Now That's What I Call Progress - Issue 2 - October/November 2019

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A NEW BLACKPOOL FC FANZINE FOR A NEW ERA Issue 2 • october & november 2019 • £2 Inside this Issue… a funny thing happened down memory lane · my second team

EDITORIAL by Jane Stuart Dear reader, let us transport you back in time to reminisce about our great club’s proud history.

This issue starts with some beautifully-written match reports dating back to 1894 - when Blackpool took on South Shore twice in a week. Then fast-forward to the 1940s and 50s (pp.

14-15) as John Bennett describes in wonderful detail what it was like to attend Bloomfield Road during the ‘golden years.’

Do you have a ‘second team’? Whilst I adopted Chasetown (or they adopted me) during the wilderness years, Insider started following Blackpool Under 18s - and you can read all about their exploits on pages 12-13. Blackpool also have a reserve team now, providing a link between the U18s and the first team, and their reformation is charted on pages 18-19.

Of course we cannot ignore the sad loss of Bury. As well as BasilRobbie’s critical analysis of football governance (pp.24-25), we also have a tale of hope (pp.25-26) courtesy of Maidstone United, who themselves folded in 1992, but have since clawed their way back up the leagues, making new memories along the way.

And yes there is plenty of light relief - and we find out how gravy ended up being served on a chippy tea.

Thank you so much for your support with this new fanzine, which is hugely appreciated. If you have a story to tell - in words, art, poetry, photographs or cartoons - or would like to bring a smile to the faces of your fellow Seasiders, please email me at jane@janestuart.co.uk. The deadline for submissions (and adverts) for Issue 3 is 24th November. We’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy the read, fellow Seasiders. UTMP.

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DOWN MEMORY LANE In March 1894 Blackpool and South Shore played each other in the Lancashire League twice in the space of seven days. Here are the match reports from the Blackpool Herald and Fylde Advertiser:

Saturday March 10th, 1894 - Blackpool v South Shore North v South. “A rough game at Raikes Hall.”

Once again have those sturdy local rivals, Blackpool from the North, and the Waterloo lads from the South, tried their strengths at Raikes Hall, and once more football enthusiasm has been ”red hot”. On the results of the previous meetings of the these teams this season, it goes without saying that South Shore held the umbrella over Blackpool. But Saturday’s match was more important than any of its predecessors - a match, in fact, which meant much to Blackpool, who, had they lost, would have been doomed to despair, so far as securing the championship of the Lancashire League is concerned.

However, as matters afterwards turned out, they were victorious, and with your kind and polite attention, as the ventriloquist says, I'll go through my little entertainment of chronicling the incidents of the match on that greatest of great days. That the fixture had created intense excitement in football circles there was no cause for doubt, and the immense crowd of some 3,000 or 4,000 excited partisans who lined the enclosure was sufficient evidence of this. South Shore were the first to appear and I never saw a team look in better condition for a struggle.

Old Sol even smiled down upon ‘em from his celestial perch! Then Blackpool stepped into the arena, and Heyes, who had performed so well the weeks previous, was awarded quite an ovation, while Wallace, Blackpool’s new outside left, was recognised and received with an encouraging cheer by those on the stand as he trotted across the turf with his new companions.

The only thing which didn't go down with a majority of those present was the state of the ground, which resembled nothing more all less than a quagmire. Mr Falla, of Stone Clough, was the referee, and in response to his call the teams confronted each other as follows:-

Blackpool: Wright, Goal

H. Parr and Smith, Backs

W. Atherton, Davey and Stirzaker, Half-Backs

Porter and Tyrer, Right Wing

Heyes, Centre

Marsden and Wallace, Left-Wing, Forwards.

South Shore: Dewhurst, Goal

Cookson and Handford, Backs

J Atherton, Helliwell, and Wilson, Half-Backs

J Parkinson and Wilkie, Right-Wing

Mather, Centre

Taylor and E. Parkinson, Left-Wing; Forwards.

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DOWN MEMORY LANE “Squash” having won the toss and placed his men with the wind and sun at their backs, Billy Mather opened the game. Davy immediately got hold and the Blackpool forwards sailed down in front of Dewhurst, luckily Cookson popped up at the right moment, and averted a threatening disaster by clearing well. The wind was assisting Blackpool though and the ball travelled forwards. Heyes passed neatly to Marsden, who in turn gave to Wallace, and after some tricky work, in which that player cleverly outmanoeuvered J. Atherton and Cookson, he shot in smartly and opened the scoring for his side as a roar of applause thundered forth from all quarters of the field.

As yet five minutes only had elapsed, and the Shoreites replied vigourously, “Pank” Parkinson leading up the forwards forces with a determined effort. Harry Parr had no difficulty in clearing, however, and in a few minutes Wallace had for the second time placed the sphere out of Dewhurst’s reach, with a grand shot close in. This double event was greeted with loud and prolonged cheering, and one spectator was so exuberant that he ran on the field to congratulate the little Scotchman. “Tricky” was now harassed a little, and he had one or two shots to stop, after which the fouling business was commenced. The game became more evenly contested, and South Shore got into close quarters. Hereabouts Mather passed judiciously to “Skill”, who struck the underside of the crossbar, and from the “bounce out” Taylor rushed forward and scored a magnificent goal. Mr Falla promptly allowed the points but upon Blackpool claiming for offside he awarded a goalkick, a decision which met with groans from some of the Shore partisans. Half time soon arrived afterwards with a score in favour of the “Stripes” by two goals to nil.

The second portion was one huge farce, the most notable feature being the number of fouls on both sides. South Shore scored from a bungle, first by the backs and then by Wright; but immediately following Tyrer made a brilliant run, which he completed by putting on Blackpool's third goal after he had steered through the Shore defence in a masterly manner. You should have heard the cheering which greeted Harry as he walked back the length of the field! The Waterloo lads strove hard to win, and it was a wonder how Wright kept out the shots which were sent in from all quarters. As the end drew nearer, however, Mr Fala added another to his long list of ludicrous decisions. Blackpool having got up, Wallace sent in a long shot which went across the goalmouth, and as it appeared from the stand outside. Tyrer, secured it, and centred, Marsden putting on a fourth with a capital shot. This “really was the latest” for Helliwell and Wilson, who would have left the field had not the South Shore linesman (Mr Bradshaw) appealed for them to persevere and fight the whole fight through”. Nothing of importance, with the exception of one or two good raids by South Shore, occurred after this, and Blackpool retired the winners of a rough game by four goals to one.

A SCENE :

After the match an ugly rush was made for the referee, who, however, succeeded in getting in the tent with safety. Large numbers swarmed around the stand, and the police were in attendance guarding the doorway. But eventually the crowd diminished, and happily nothing unseemly occurred.

Result : Blackpool 4 - 1 South Shore (Blackpool scorers Wallace 2, Tyrer & Marsden) Referee : Mr Falla - Stone Clough

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DOWN MEMORY LANE Saturday March 17th, 1894 - South Shore v Blackpool “South Shore turn the scales on Blackpool.”

Life is so short, says a witty observer, that a man seems nothing more than a paper collar on the neck of time. And them’s exactly my sentiments, for no sooner had the excitement over the match at Raikes Hall given place to speculation as to the result of the game the Saturday following, than I was called upon to attend the return match at South Shore. Now, the Waterloo lads had sworn to have revenge, and, as things turned out, they had it. They went about the business too, in an honest and sportsmanlike manner, and, unlike the unfortunate humble Uriah Heap, they have actually lived, not only to be “even with ‘em”, but to be their superiors, having won three, drawn one, and lost only one out of five matches played this season. The scene when I arrived almost baffles description! Around and about the field of Waterloo were thousands of football partisans, and all appeared well satisfied when “yours ‘umbly” came into sight - or, maybe their enthusiasm was meant for the players, who, just as I stepped onto the stand, appeared on the bridge.

Blackpool: Wright, Goal

H. Parr and Smith, Backs

W. Atherton, Morgan and Stirzaker, Half-Backs

Porter and Tyrer, Right Wing

Heyes, Centre

Marsden and Wallace, Left-Wing, Forwards.

South Shore: Dewhurst, Goal

Cookson and Handford, Backs

J Atherton, Helliwell, and Wilson, Half-Backs

J Parkinson and Wilkie, Right-Wing

Mather, Centre

Taylor and E. Parkinson, Left-Wing; Forwards.

A cheer went up as I sat down, and the Shorites “bounced” onto the turf, looking as fit as ever.

They were followed by Blackpool, who were likewise lustily greeted, Wallace coming in for an extra special. All were smiles as Mr Cooper of Blackburn, took charge of the whistle, for it is well known that that gentleman was as right and capable in that position as any man. The teams were exactly the same as last week with one exception, that being the replacement of Davy by Morgan in the “Stripes”, The latter playing left half, while “Squash” filled Davy’s place.

Handford won the toss, “Squash” having to place his men with the sun in their eyes. Heyes soon gave the ball a start, and the game was not long in getting lively. Blackpool executed some capital passing, but Helliwell got hold and passed to Taylor. Just as “Sandy” was breaking away, however, “Pank” Parkinson put his fist into Walter Atherton's back, and Mr Cooper awarded a foul. Harry Parr took the kick and Blackpool were within an ace of scoring, and that was all. Then the Shorites retaliated merrily, and “his eminence” looked a little put out as they gradually worked towards him. “Pank” had the misfortune to slip on the ball and hurt his shoulder, and Dr Scholefield, who was on the ground at the time, assisted the Lytham lad

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DOWN MEMORY LANE off the field. In the meantime South Shore, by spirited play, had made a good impression. In answer to one of their raids the Blackpool defence played awkwardly, and Mather, who was evidently in splendid trim, slipped round Smith and opened the scoring in a manner which could but meet with applause from all the different sections present.

From the kick-off the “Stripes” indulged in a sequence of pretty passing, Wallace drawing ahead with a brilliant dribble. The re-appearance of “Pank”, who had been “fettled and made straight”, was the signal for increased enthusiasm. Wallace made a nice little ring around “Shill” Cookson, and having larked with him to his heart’s content, he centred beautifully and Porter bounding forward equalised with a magnificent shot - a result which was received amidst tremendous cheering, hat juggling, and a general acrobatic performance. Blackpool then pressed severely, and held the upperhand, in the matter of play, until the refreshments time came, when the game was one all.

It didn't take longer to ascertain which were the best team after the interval, for the Shoreites danced around their neighbours in a way which wasn't favourable to the Blackpool partisans.

Wallace and Marsden were the only real hard workers on the “Stripes” side, and these two played until they were completely exhausted. Of course, it wasn't to be expected that they could work the whole show themselves, and the play of the Blackpudlians deteriorated to an astonishing degree, while South Shore gave one of the prettiest displays that has ever been witnessed on the Waterloo ground. “Pank” certainly couldn’t play as well as he would have liked because of his shoulder, and Heyes, of the opposite colour, exhibited a nervousness which simply rendered him useless.

After “Pank”, with a terrible shot, had forced “Lal” to clear, Taylor returned to the attack, and put in a teaser, which “Tricky”, after falling on his knees, managed to scoop out. Mr Cooper, however, ruled that he was through at the time, and amid a mixture of shouts, screams and groans, South Shore were awarded a goal. No, I'm not going to venture any opinion here on the legitimacy of the point. Heyes was deliberately fouled when in a dangerous position, and a penalty kick was awarded to Blackpool. Wallace prepared to take it, but just when he was in the act “Squash” unceremoniously rushed forward, took it himself, and——missed! At least I mean he missed scoring by shooting against Dewhurst, who cleared cleverly. The Shoreites then peppered “Lal’s" charge unmercifully, and after Wilkie had made the Shore score three, Blackpool gave up the ghost, for the simple reason that they couldn't play any longer. The score when the whistle blew was—Shore three, Blackpool one. The past week has been spent with mingled feelings; but Ta-ta— “another tale, another time.”

Result : South Shore 3 - 1 Blackpool (Blackpool scorer Mather) Referee : Mr Cooper - Blackburn _____________________________________________________________________________________ Have you subscribed yet? Email jane@janestuart.co.uk for details to ensure you don’t miss out on future issues. Did you know you can also find us online? Go to www.issuu.com and search for ‘Now That’s What I Call Progress’.

Want to read more? Visit www.janestuart.co.uk to read Jane’s blogs charting her adventures on her travels to every BFC match this season.

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LOCAL HEROES by Rob Frowen It was good to see that Blackpool fans were well-represented at the ‘125 Years of Blackpool Tower Local Heroes’ awards evening recently.

Firstly, the BFC Muckers Supporters Group were recognised for their money-raising efforts in a sponsored bike ride. They wrote me a few lines for publishing here:

“It was an honour to be invited and receive such an award. We never thought when we started out on the journey of arranging and actually doing the charity bike ride and Lee Hindley Memorial Cup that we would be nominated and win a local heroes award. The scones and clotted cream were a lovely touch as well and it was well put together by the organisers. Thank you for all the support and donations towards The Next Chapter, Streetlife, Lancashire Mind and Frontline Children. UTMP.”

The photo shows a very smart group of Muckers snapped inside Blackpool Tower together with a not-so-smart myself minus a tie!

The Local Heroes feature in the Gazette stated “Rob is a valuable asset to Blackpool Carers Centre, running the HUGS (acronym for ‘help, understanding, group support’) peer support group and raising thousands of pounds for charity”. A great honour and quite humbling.

To complete a ‘Seasiders Set’, the Blackpool FC Community Trust also received the ‘Heroes’ award in honour of ‘the volunteers who give their time to support the Trust’s community programmes, including Sports Camps and Sporting Memories’.

I am about to start working as a volunteer for the Blackpool FC Community Trust in a ‘mental and physical health improvement’ capacity. And having been a diehard Blackpool fan for rather more years than I care to remember I feel I’ve kind of landed the perfect role!

Finally, a quick, sneaky mention for our forthcoming Blackpool Programme & Memorabilia Fair, courtesy of the Community Trust. It’s scheduled for Sunday 3 November and will be where the old Club Shop used to be and the ‘Morty’ statue. All the money we raise on the day will go directly to the BFC Community Trust. Our posters will soon be popping up everywhere!

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FROM THE EMBERS by Rob Purdon From the North West of England, we are fans like no other:

We rose and rebelled, whilst some tried to smother.

We demanded a change, were held ransom for years,

But we didn’t relent despite those hard times and tears.

Instead we steadied ourselves, rooted feet to the floor;

We shouted and bellowed, protested for more.

We swore we’d return, our numbers were many.

Those promises we made whilst we spent not a penny.

That turmoil now over, we look firmly ahead:

That dark past needs no mention - let’s put it to bed.

No songs of the hated, no claiming your worth:

Let them die with the embers; it’s time for rebirth.

Will the path be carved smoothly? Will our cup overflow?

Will it be enough just to try? Can we give this a go?

See this gift we’ve been given: we didn’t think it would come.

Let’s remember our elation when old owners were done.

Let’s honour our heroes, our wizards of wings,

Our promotions, our glories: let’s sing of these things.

When our pride was uncapped, when our club punched above,

When we wore Tangerine and we wore it with love.

When we cherished it, held it, would not let it go.

Have we forgotten those feelings? Please say it’s not so.

This is ours, no-one else’s. It’s not business - it’s life.

This club’s been our refuge through struggles and strife.

So clear out those lungs and since like you mean it.

Hard times, sacrifices: some forget, we’ve all seen it.

Live up to your title, Supporters! Don’t bring down;

Let’s help bring the good times back to our glorious town.

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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED… by Steve Fisher In the last fanzine, I got all nostalgic on yer collective asses and pondered on the things that make football so great for us all: floodlights and singing crowds, rattles (yes, I am that old) and silk scarves tied around wrists…

…but I rather overlooked the funny things that sometimes happen at football, which can even make us laugh out loud, so I thought I’d share a few memories of my travels watching The Mighty up and down this fine land with my pal Brooksie and a few other ne’er-do-wells like Psyche-out Simes and innocent parties, such as my poor long-suffering wife, Kathryn.

Now Kathryn is a rather posh southern type – eats chips without gravy, cuts butties in half and drinks Pimms on a hot day, not lager – and her main judge of a good football ground is (now, how can I put this delicately? Err…I can’t…) the state of the loos. She spent the whole of a match at York City looking at the steam rising above the men’s “al fresco” facilities (I seem to recall a plastered wall, painted black with a gutter running at the bottom). Her lips then pursed as she looked at the entrance to the portaloo, known as The Ladies, which gave off an aroma so dense you needed a pair of scissors to cut your way in, and said “I think I’ll hold it…”

Now she isn’t completely posh and does like a pie - but like her chips, she likes a pie au naturel. At Wigan we were offered that old classic combination of pie and peas, so I went to the counter and said “a pie please, but no peas”. The chap serving fixed me with a level, if somewhat perplexed, gaze and said “Can’t you read? We serve pie and peas”. I said “Oh, OK then, how about if I pay for pie and peas, but then you just give me the pie”. There was a pause, then: “WE SERVE PIE AND PEAS!” Suffice to say, I bought pie and peas and watched as he spooned the peas carefully over the pie, then I rather forlornly scraped the peas into a nearby bin…

Strangely South Yorkshire has been a place of some levity over the years. I remember travelling to Rotherham on New Year’s Day in 1986, with Brooksie and with our dear friends, The Hangovers. There was talk of a New Year fancy dress party on the away end, so we donned costume hats, with me as a pirate (with a large tinsel-clad parrot on the side of my cap) and Brooksie wearing a cowboy hat with more tinsel round the brim. Looking a little like rejects from the Village People, we climbed aboard the supporter’s coaches from the ground.

Rotherham was as cold as charity that day, with a freezing wind whipping off the Yorkshire moors but we were optimistic about the game. However our optimism soon evaporated when we were 4-0 down in 20 minutes, but of course we couldn’t leave early as we were on the coaches. Cold, miserable and hungover, we leant on a barrier in silence for the rest of the first half. The funny moment came when Blackpool scored after half time and we watched chuckling as there was an Arab Sheikh pitch invasion from the away end!

Doncaster was perhaps the place I remember the most. This was the venue for a midweek game on Tuesday 4th March 1986. We didn’t think we could make the game but, after getting out of work early, I met up with Brooksie and Psyche-out around 5pm, jumped in my very first car – an old Nissan Sunny – and drove like a proverbial bat out of hell to Yorkshire. After being stuck in traffic, we arrived in a bit of a flap around five minutes before kick-off, dumped the car in the car park by the ground and ran for the away end, getting in just as the first ball was kicked. I seem to recall the match was about 15 minutes old when there was a floodlight failure – so as this was pre-seating, we sat on the kop and waited for the lights to come on again

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A FUNNY THING HAPPENED… by Steve Fisher (amid the usual shouts of “has anyone got 50p for the meter?”). It was then that the tannoy clicked into life and a broad Yorkshire-sounding voice began an announcement: “Will the owner of car registration….” He then read out my car reg. I thought “What a pillock, I’ve left my lights on”…but no, my heart sank as he continued: “will you please return to your car, you’ve left your engine running!” Laughter spread quickly around the ground and, as the game had been halted, everyone started craning their necks, looking around to see if they could spot the culprit. Now, I’m no fool (well, not that much anyway) so I pretended to peer around me too and stayed exactly where I was, thinking “the lads won’t know it’s my car”. After a few minutes had passed, I stood up confidently and said “Right lads, I’m just off to the Gents”. I got about ten paces before they both jumped up and pointed at me, shouting “It’s him who left his car on!”. I left the ground to a huge, ironic round of applause.

I can also recall a day out at Shrewsbury when, after Brooksie and I had downed a large ruck of ale on the train, I decided to buy a rubber chicken from a shop we passed walking from the station. Being somewhat sloshed, I then decided to wave it over my head whilst trying to get the ‘Pool fans in the seats to join in with a quick chorus of “Steve McMahon’s rubber chicken”.

When inebriated, I am nothing if not persistent - and after about five minutes of me singing noisily, whilst being ignored by all fans over the age of ten, Brooksie grabbed my chicken off me and threw it on the pitch. I had a brief panic, in case Brett Ormerod was injured by tripping over my rubber chicken (no, that’s not a euphemism) until a steward retrieved it and threw it (rather disrespectfully I thought) to one side. It is a tribute to Kathryn’s patience that she went to the steward after the game and asked for my rubber chicken back. Now that’s love!

Have you tuned into Lee Charles TV yet? Find our channel on YouTube for videos featuring: • Fan experiences from ALL Blackpool matches (away games covered by Jane Stuart, editor of Now That’s What I Call Progress) • Discussions on hot topics of the day • FIFA 20 action, playing Blackpool’s fixtures before they happen. Will the result be the same?

• Prediction Game: Win BFC match tickets, Odeon cinema tickets and a subscription to this fanzine.

• Match previews and post-match summaries • News and events happening in and around Blackpool Just search for ‘Lee Charles TV’ on YouTube and click Email: leecharlestv@icloud.com call 07963 553914 or find Lee or Jane at any match if you would like to feature yourself or your business on the channel and help us grow through advertising/sponsorship.

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MY SECOND TEAM: BLACKPOOL UNDER 18s by Insider When we were in the doldrums there was lots of talk from those who didn’t go to Tesco or B&Q on a Saturday afternoon about who was their adopted team, when watching Blackpool at Bloomfield Road wasn’t an option. Well for me the afternoons were Radio Lancashire but in the mornings I started watching the other team that plays in tangerine - Blackpool FC U18s.

My wife and I were infrequent spectators to start with. Five years ago we were watching the likes of Myles Boney, Dom Telford, Mark Waddington, Henry Cameron and Bright OsayiSamuel. Of course only one of those players, Myles Boney, is still under contract with the club, although the other four did make appearances for the first team, the most successful being Bright, who played 64 times and was eventually sold to QPR for a decent fee.

Just as an example of different path for young footballers, Macauley Wilson, a right back, was playing his football with Marcus Rashford until 2013 when United released him. He joined Blackpool on a youth contract and went on to captain our U18s. I always thought he looked a decent prospect and he duly got a contract. I think he played one senior game in the EFL Trophy but went out on loan to Bamber Bridge. Sadly that’s an all-too-familiar career path for young footballers at this level.

As we moved on, new talent emerged with the likes of Rowan Roache, Fin Sinclair-Smith, Jack Sims and Caleb Richards all showing good potential at youth team level. All four received contracts and Jack Sims and Rowan Roache are still with us, but both are yet to make any impact on the first team.

Caleb, a left back, was another player whose only senior appearances were in the EFL Trophy, where I think he actually won an award as Player of the Round. HIs face didn’t fit, though, and he joined Norwich’s U23 squad (we got James Husband!) but has been playing football in the USA for Tampa Bay Rowdies and getting very good reviews. Similarly, Fin Sinclair-Smith only ever got a chance in the EFL Trophy before being released. He’s currently turning out for Longridge Two, where he is scoring goals, making goals and picking up Man of the Match awards.

Rowan Roache is the biggest enigma of all. He was the stand-out player for nearly three seasons, scored and made goals for fun and was an established youth international for the Republic of Ireland for all age levels up to U18s. It is hugely disappointing that he has not been able to step up to senior level.

During that period we had the momentous FA Youth Cup run, ending with a semi-final defeat to Arsenal. Not bad for a Category 3 team.

Whilst the Oystons clung on by their fingernails - and Bloomfield Road remained out of bonds our enthusiasm and enjoyment watching the kids increased, along with the number of games attended. Currently we try and watch most home games and take in a few away games as well - and, since we have returned to Bloomfield Road, that can sometimes mean two games on a Saturday.

Last season saw an almost unprecedented four players given professional contracts: Nathan Shaw, Owen Watkinson, Emil Jaaskaleinen and Sean Graham.

This season there is an approximate 50/50 split of first/second year scholars and there are always a few U16s dipping in and out of the squad.

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MY SECOND TEAM: BLACKPOOL UNDER 18s by Insider Nana Adarkwa is back after a season out through injury and is allowed an extra year in the squad. We have the introduction of the son of a Blackpool legend, Skye Sinclair. Second year scholar 6ft 5in Ewan Bange is making a name for himself and has been knocking the goals in since the age of 15. First year scholar Tony Weston is another who looks to have a good future ahead of him. These are just four of the current squad - and apologies for not mentioning the many others trying desperately to forge a career for themselves. It is a cut-throat business and I wish them all the best of luck.

So, what’s the set-up?

Academy Manager: Warren Green

Head of Academy Coaching: John Murphy

Professional Development Please Coach: Danny Ventre

The team play at Myerscough College, which is basically a field with no facilities for spectators to watch, so when it rains you get wet, but there are toilets and a couple of drink machines and changing rooms for the players. The grass pitches are not of a particular good quality, which is disappointing for an agricultural college. There is also the option of a 4G pitch, which is occasionally used.

The team play in the EFL Youth Alliance Under 18 North West League, along with other Category 3 teams Morecambe, Oldham Athletic, Port Vale, Preston North End, Accrington Stanley, Shrewsbury, Salford City, Tranmere Rovers, Fleetwood Town and Walsall.

Tactically, over the last four seasons, we have nearly always played in a 3-5-2 formation. The keeper will, whenever possible, play the ball short and we play through midfield on the ground up to the strikers. Confidence on the ball is encouraged.

The biggest disappointment for me has been the lack of opportunity for the scholars at the end of their second year. Only the very best players can step straight up from youth team to first team and at Blackpool all that is currently on offer is a loan move. Three out of four of our first year professionals are out on loan this season. Nathan Shaw is the exception and he has the job of being the ‘club-developed’ player on the bench (we have to have one).

So what does the future hold? Simon Sadler has openly said he wants to develop the academy. I have not seen his detailed plans yet but the team actually got new kit in September for the first time in a long time! We’ve also got a reserve team now, which could probably be seen as a development squad and will hopefully give some of the junior the opportunity to play with and against seniors. Simon also appears to be planning a new training facility, which presumably will be a much-needed home base for the whole of the academy, up to and including the U18s as well as the first team. (Plucky Little Wigan actually have separate facilities but that’s just plain greedy).

So hopefully the future will be a little bit brighter for our young stars of the future. If you have a Saturday morning free, come down and watch them. I guarantee it will be an enjoyable experience.

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BLOOMFIELD ROAD DURING THE GOLDEN YEARS by John Bennett A golden age is not usually appreciated until several years after it is over. To a schoolboy it just seemed the natural order of things that Blackpool was one of the country’s leading teams. I saw many classic games including the three FA Cup Finals at Wembley. Few appreciated living through a golden age which wouldn’t last. Here are some memories of what it was like going to Bloomfield Road in the late 1940s and early 50s.

To set the scene, it needs to be borne in mind that it was a different world. World War Two had just finished; it was a time of austerity and shortages with food and clothing still rationed.

Former servicemen had just been demobbed and were trying to settle down into civilian life again. The working week was long for low wages. In spite of all this, the town of Blackpool was booming. Package holidays abroad were unheard of. Long-distance travel was difficult and expensive. Holidays for those living in the industrial towns were limited to a “Wakes Week” spent at the seaside, with perhaps a trip to the ‘lights’ during the autumn.

As well as local supporters, Blackpool Football Club attracted thousands of visitors to the town wanting to watch a team with its famous international players. Shortage of building materials meant that little was done to the ground during the early years after the War. The Spion Kop and Scratching Shed terracing had not been concreted, so spectators stood on steps made from wood and ashes. The short-lived roof over the Kop had not even been built. There was no floodlighting or public address system. In spite of the state of the ground, early in the season, at Bank Holidays and for cup ties, the team attracted crowds of around 30,000. Even Reserve games could be watched by crowds of 10,000.

Stand tickets were very difficult to obtain. Entry to the terracing was a case of first-come firstserved. To be sure of getting in during the Illuminations and on Bank Holidays you needed to be at the ground early. Queues would start forming over three hours before kick-off. Behind the Kop they would stretch almost to Rigby Road. Spectators were almost entirely male and once inside the ground they were packed so closely that smokers would hardly be able to get a packet of cigarettes out of their pocket. Young boys were allowed to sit on the cinder track around the pitch. It was not unusual for a youngster to be lifted up and passed down to the front over the heads of adults.

An appetiser before the start of the season would be the public practice match. Tangerines (probables) v Whites (possibles). The established players used the game as a warm up. They were invariably beaten by the reserves trying to impress and win a place in the first team. With no floodlighting, kick off times varied according to the time of year. From late September to April, evening games were out of the question. In midwinter, games would kick off at 2pm so that they could be over before darkness fell. Matches were played on Christmas Day and Good Friday, so there could be three games in four days. Easter 1949 saw Blackpool at home to Arsenal (draw) on Good Friday, away to Birmingham (draw) on the Saturday, then away to Arsenal (lost) on Easter Monday. For the record, Matthews didn’t play in any of these games.

Home games created a great air of excitement in the town as crowds descended on Bloomfield Road. Only the very well-to-do owned a car, so transport to the ground would mainly be by public transport, with many extra buses being laid on. Hundreds would travel by bicycle, which could be left in the back yards of the houses in Henry Street for one penny - a nice little earner for local residents. Apart from the sights and sounds it was also possible to tell that you were nearing the ground by pungent smells from the gas work on Rigby Road and the steam engine

14

BLOOMFIELD ROAD DURING THE GOLDEN YEARS by John Bennett sheds near the Kop end. Hawkers worked the queues, selling a wide range of goods from rosettes to cough candy. The most famous was the ‘blade king’, a dapper, smartly-dressed small chap who wore a brown bowler hat. He did a roaring trade selling Gillette razor blades and would pay to go in to continue business at half-time. Programmes cost 2d (1p). Today’s collectors will cringe to hear that after games the ground would be littered with programmes which had been thrown away.

Once inside the ground there was plenty going on to keep the crowds entertained and help soak up the pre-match atmosphere. Brass bands performed at many games. Then of course the Atomic Boys, a madcap group of about fifteen supporters wearing an assortment of fancy dress, who entertained with slapstick comedy routines. They were led by Sid Bevers, who wore a turban and a long flowing tangerine robe. The highlight of their act was placing a tangerinedyed duck on the centre-circle as the teams came out to great cheers. This popular group raised a considerable amount of money for charity.

Just before kick-off, a board announcing any team changes would be carried round. If a loud groan was heard as the board appeared from the players’ tunnel, everyone in the ground knew that Matthews would not be playing. It was not unusual for part of the pitch to be obscured by smoke, steam and sparks from an engine standing on the railway line running alongside the West Stand. It’s a wonder that the stand didn’t burn down.

Crowd segregation was unnecessary. Supporters of all teams had just spent six years on the same side fighting the common enemy and had no inclination to do battle with former comrades. There was great camaraderie between rival supporters and friendly banter was the order of the day. Even though they were rarely needed, there were always plenty of police on duty. It was one way they could get in without paying. There was of course much rivalry between ’Pool and North End supporters, but disputes were restricted to verbal exchanges.

Many hours would be spent debating who was the better player - Stan Matthews or Tom Finney! That argument was never settled - they were both great players. With clothes still rationed, replica shirts were a thing of the future. Very few supporters wore team colours for League games, but for cup ties out would come rosettes and scarves as well as rattles, bells and anything which could be blown to give their team encouragement. Whenever it was felt that the team needed further inspiration, sections of the home crowd would give voice to “Yes! We Have No Bananas”, a popular song from pre-war days. Why this song was adopted is shrouded in mystery. It certainly helped raise the team on many occasions, never more so than at Wembley in ’53 when it could be heard on the terraces just before Morty scored that third goal.

Not every game was a classic, in fact many were just mediocre. Even in those days some Blackpool supporters had a reputation for moaning and criticising the players - one tradition that has survived to the present day. After the game it was a dash for the bus or train, or try and find your bike packed with others in a back yard, then home for tea. By 6pm ‘The Green’, the football edition of the ‘Evening Gazette’ was available at newsagents across the Fylde. This gave a full two-page report on the game which had finished little more than an hour earlier, together with a full results service and round up of other games. Not bad for a time before television, mobile phones or the Internet.

15

MEMORABILIA & PROGRAMMES by Peter Duerden 1889/90 Rossall School Fixture Card Here are probably two of the earliest Blackpool Football Club related items. Original fixture cards, one complete, the other blank, for Rossall School, which is a Private School some 6 miles North of Bloomfield Road along the Fylde Coast.

On 2nd November 1889 Rossall School entertained Blackpool and the vistors won the match by a score of 3-0. It should be noted, however, that a few weeks earlier South Shore Reserves were the visitors - and they too were victorious by the same scoreline.

The eagle-eyed amongst you may also have spotted that a game against Newton Heath was scheduled to be played on December 7th 1889 but, on the completed card, the match was “Put Off” and was re-scheduled to be played on February 11th 1890 against Newton Heath Central. It is not known if the match was in fact played at all on the later date.

However, Newton Heath Central was not aligned to the original Newton Heath Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR) side that would one day change it's name to Manchester United in 1902, but a rival side originally known as "Ten Acres" who changed their name to Newton Heath Central in 1888.

So, this was actually a Newton Heath Central fixture, and they were a separate team than Newton Heath (LYR). They were originally formed as Ten Acres, just around the corner from Newton Heath, then they changed names to Newton Heath Central in 1888.

This is a very rare and possibly unique item of early Blackpool, Manchester and Lancashire footballing history.

16

FRONT COVERS OF BLACKPOOL HOME PROGRAMMES FROM THE 1930s

MY SECOND TEAM: BLACKPOOL RESERVES by Ian Carden I support two teams – Blackpool and Blackpool Reserves.

This is what we used to say when I first started watching Blackpool in 1961 long before some bloke called Shankly said a similar thing about some other ‘Pool team. In those days the Reserves would play at home on a Saturday afternoon when the first team were away and vice versa. During the sixties the Central League, which is the name of the League for Reserve teams, was quite a prestigious competition. We were actually the Champions in 1920 and 1950.

Then I would guess in the late eighties it changed to be a midweek League which meant it was possible to go to every first team game and reserve game. I remember one season going to 110 Blackpool games in total watching the first team, the Reserves, the ‘A’ team (now called youth team) and the ‘B’ team (‘A’ team Reserves). Its importance diminished as a result of this and then, after the Premier League season, Ian Holloway decided to scrap the Reserve team altogether in favour of playing behind closed doors friendlies – an idea that never really caught on. Hence we were in the Reserve team wilderness for the next eight seasons.

I am a great advocate of Reserve team football as it gives a variety of player scenarios the opportunity to play reasonably competitive games. It gives a chance for players to get games coming back from injuries or the chance for out of favour first-teamers to impress or players signed from non-League a chance to develop away from first team pressures.

Most importantly, it gives newly-signed young professionals a team to play in to bridge the gap between youth team and first team.

There have been very limited opportunities in the last eight seasons for players signed from our academy to progress into the first team. I have a vested interest in this as my grandson currently plays for the under-12 academy team and I could see his development coming to a grinding halt once he reaches the age of 17 or 18 and signs on professionally, as has happened to a number of players during this period. They end up on loan at lesser non-League clubs and it becomes a case of out of sight out of mind. Sadly as an example I think Finn Sinclair-Smith suffered in this way. He was a good little tricky player but was never really given a chance before being released.

Last season I remember questioning Terry McPhillips about this at one of the Q&A sessions he attended. His reason for not having a Reserve team was due to lack of facilities - and of course we all know only too well about that particular issue. However it did occur to me that, much as it may go against the grain, maybe we could get round this by hiring the facilities of another local club. No names mentioned!

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MY SECOND TEAM: BLACKPOOL RESERVES by Ian Carden Then I was lucky enough to attend the fans forum that was organised by Simon Sadler just after he took over the club, so once again I asked about the possibility of starting a Reserve team. Once again the answer was sorry no facilities it will have to wait at least another season.

Then lo and behold and completely out of the blue the club announced they would have a Reserve team in the Central League playing home games at Squires Gate F.C. Fantastic news! The first fixture of this new venture was a trip to Tranmere Rovers on September 24th so, after making such a fuss about it, I felt obliged to go and support the Reserves.

We set off by train from Poulton just after 10 o’clock that morning. On the train to Liverpool Lime Street we encountered a gentleman carrying a large camera. It turned out that he was what we thought was a dying breed, namely a trainspotter, and was out and about taking photographs of trains. We went to the low level at the station to catch a Merseyrail train. Whilst waiting on the platform we came across another trainspotter. He had travelled from Leicester to stand for hours on the platform just looking for train number 507118 – the only one in the Merseyrail fleet he hadn’t seen. When we explained what we were doing he had the nerve to call us mad! Eventually we arrived at New Brighton just before midday. Just outside the station was the statue of a mermaid which turned out to be the Inked Siren of Black Rock as she had a number of tattoos including a splendid one on her back.

After refreshments in the Master Mariner Wetherspoons pub we set off again by train for the 6 minute journey to Wallasey Village. A 10 minute walk then took us to the new Tranmere Rovers training facility which was merely council offices developed into changing rooms and lounges. There were three pitches, on one of which the Liverpool FC ladies were training.The match was good to watch as we won 2-0. Ewan Bange took both his goals very well and got good service from the likes of Nathan Shaw and Callum McDonald.

At 4 o’clock we set off for the journey home. On the train back to Poulton we had a chat firstly with some City fans from Wigan who were going to Deepdale (well done City, won 3-0). At Preston a couple of Wrexham fans got on the train as they were going to the match at AFC Fylde (sadly lost 3 2). To round off our Reserve day out we finished off with a couple of pints in the Thatched House.

19

BST COMMITTEE It’s election time again and the BST committee has some departures and some arrivals to announce. Here, we give a brief overview of the committee members who are staying on for another term, give thanks to those stepping down and a big welcome to the new faces!

Chair: Christine Seddon

I joined SISA in 2013, voted to become a Trust and became a member when BST was formed.

I have had the honour of serving BST as Spokesperson, Deputy Chair and Chair. I’m a 3rd generation Blackpool fan, massively proud of our fanbase and feel very privileged to head such an incredible organisation as BST.

Deputy Chair: Tony Wilkinson

I have been a Blackpool supporter ever since my Dad took me to my first game 53 years ago.

There have been many ups and downs in the time I've supported the Pool and I'm now looking forward to seeing steady progress of the club in the near future. I have been a member of BST since it's inception and in 2017 became a committee member. I am also a national council member of the Football Supporters Association with the role of League 1 & 2 representative.

The time given to work with BST and the FSA is a voluntary commitment that I enjoy and I've met many great Blackpool fans through being involved with the trust.

Chair of BST Governance Group: Andy Higgins

Andy joined BST after standing as an independent candidate for Blackpool South in the 2015 General Election. A well known Blackpool fan, Andy also stood as an independent in the recent Blackpool local elections where he almost managed to cause an upset in the ward held by Leader of the Council, Simon Blackburn. Andy has also organised the NW group of the Football Supporters’ Association.

Membership Secretary: Francis Charlesworth

My mixed bag of connections with Blackpool FC started when I was a five-year-old when my dad first took me to Bloomfield Road. Stanley Matthews and George Farm were both playing that day. My Daughter Natalie won a competition to be the "Face of Blackpool" for the 2012 Play-Off final against West Ham, her picture appearing on the front of the Wembley Programme and Wembley Stadium Arena. My links with supporters’ groups first started in the nineties as a committee member for Tango Junior Seasiders then BISA, BSA, SISA and BST since its formation in 2014. My three favourite matches of all time are Preston v Blackpool April 1970, Forest v Blackpool Playoff Semi-Final May 2010, and of course Blackpool v Cardiff Playoff Final May 2010

Treasurer: Tony Hodgson

There are four generations of Blackpool fans in our family including my sons, Ben and Joe. My Grandad, Dad and Aunty attended the three FA cup finals (I believe one journey was made by motorbike and sidecar) so tangerine blood runs deep. I was seconded onto the very first BST Committee and then after a year’s break, fully elected onto the committee in 2016. My current role is Treasurer taking over the role when Mike Nash stood down earlier this year. Its over 30 years since I lived on the Fylde coast, so I like to think I act as the voice of the exiles.

Approximately 25% of our members live outside of Lancashire.

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BST COMMITTEE Pauline O’Rourke

Pauline must be one of the best known Blackpool fans; the widow of goalkeeper Billy O’Rourke, she has worked tirelessly for BFC and BST. She is the main force on the BST events team and helps to raise funds for multiple good causes. She makes amazing cakes! Pauline says:

“My blood turned tangerine the day my late husband signed for the Pool. Been a fan since 1985 and it's fair to say I eat, sleep and breathe Blackpool Football Club. I’ve been a proud member of BST since it was formed. Can't wait for Pool to be in the Championship. It’s good to be back!”

New members joining the committee: Derek Spence

Needing no introduction, Derek was a Northern Ireland International and played for Blackpool in the late 70’s. Derek is keen to help BST represent as many Blackpool fans as possible and help to rebuild the BFC fan base after years of turmoil.

Kevin Quirke

Kevin is a dedicated Blackpool fan who spent the last few years as part of the Tangerine Knights. Uniting the fan base as we move forward into a new era is vital and Kevin’s enthusiasm and determination will help BST to increase our engagement with Blackpool supporters.

Danny Morgan

I was previously the youth representative on the committee and I'm delighted to be back. I'm a 3rd generation Blackpool fan with my dad (who demanded a mention in this) and grandad, before me. I'll be studying Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology at Lancaster University but I'll be back at Bloomfield Road every fortnight to see the 'Pool and I am really looking forward to that and serving on the committee once again.

We are also delighted to welcome back Kevin Boroduwicz as secretary; the secretary role is NOT an elected committee position; his role is independent and his job is to keep us all in line!

Saying Farewell

We are sorry to say goodbye to Ray Gregson and Gareth White, who have been hardworking and enthusiastic members of the committee over the last few years . Ray was our Veteran’s representative and has agreed to continue to assist us with this. Mike Nash stood down earlier this year after being the Treasurer. We also said goodbye to Steve Rowland from his position as secretary when he took on the role of SLO for the club. They have all played their part in BST becoming one of the leading Trusts in the country and we cannot thank them enough.

YOUR BST committee will continue to work hard on your behalf: if you are not already a m e m b e r, p l e a s e c o n s i d e r j o i n i n g u s b y g o i n g t o o u r w e b s i t e : www.blackpoolsupporterstrust.com or come and speak to the committee in the BFC ticket office before every home game.

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HIGHS AND LOWS by Anthony Lord It was Rudyard Kipling who challenged us to treat the twin imposters of triumph and disaster with the same stoic approach. Despite shuffling off this mortal coil in 1936, just before the first glory days of Blackpool FC, he could have been giving basic instructions in following the Seasiders. In the 42 years since I took in my first game (Oldham Athletic at home, August 1978) I could write a book on the zeniths and nadirs that following Pool have provided, often one following on immediately after the other.

Conscious of space and the fact that, like people telling you about their dreams or showing you their holiday snaps, someone’s own memories soon become quite tiresome, I offer you my half dozen highest and lowest points of the last four decades of Tangerine watching. I am sure that you’ll disagree and have many alternatives of your own; to be fair, by the time I’ve finished writing this, I’ll probably be disagreeing with my own choices. In true Blackpool FC style, let’s start with the lows, in no particular order:

1.

In 1983, I was massively into Lego. I had constructed an entire town including docks, railway, buildings and roads. When it was confirmed that Blackpool would have to apply for re-election, I smashed the entire Lego town to smithereens with a pool cue.

I’d like to think I’ve grown up since then, but I haven’t.

2.

Occasionally the fixture list throws up a final weekend fixture that pits promotion and relegation candidates against each other. And so, 5th May 1990 was one such occasion. Watching 4,000 Bristol Rovers fans celebrate on the Bloomfield Road pitch whilst we went down to the old Fourth Division was hard to take,

3.

In the same way that there are way too many highs from 2010-11 to mention, there are a fair few ‘writing on the wall’ lows too. Pooling one from a list of many, the 3-1 home defeat by Wigan in April felt like a double loss. Let’s put it this way, if WE’D won 3-1 (and, remember, we’d drubbed them 4-0 on Day 1) we’d have finished 16th and Wigan would have gone down.

4.

A very creditable unwritten policy of most Pool fans these days is to not mention that family, focussing on the bright future rather than the horrible recent past. However, it’s impossible to summarise the low points of my Seasiders experience without them making one appearance. For ridiculousness sake, I’ll choose the evening when I had to go through the best part of 1,000 tweets, carefully checking for any suggestion of libellous comment, in the wake of Koko suing a fellow fan. Not fun.

5.

Speaking of tweets, the best number of impressions I’ve ever had for a tweet (over 10,000) was one I put on in the aftermath of the abandoned Huddersfield game in 2015. Koko had stated in the media that he was determined to find out who was responsible for the pitch invasion. I simply tweeted that I’d found the culprit and posted a picture of Koko. The abandonment and relegation were a new low.

6.

Last of all for this section, a moment when a vast bubble of hope was burst. The loss to Torquay at Wembley in 1991 was hard to take. Hilton Park services gone midnight was like a scene from The Walking Dead through a tangerine lens.

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HIGHS AND LOWS by Anthony Lord To be honest, that was quite a therapeutic experience. I feel stronger in having lived through all of those events and still having a team to support and love.

So, what about the high points? Here goes:

1.

A 1-0 win at home to Swindon on 19th February, 1985 in front of 3,382 hardy souls probably wouldn’t make anyone else’s list – and that includes Paul Stewart ,whose goal that night took us another step towards promotion. But, it is important to me as I met my wife to be in the West Paddock for the first time. Thirty-four years on, we’re still together – but now we sit down!

2.

Of all the highlights of the wonderful Premier League season, if I have to pick one match, it’s the 2-1 win at Anfield. The tension, the crowd, the history and the small fact that I’m an Evertonian too. Perfect.

3.

Friday Night Cinema Club, 3rd May 1985. Now you might wonder what part Eddie Murphy might play in our illustrious history. Well, on the night in question, with no Sky Sports or internet back then, there was no way to follow Hereford’s game against Halifax, a game that could mean Pool promoted for the first time in my eight years watching them. Lo and behold, we returned from Beverley Hills Cop to be informed by my future father-in-law, stalwart Seasider, Barry Mauger, that Halifax had won. My first taste of promotion – without kicking a ball.

4.

All credit Agent Rachubka! Who can forget that momentous night at Elland Road? A 5-0 spanking and Lua-Lua and Shelvey doing their stuff. Priceless.

5.

May 5th 2007. Liberty Stadium, Swansea. The Morrell and Parker show. The 6-3 victory was tempered by missing out on automatic promotion but that day’s demolition of the Swans made me certain that we would go up in the best way possible. We did.

6.

22nd May 2010. Wembley, The Mall, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden. It seemed like the whole country (outside of Cardiff and Preston) was on our side.

So, there you have it. Hope you enjoyed it. Hope it sparks some debate. Hope you can draw up your own lists. Here’s to many, many more highs.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Read this far? So have hundreds of other Seasiders! Why not advertise your company in the next issue? Adverts start from as little as £40 and appear in printed copy and online. The fanzine is sold at all Blackpool matches as well as in a number of local outlets. New subscribers (in Blackpool, nationwide and overseas) continue to sign up to receive every issue.

Let’s continue to support each other now we are all back in the fold.

Email jane@janestuart.co.uk for details of how you can advertise in the next issue, which will be on sale throughout December and January (including the bumper Boxing Day fixture at Bloomfield Road).

23

MANAGING FAILURE: BOLTON, BURY AND THE EFL by BasilRobbie It says something about the state of football governance in England that the loudest chant at the Coventry v Blackpool match was the rousing chorus of “F*** the EFL” from both sets of supporters - groups who have more reason than most to feel bitter.

Incredible though it may seem to us, the EFL’s failings, and the fact that there MIGHT be something structurally wrong with English football, had largely passed many people by until Bolton and Bury both tiptoed up to the edge of the abyss this summer. How the EFL has responded (or failed to respond) has genuinely shocked many.

The clubs are very close to one another geographically and, in conversation these days, the mention of one is usually followed by mention of the other. But the cases are different, even if the places that both have ended up feel very similar.

To overlook one rogue owner might be unfortunate, but in the case of Bury it seems that the EFL have been careless enough to miss two in succession. Stewart Day cheerfully bankrolled a charge to promotion from League Two that a club with average crowds of around 3,000 simply could not afford. As his business empire started to crumble, he sold the club on to Steve Dale. Mr Dale bought the club’s debts at a knock-down rate and, when the creditors came knocking, seemed more intent on exploiting his preferred creditor status for profit than he did in saving a club that has been around since the late 19th century. Indeed, he confessed that, until recently, he did not even know that Bury had a football club at all.

In the case of Bolton, many of us did at least see this was coming. The size of the financial hole the club was in only becomes really evident when you consider that the late Eddie Davies’ parting gift, before he passed away, was to write off most of the £170m debt that the club owed to him. Yes, £170m. Not that this seems to have solved anything; the club has lurched from one crisis to another in recent years before the latest drama that took them to the very edge of extinction. It is a heavy price to pay for overspending, overambition and hubris.

Even now, many questions exist about Bolton’s new owners and the sustainability of their tenure. True, they sanctioned the arrival of around nine players on transfer deadline weekend. But there have been reports that say that they have also saddled the club with a further £40m of potential debt repayable over the next three years - money that is owed to themselves. If the words “Steve” and “Dale” occur to you at this point, don’t worry, it isn’t just you. For my part, I wonder how a club that seems to be heading for L2 is expected to pay off new debt at a rate of £250,000 per week. You get a sense that we may not have seen the last discussion of Bolton’s financial problems - and that huge question marks still hang over their long-term future.

Which brings us back to the EFL. I’ll start with a sentence I thought I would never write. I feel a bit sorry for Debbie Jevans. She inherited a mess of Shaun Harvey’s making and

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MANAGING FAILURE: BOLTON, BURY AND THE EFL by BasilRobbie has spent most of her interim appointment battling hard to keep a lid on problems that the EFL has either ignored, or at least, failed to manage, for far too long.

The ramifications of these two cases will rumble on for a while yet. Until the end of September, Bury were still clinging to the hope of reinstatement to the EFL next season, encouraged (understandably) by the local MP, but, less forgivably, by the EFL themselves.

The latter’s weasel-like statement on the matter had raised hopes that would have been very difficult to deliver upon, and, in doing so, they handed back some of the responsibility for a final decision to the 71 clubs who have watched this freak show from afar.

Unsurprisingly, the clubs were quick to see the potential problems in what initially sounds a wonderful, glib solution. The EFL are already committed to relegating three clubs from L1 and one from L2 in 2019/20 in order to bring the strength back up to 72. How they would insert Bury back into this is hard to see, unless they plan to run the 2020/21 season with 73 clubs, or tinker with promotion and/or relegation at the very bottom - again. I got no sense that the EFL had thought about this before they allowed this hare to run. And that is before anyone considers the precedents that they would be setting, or the implications for the way that owners might behave in the future. I suspect that the clubs appreciated all of this too; and of course they also had a hefty dollop of self-interest to push them in the direction they eventually went. It is a crying shame for Bury’s supporters, but they were doomed once they were not allowed to start the season.

In Bolton’s case, the phrase “preserving the integrity of the competition” - a particular favourite of The Blessed Shaun - is one that is already beginning to bite the EFL on the bum. Three clubs have romped to facile five-goal wins against Bolton’s kids, a mismatch which the rest of the Division will not now enjoy the benefit of. If promotion or a play-off place ends up being decided on goal difference, and Ipswich, Tranmere or Doncaster benefit as a result, expect the lawsuits to fly from whoever misses out. If the idea of a club actually suing the EFL sounds unlikely, then think again. Middlesbrough are already threatening the EFL with legal action for allowing Derby County and others to sidestep the Financial Fair Play rules by selling their stadia to raise money and then leasing them back (in Derby’s case, from themselves).

The chickens that make up the EFL’s ineptitude are at last coming home to roost, as they fight unsuccessfully to defend their actions (or mostly inaction). The review of financial sustainability they recently announced looks like a panic measure that in any case only partially addresses the problem. It hasn’t been enough to stop the DCMS announcing a review of their own, and the Football Supporters Association - with BST very much to the fore - will be making vigorous representations about the fundamental overhaul that is now needed to make the game’s governance in England fit for purpose. The snowball does at least seem to be sliding down the mountain; over the next months, the people who actually make the game what is is - the supporters - will hopefully be able to give it a bloody good push.

25

MAIDSTONE UNITED: EXPELLED FROM THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE by HertsSeasider

I wrote a piece in the first issue mentioning my local club, Maidstone United. The sad demise of Bury FC recently announced bought back many memories for Stones fans as they too were expelled from the Football League back in 1992. Maidstone’s history and recovery to their current position in the football pyramid makes for interesting reading.

The club was formed in 1897 and has played for the vast majority of its existence in nonleague divisions. Maidstone United won the Conference in 1989, after automatic promotion and relegation had been introduced, and thus became members of the Football League Fourth Division.

In 1988 the Stones left their ground in Maidstone, having sold the land on which it stood to MFI. The ground was not considered large enough for league football, so they switched to ground-sharing with Dartford for their home matches. This caused average attendances to fall from around 2,400 to 1,400. Some readers may recall Pool visiting Dartford to play the Stones and further connections in that former Pool manager Graham Carr took over managing the Stones in 1990/91 season and goalkeeper Iain Hesford also played for them.

By this time, the club was lurching into serious financial problems. It had spent large sums getting into the Football League and the outlay continued after the promotion. With huge debts, no ground and a poor team, there was little interest - although a consortium from the North East wanted to buy the club, move it to Tyneside and merge it with Newcastle Blue Star FC. Imagine the reaction if that had come off!

After their opening game of the 1992/3 season was cancelled, Maidstone United was given until the following Monday to guarantee that it would be able to fulfil its fixtures.

Unable to come up with the necessary backing, it left the league on 17 August and went into liquidation.

What happened next is perhaps best summed up by a post by ‘Stones' on the Maidstone Fans Forum following the news from Bury:

I have nothing but sympathy for the fans of Bolton and Bury this evening. We’ve been there. It is truly heart-breaking to watch your club disintegrate while you stand helplessly by; to lose your Saturday afternoon football fix; and for many, a large part of your social life. Suddenly, you’re bereft. “What to do on a Saturday afternoon?” you wonder. Do you go and watch the team over the hill (whoever that might be)? Of course not. You’ve been bleeding your team’s colours for too long to suddenly switch allegiances to… them…

The same fate befell us in 1992. Unceremoniously dumped out of the football league after just three seasons’ competition (in actuality, one and a half season’s competition, half a season of participation, and a season of joyless embarrassment), we started again. So can you. Seriously, if we did it given our then levels of ineptitude and lack of finances, so can you. We started playing Sunday under 18’s football in the D&J Tyres Kent Youth League. I have no idea if such a league still exists, or even if the sponsors are still a going concern. I

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MAIDSTONE UNITED: EXPELLED FROM THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE by HertsSeasider

am aware of how dispiriting that sounds. We made it through that season, though (a notable highlight being the 6-3 defeat of West Ham’s under 18’s team in West Ham’s first fixture following the death of Sir Bobby Moore), and the next season were playing in the Kent County Western Region Division 4. We thought things couldn’t get worse. We were in the fourth regionalised level of football in the left bit of the county. Our first game back in Saturday football was a 7-0 victory against Scott Sports Reserves. Read that again. Scott Sports Reserves. I have no idea if Scott Sports still exists, far less their reserve team. We romped home in first place that season with a team made up of local non-league football journeymen who fancied one last challenge, and the remnants of the League team’s youth squad. The following season we were in the Kent County Western Region Division 2.

Division 4 had been scrapped, so we went up an extra division. That’s right, we’d been placed in such a low division that it’s being scrapped meant we couldn’t go any lower.

Over the next few seasons, we carried on, winning the odd promotion, the Weald of Kent and Tunbridge Wells Charity Cups, and a variety of trophies that would have meant nothing to us a few seasons before. But do you know what? I’m certain that I had far more fun schlepping around the backside of Kent trying to find teams I’d never heard of before than I would have done schlepping around the backside of the football league, and constantly wondering if the axe would fall. Some of our supporters walked to Oxford to raise money.

I’ve seen us play two cup semi-finals in one day. I’ve watched an entire season of football, with us obtaining more points than anybody else, only for us to still somehow manage to finish second (it’s a long story). I’ve heard our name mentioned on Radio 1 because our captain ill-advisedly mooned a Mormon wedding couple. I’ve witnessed a supporter stop a game with an inhuman belch. I’ve seen us play in 10 different divisions, and call 5 grounds home (3 of which belonged to other teams, and 1 of which belonged to the aforementioned Mormon church, which must have made for an awkward phone call the next day).

It won’t be easy. It’ll be hard to accept at first. But the sense of camaraderie you might get with your fellow supporters will outstrip anything else you’ve achieved thus far. Seriously.

As much as this hurts right now, in ten years’ time, you just might look back on this and feel a bit better about it. You’ll still wish it hadn’t happened, of course you will; but you might have replaced a dull away day at Chesterfield with some trophies, belches and memories of your own.

I’m sure I speak on behalf of all Stones fans when I say we wish you well, and hope to be playing you in a few years’ time.

Maidstone now play in the National League South with a ground capacity of near 4,000 and an artificial pitch. They did flirt with promotion back to the Football League a couple of years back but, financially sound, they are now building for the return again. Whilst of little help to Bury fans today, this shows, that, given time, you can recover and rebuild.

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SEASIDERS: THE RIVALS by Anthony Lord Amongst the many intriguing aspects of following your football club is the part that rivalries play. Where would Batman be without The Joker? Sherlock Holmes without Moriarty? The same is true in football: we need that rivalry. Who can honestly say that, when the fixtures come out, there aren’t certain games you look for first, the ones where we travel to the bear pit, or they come to us.

Rivalries are grown from numerous seeds. For example, those such as Barcelona & Real Madrid or Liverpool & Manchester United are based on histories that have seen them as the two pre-eminent teams in the leagues, regularly attempting to outdo, outshout and outspend one another. Other rivalries come from past events or reputations. Millwall and Leeds base their rivalry on historic claims to be the hardest clubs; West Ham and Manchester United, again, had a tumultuous few years in the aftermath of Paul Ince’s transfer North, whilst Liverpool and Newcastle shared a 1990s rivalry centred on one or two high-scoring games.

Indeed, in the Premier League era, United have had, at various stages, grudge matches with Blackburn, Newcastle, Arsenal and Chelsea, depending upon their main chasers each season.

Yet we all know that the best rivalries are based on geography – that intimate relationship that binds or splits towns, cities and regions. Everton & Liverpool or Rangers & Celtic are prime examples of single city rivalries whilst Norwich & Ipswich or Brighton & Palace are regional ones.

All of this set me thinking about the Seasiders. Who have been our main rivals over my years of watching the club? There’s an obvious answer, but there are various pretenders to the throne. Let’s put them all to the test. We need to consider geography and history as well as how much we’d anticipate each fixture.

AFC Fylde According to geography, our nearest rivals. However, our two sides have never met in a competitive match, are two divisions apart and have no shared history. Add to this that a large chunk of the crowds of the last few seasons at Mill Farm have been disgruntled Seasiders who, you’d hope, would return, and we are comparing Brad Pitt with Johnny Vegas.

Rival rating: No stars Burnley May seem something of a curve-ball to younger fans, but I grew up in an era where we played them regularly. Going to Turf Moor was like visiting Basra. The welcoming locals were always ready to chuck you their spare change on the Long Side or ambush you on the cricket pitch at the end. There always seemed to be something at stake, never more than the 5-2 win in January 1992. You could always count on the Gazette referring to a ‘Lancashire Hot Pot’ when previewing the game. Would love to renew their acquaintance.

Rival rating: Two stars

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SEASIDERS: THE RIVALS by Anthony Lord Fleetwood Town I need to tread carefully here. I have a lot of friends at Fleetwood Town and, as Deputy Head at Saint Aidan’s, the club is incredibly generous towards local schools and their hospitality is legendary. I, personally, have a lot of respect for how far they have come and how they have done it. That said, this is a very odd rivalry. On one side (Cod) it is their raison d’etre. Beating us (when it finally came) was the highlight of their season, nay, their history. Bragging rights on the Fylde Coast matter in FY7. Meanwhile, in South Shore, the fact that our recent derbies have been dubbed the ‘Donkey Derby’ in the press has been viewed as an embarrassment, a come-down. Pool fans shrug it off as a derby without passion or history, an irrelevance that will be usurped over the next few years by more traditional clashes with bigger clubs. Only time will tell. For now, it’s what we’re given, so its two games that have to be won, if only to keep Captain Cod in his (fish) box.

Rival rating: Three stars (for now) Bolton Wanderers A rivalry built on the 1953 Cup Final, regular top division clashes, Lofthouse versus Matthews, Russell Coughlin and the Normid Supermarket, late equalisers to destroy us and 4-3 victories to give us (unfounded) hope in the Premier League. Of course, the tragic murder of Kevin Olsson at a game between the two sides in 1974 cast a shadow over the clubs’ games for many years. Not our most natural geographical rivals, but a shared history and some serious grudge matches have festered animosity in my four decades of watching.

At the time of writing, I’m not sure if they will exist to play in future seasons. I hope they will but, for all its clean sight lines and spacious concourses, there’s something far less intimidating about the Reebok/Macron/University of Bolton/Paddy McGuiness/Tess Daly/Amir Khan Memorial Stadium than the old Burnden Park.

Rival rating: Two stars Preston North End We were always going to end up here. Despite the fact that they have nearer rivals in the same division, North End have an enduring obsession with us. Sure, we did share many great tussles in both clubs’ glory years and the Finney v Matthews debate still rages. Absolutely, both teams hit the buffers in the 1980s and have risen again with rebuilt stadiums and fresh hopes. Of course we got promoted and all but confirmed their relegation with a 3-0 Pickering-fuelled victory in 1970. But it’s more than that these days. The rivalry is down to two things: the playoffs and the Premier League. The two things that North End just cannot cope with, despite sitting in a higher division at the moment. At one end of the M55, you have the club with the most successful play-off record in the land; at the other end, the one with the worst. To be honest, nine failures in ten attempts takes some doing. Add to that the season in the Premier League where we were everyone else’s second favourite team. That’s something that galls them to this day. So, my mum may be a ‘crack whore’ and my dad a ‘queen’ (it’s a song, not autobiographical) but we’ve been to the Promised Land and they haven’t. You can keep your university, your docks and your Guild Wheel; we had Brett, Olly and Charlie. We win.

Rival rating: Five stars Sour grapes rating: Ten stars

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TH’OWD FELLAH - THE ORIGIN OF CHIPPY TEAS WI’ GRAVY AND TRIPE? Hello agin, Thowd Fellah here. I wuz goin’ t’ look at a bit o’ th’ club history, but with things as they are I must comment on th’ goin’s on in th’football world. As I put this together, Th’shakers have been unceremoniously thrown art ut League. Now, av heard o’ Black Puddin’ throwin’ but to lose such an old club with a rich history is tragic, not only furt fans, but also fur football in general and I feel for those affected.

I noted with interest that there wuz a discussion aburt ‘avin’ gravy on a chippy tea and thowt add just put my ten penneth in for good luck.

During and just after that ‘itler fellah ‘ad tried t’ conquer th’world, things wur a bit grim on th’food side and fish wur at a premium. So some people made up their minds to try and cheat. It wuz not unknown fur Boarding House Landladies t’ be swindled by crooks selling big tubs o’ lard (I wonder who that is) which wuz in fact sand with lard set around it, but I digress.

Big Betty Batty bought a chippy darn ar street and thowt it would be a good idea t’ pass tripe off as fish, and it wur reet tasty aswell, but Ah’v al’a’s ‘ad a penchant (by eck that’s a big word) for tripe.

Now th’story goes that th’local vicar, Pastor Peter Parsons ‘ad a soft spot fur Big Betty Batty but wasn’t too keen on fish and chips and hated tripe, as he wuz a bit of a food snob, preferring pasta and pink pepper if he could buy it. Things wuz still rationed tha sees. Anyhows one day Pastor Peter Parson picked a packet o’ plain purple pasta, pink pickled peppercorns and processed peas, preferring this to the chippy.

Meanwhile Big Betty Batty had bought a bit a butter but believing it to be bitter put it in th’ batter to batter th’ tripe wi’. Well th’batter browned and th’tripe wuz passed off as Cod selling out in no time at all . It’s a pity Pastor Peter Parsons picked plain packed pasta, imported pink pickled peppercorns and processed peas rather than eating at Big Betty Batty’s who bought the bit o’butter which wuz so bitter she put it in her batter it making Big Betty Batty’s batter better.

Big Betty Batty’s battered tripe wuz great and could have saved Pastor Peter Parson a lot of hassle had he not been such a food snob, cos th’Pastor burnt his Pasta and went tut chippy for some Cod ‘n’ chips wi peas. Which wuz all but sold out and after askin’ three times for the cod and chips Big Betty Batty asked if he could spell, to which he obviously said yes. So she spelled out Cod, C. O. F. D. - to which Pastor Peter Parsons replied ‘but there’s no f in cod.’ ‘Exactly,’ said Big Betty Batty and ‘astily gave him her last piece o’ tripe, telling him it were ‘addock, wi’ chips and mushy peas, adding gravy to help kill the taste of the tripe. He ate it and loved it and married Betty for her cooking skills and they both lived ‘appily ever after.

And that my friends is ‘ow gravy finished up being served on chippy teas.

May do some hornitholgy next time. Anyways, enough tripe for th’time being - tara fur nah.

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