is Boddingtons, plus various guests. Open fire, wooden floors and bare brick walls establishes the genre. About a fifteen minute walk to the ground. Pump & Truncheon, 13, Bonny Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 5AR. Tel: 01253 751176. Map: Click Here.

Ramsden Arms Hotel: Pretty much bang outside Blackpool North railway station, which makes it a half hour walk from the ground. Boddingtons, Pedigree and Thwaites are the regular beers, with guests usually from the local brewery and cheap. Food at lunchtime. There's a juke box and pool table. Rooms supposedly reasonably priced. Ramsden Arms Hotel, 204, Talbot Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3AZ. Tel: 01253 623215. Map: Click Here.

Saddle Inn: Oldest pub in Blackpool, on the A583 which is the main route into town. Several bus routes pass the pub. For the ground there's a few turns, then straight down Bloomfield Road for just over half a mile - total walking time about 15 minutes. The stadium is on your right. Opening is 12 noon - 11.00 p.m. Food served lunchtime and evenings (though no evening food at the weekends). There is a no-smoking dining area and play area for children. Beers are Boddingtons, Draught Bass, Worthington 1774 and guests. A beer festival each Easter. Saddle Inn, 286, Whitegate Drive, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 9PH. Tel: 01253 607921. Map: Click Here.

Fairly typical Wetherspoon © Martin Baker The Auctioneer: Fairly new Wetherspoon. What you expect from the chain, though slightly more interesting guest beers than some. No children allowed in this one according to the Wetherspoon web site, which didn't really make sense in a seaside resort. However the specified lack of a child certificate doesn't always seem to relate to practice on the ground, and those in our party were allowed entry. Opening under the new laws is Sunday – Thursday 9.00 a.m. – midnight; Friday - Saturday 9.00 a.m. – 12.30 a.m. Conveniently situated between Blackpool South railway station and the stadium, about five minutes walk from each. Smoking was still allowed. The Auctioneer, 235-237, Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6ET. Tel: 01253 346412. Map: Click Here.

The Blue Room: Pretty much in the heart of Blackpool, a quarter of a mile inland from The Tower. Wide variety of regularly changing beers, various pub games - that sort of thing. Twenty minute walk to the stadium. The Blue Room, 139, Church Street, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 3NX. Tel: 01253 316393. Map: Click Here.

The Old Bridge: Probably the closest pub to the stadium. Still badged as Matthew Brown even though Scottish & Newcastle bought out and wrecked this enterprise as long ago as 1987. Anything by the global giants to cover up the real ownership of pubs. Odd isn't it? They buy up breweries and pubs by the 10's, 100's and 1,000's, but do all in their power to convince the customer they don't really own them. A cynic might say that far from being proud of their corporate image they've spotted they'd do better putting "Poison Sold Here" above the door than their own name. So they cling on to former names they've ruined, or invent completely spurious new identities. There are 2 rooms inside, with the back room being a cabaret room with a 200 capacity, a large stage and a kitchen. Seem to recall this hostelry stoutly refusing to open when we went up for the Cup despite the times published on the doors. Yep, I mean a load of families supporting a non-league outfit are a scary concept......duh. The Old Bridge, 124, Lytham Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY1 6DZ. Tel: 01253 403354. Map: Click Here.

Likelihood the Natives Will Understand You :

They understand everyone whilst there's still money in their wallets / purses.

Top-Tip :

Spend the weekend. Blackpool is the home of tasteless hedonism - which is fun once in a while.

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[No responsibilty is taken for any inaccuracies. This page is entirely the product of bias and prejudice.]

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