Blackpool Promoted - A Tangerine Dream

[Fred Goldstone]

As many on and off the forum will know, I'm a fanatic Leeds United supporter but what few will know is that my home town team is Blackpool and that I have a big soft spot in my heart for them.

Blackpool was the team I supported until the 'Don' (who was a friend of my Father's) took over at Leeds and began the transformation of a comatose giant into a world class team admired around the world.

Indeed my first clear concious memory is of watching the 1953 "Matthew's Final' on a tiny (but large by the standards of the day) 14" Black& White TV - we were the first in our street to have TV and the whole neighbourhood was crammed into our lounge room staring at the flickering images and marvelling at this relatively new technology.

Now a young, first-time manager, Simon "Larry" Grayson (fans of 70's English comedy will appreciate the nickname), has awoken the 'dying-and-left-for-dead' former great of English football and taken them on the first step to regaining their former glory.

The article below is written by a lifelong Blackpool supporter who has suffered the 'lows and lowest' of supporting a small town team trying to survive in the modern world of football where money is God and who has still managed to 'keep the faith' - a true football supporter who has suffered for his team yet always remained positive.

Message Received: May 28 2007, 01:22 AM
From: "John Secker"
To: seasiders@googlegroups.com
Cc:
Subject: [Seasiders] The Perfect Ten


It does not get any better than this. Blackpool established a club
record with ten consecutive victories by defeating Yeovil at the new
Wembley stadium, and Simon Grayson, who had "one match to save his
job" in September, led the club back to a level they last occupied 29
years ago. In truth it was not one of the great games, Blackpool were
simply too good for Yeovil, and in any other context this would have
been a routine and comfortable win. This match was so important, though,
that the nerves were raw long before the final whistle blew and 30,000
Blackpool fans celebrated wildly, as they deserved to do. It has been a
long wait, many of those in the stadium were not even born when the
events of 1978 were played out, but we have all lived through difficult
times and it is all the sweeter for that.
The reconstructed Wembley, completed only a few weeks ago, played host
to nearly 60,000 fans in tangerine and green on a wet and windy May
afternoon. The stadium is impressive enough from outside, with its
massive arch, but the surroundings are disappointing, a wilderness of
rubble and half-demolished buildings. However once inside it is a venue
worthy of the biggest occasion, with the seats in the back of the third
tier seeming to stretch into the sky. And after all the fireworks, the
red carpet, the National Anthem, there we were with 90 minutes to decide
the whole season. Unsurprisingly Blackpool stuck with the same squad of
sixteen which had served them so well during the semi-finals, so Morrell
and Parker would go looking for the goals, and no keeper on the bench,
which had a very positive look, two strikers and two midfielders, with
only Coid to provide cover in defence.
Blackpool were defending the goal in front of their own fans in the
first half, but most of the action took place at the other end of the
pitch. Right from the kick-off Blackpool were on the attack, and they
soon won a corner, though Williams hit the cross too hard and it was
headed away. Blackpool won a string of corners in the early stages, but
they did not really find a good delivery from any of them. They were
looking to impose their own style on the game, passing quickly and
running well for each other, while Yeovil were reduced to desperate long
balls upfield to clear the pressure.
Early on Jorgensen ran at the centre of defence, and broke through to
give himself half a glimpse of goal, but he drove a shot wide. This gave
the team hope - if Jorgensen could dribble up the middle, what could
Hoolahan do to the defence? Not long afterwards he showed us, pushing
forward then threading a beautiful ball into the box on the right for
Forbes, who put his shot just wide of the right hand post. Another
attack developed up the right wing, and the ball was switched across to
Williams on the left. He pushed it forward and then hit a fierce shot,
but it was just outside the left hand upright.
Yeovil were unable to make any impression - they won a few corners,
notably from some desperate decisions by the linesman, who repeatedly
failed to keep up with play. He was the only poor official, the referee
was consistent and accurate throughout. The Blackpool defence dealt well
with everything and Yeovil were unable to muster a shot of any kind, on
target or off. At the other end it was a different story, and the
pressure continued. Parker made some room on the right and swung over a
corner to the far post, where Morrell was an agonising couple of inches
from making contact with his head. A ball across the edge of the box
from right to left gave Williams a chance for another shot, but a
defender blocked it bravely. Forbes, who was giving another high-octane
performance, took a cross on the right hand side of the box, controlled
it and shot, but this too was blocked. Hoolahan was switching wings back
and forth, and found himself wide on the right. He cut into the box,
turned one way then the other, but never found the right moment to shoot
or cross, and eventually the ball was cleared.
Blackpool were totally dominant, but they were failing to turn this into
goals, and there was always the concern that they would pay by conceding
a goal on the break - Yeovil were quick going forward when they had a
chance. As half time approached Blackpool attacked again up the left.
Parker took the ball and ran across the front edge of the area, trying
to find an opportunity to turn and shoot. He never really got full
control, seeming to stumble across, until he was tripped just right of
centre and a foul was given. The wall lined up, but Williams struck his
shot perfectly, low and hard, bending around the end of the wall and
smashing into the bottom left corner of the net, just beyond the
keeper's despairing grasp.
There were only a couple of minutes left to half time, but Yeovil
rallied well and came back at Blackpool. Barker gave away a free kick
with a wild challenge, about thirty yards out, left of centre - he was
rightly booked for the foul. The free kick was hit well, over the wall
and dipping into the goal, but Rachubka reacted quickly to dive across
and tip it over the bar. It was a vital save, keeping Blackpool's
advantage into the half time break.
The teams came out with Blackpool now kicking towards their own fans,
and it was going to be important for Blackpool to retain the initiative,
to avoid allowing Yeovil to gain momentum. Happily they settled back
into the rhythm which had served them well so far, passing and running,
and inside five minutes they gained their reward through a moment of
brilliance. Williams took the ball out of defence and played a pass
along the ground up the wing to Parker. He took the ball and turned
across field, with Morrell making space out on the right. However Parker
was thinking in more direct terms, and while still 25 yards out he hit a
shot towards the far post. At first it looked wild, but it curved
sharply around the keeper's diving grasp, and whipped just inside the
right-hand upright. It was a splendid goal, even better than his late
effort against Oldham, and in the context far more valuable.
Blackpool kept pressing forward, and they could easily have added to
their lead. Forbes was running himself ragged on the right wing, and
providing valuable support to Barker, who went down for a while with
cramp but was able to continue. Another thrust up the right saw Parker
run into the area from that wing - he did everything right, hitting a
low shot across goal for the far post, but the keeper did well to get
his hand down and touch it around for a corner. Another attack from that
wing saw a pass go to Morrell, who took the ball across goal then turned
and fired a low shot, and once again the keeper did well to get down to
it.
With twenty minutes or so to go, Blackpool began to think about the
final whistle, and they sat back and allowed Yeovil to press forward
consistently for the first time. They had attack after attack, but the
defence in the centre was almost faultless and there were no real
chances. Rachubka caused a momentary fluttering of hearts in the
tangerine seats when he dropped a cross, but he chased it down himself
and fell on it gratefully. Blackpool were reduced to attacking on the
break now, and even so they still created chances. Morrell managed to
win a high ball and pushed forward into the box ahead of two defenders,
but there was nothing left in his legs and he stumbled and fell without
getting a shot in.
Then Yeovil finally managed to create a real chance, as their right
winger got round Williams and fired a cross into the centre. For once
the defence were napping and a forward was able to dive low and get his
head to the ball, in front of an open goal with Rachubka committed.
Fortunately for Blackpool the ball was dipping too much, and the Yeovil
player headed it down into the ground and it bounced high over the bar.
This was a warning which Blackpool heeded, and Yeovil did not get a
sniff of goal again. A series of substitutions began, with Fox coming on
for Forbes, who was given a fine round of applause. He had worked his
socks off, and he is an intelligent footballer, good in the air and in
defence. He just does not have the right spark on the ball though, he
usually does the obvious thing and his crosses and shots are often
blocked. Next on was Vernon, replacing Hoolahan, who had also run
himself into the ground. The turf seemed slightly sticky, holding the
ball and causing a lot of shots to lose their power, and this must also
have made Hoolahan's job harder as he ran and turned with the ball,
though he did well. Finally, as the game moved into three added minutes,
Gillett replaced Parker, who won the biggest round of applause of all.
He was named Man of the Match, a reasonable choice for a fine goal and
plenty of running - though in reality there was no one star for
Blackpool, this was a fine, efficient team performance and a fitting end
to a season in which many players have contributed. I am sorry that
Morrell did not cap his year with a goal at Wembley - he has been the
most important factor in making Blackpool's striking record the best
in the division, and that would have been a fitting reward for a man who
enjoys scoring as much as he does.
The final whistle went, and the celebrations began, as the green end of
the ground slowly emptied. Michael Jackson led his team up onto the
balcony where he displayed the trophy to the cheering crowd, but the
biggest cheer of all was reserved for Simon Grayson. He has a lot of
work to do to ensure that the team stays up where it belongs, but this
display only emphasised the unmistakable message given by ten successive
wins - Blackpool are too good for League One now, and they have given
themselves a chance to prove at last that they are good enough for the
Championship.
Team: (4-4-2): Rachubka, Barker, Jackson (Capt), Evatt, Williams, Forbes
(Fox 78), Southern, Jorgensen, Hoolahan (Vernon 85), Morrell, Parker
(Gillett 90)
Subs not used: Coid, Burgess

[ForzaChievo]

Great news, i really like Blackpool hopefully they can stay up next season.

[Big Wayne]

Fred, I saw Blackpool v Chelsea in the mid 70's (possibly Sep 1976) in a 3rd division game when I was in Blackpool on holiday.

Butch Wilkins was playing for Chelsea. Cant remember the score but I will never forget the pitch battles on the terracing. In fact one of my mates ended up in hospital when the Chelsea fans ran amok after the game.

From that day I have always had a soft spot for Blackpool and a severe hatred of Chelsea for some reason.

[Fred Goldstone]

With the financial backing of Latvian Billionaire, Valery Belokon, there is every chance that they will not only survive but flourish.

Grayson has proven to be an astute manager who is well respected in the game and someone who is a good judge of players.

Most of his 'imports' to the squad are loans and 'second (or last) chancers' who are desperate to make the most of this opportunity to secure a good contract.

He has operated on a 'shoestring' budget yet has managed to attract quality players to an unfashionable club with a half-built stadium and won promotion in his first full season as a manager.

Not a bad start to his managerial career.

[terriblygifted]

Excuse my ignorance but to where have they been promoted??

[Fred Goldstone]

The old Second Division - The Championship.

[blue moon]

that quite illuminating

[Fred Goldstone]

A Towering achievement!

[povman_2009]

Fred , I, as a lad born in Yeovil , cannot share your joy on this occasion. But i will wish you good luck in the CC and hopefully the Glovers can join you next season. The better team certainly won on the day, I listened to the game on BBC 5 and it sounded like a sound thrashing for most of the time.

Obviously a bittersweet year for you with your two clubs swapping places in the leagues...

[Fred Goldstone]

Povman, yes it certainly is bittersweet but I live in hope that Leeds will be able to recover from this disaster and grace the Premiership again soon.

Meanwhile, I'll bask in the glory of seeing Blackpool back amongst the big boys again.

Your boys have done incredibly well over the last few years after being promoted to the full-time profesional leagues only a few years ago.

They will learn from this experience and will no doubt be round about again next season.

[Fred Goldstone]

Those of you that think you are a true football supporter should read the following article.

This is what you call a True Supporter - would you be prepared to follow your team like this man?


In the circumstances Sunday was one of the greatest days I've known watching Pool and in the process of the Seasiders breaking the club's record of 10 straight wins I was proud to have attended 9 of those games.


It could and should have been the whole ten but I've been ill for a while
battling the same cancer as one of my boyhood heroes Sir Jim Armfield
(unlike Jim who is in the same ward as me for treatment I've got the rarer Hodgkin's Lymphoma version) and I was too sick to make the trip to Swansea.
That disappointment was easily made up by the fact that despite the
exhausting endurance and being on the go for 18 hours Sunday this was fully rewarded by the fantastic experience of just being there.


I'm sure Jimmy will be ecstatic having watched the game on TV and there's nothing better we need to help us both recover fully than to see our beloved Pool back where we belong in the championship. I've already obtained my Season ticket and hopefully I'll be well enough to be able to finally watch these championship sides visit Bloomfield Road next season.


I couldn't make it to the Green Man we had an emergency on the coach and had to call paramedics and an ambulance which left our arrival at the ground quite late with less than an hour to spare. I don't think it was serious but sadly the young lady missed the game and for quite sometime as we were stuck on the hard shoulder I wondered if we were destined not to make it either as there was also a huge traffic jam on the other carriageway which held up the medical team.


The Pool are taking an open top tram ride from the Sandcastle to Talbot Road at 4.30pm today and if the weather is ok after I've had a blood check at the Victoria Hospital I'll try and get down and take some camcorder footage pity I can't take up the invite to attend the Players presentation afterwards at the club but that should be a great evening.


I can't thank my family and friends enough over the past few weeks who
managed to get me to some of the games at Oldham's Boundary Park and especially Cheltenham (so exhausted slept all the way there and back - woke up to just enjoy the match) and to make the Oldham second leg just two days after my Chemotherapy was a miracle. Despite all medical advice to the contrary they reluctantly supported my decision to go to Wembley (the risk of infection because of my none existent white blood cell count meant I should have never been on a coach or near the place) but I couldn't possibly miss the perfect ten now could I....


Finally my old Seasiders.net baseball cap is getting more use than ever now as I'm starting to lose my hair - bit of a bugger that but when my hair does decide to grow back I just hope the grey ones are not included!!


Hopefully I'll get the all clear by November till then I should be an
occasional daytime regular on the list and looking forward to the banter
this Summer .


Come on ye Pool.