Match Day Thread Blackpool v Preston North End Bloomfield Road 23/10/2021

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Blackpool Football Club is a professional association football club based in the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. The team is competing in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system, in 2021–22, having gained promotion from League One in 2020–21.

Founded in 1887, the club played home games at Raikes Hall and the Athletic Grounds before moving to Bloomfield Road in 1901.

The club were founder members of the Lancashire League in 1889 and were invited into the Football League Second Division in 1896. They failed re-election in 1899 but had their Football League membership reinstated the following year. Blackpool remained in the Second Division until they won the league title in 1929–30, though they were relegated after three seasons in the First Division. Promoted again in 1936–37, the club entered a golden period under the stewardship of long-time manager Joe Smith. Blackpool lost the 1948 and 1951 FA Cup finals before winning the competition in 1953, in the so-called "Matthews Final", in which they beat Bolton Wanderers 4–3, overturning a 3–1 deficit in the closing stages of the game. That same year, four Blackpool players were in the England team which lost against Hungary at Wembley.[1][2] In the 1950s they had four top-six finishes in the First Division, with their best position being runners-up to Manchester United in 1955–56. In 1956, Stanley Matthews was the inaugural recipient of the Ballon d'Or.[3]

Blackpool were relegated out of the First Division in 1967 and again in 1971 after winning promotion in 1969–70. They dropped into the fourth tier after suffering relegations in 1978 and 1981, then gained promotion in 1984–85. Between 1987 and 2019, the club was owned by the Oyston family. Nine years after buying the club, Owen Oyston was jailed for the 1992 rape and indecent assault of a 16-year-old girl.[4] His wife, Vicki, took over the chairmanship of the club during her husband's three-year prison term. The couple's son, Karl, took over in 1999 and remained in the role for 19 years. In 2018, after the Oyston family was found, in a High Court judgement, to have operated an "illegitimate stripping" of the club, paying out £26.77 million to companies they owned, Owen relieved Karl of his role and gave it to his daughter, Natalie. In June 2019, Simon Sadler, a 49-year-old Blackpool-born businessman, bought a 96.2% share in the club,[5] completely removing the Oyston family from any involvement.[6]

During the long years of Oyston ownership, Blackpool were relegated into the fourth tier in 1990, promoted via the play-offs in 1992, then relegated again in 2000. Blackpool reached the Premier League in 2010, after becoming the first club to gain promotion from every division of the Football League via the play-off system; they won the 2001 Third Division play-offs, 2007 League One play-offs and the 2010 Championship play-offs. They spent one season in the Premier League, under manager Ian Holloway, and later suffered a double relegation into League Two by 2016, though gained immediate promotion by winning the 2017 League Two play-off final.

Bloomfield Road is a single-tier football stadium in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, which has been the home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901. It is the third stadium in the club's existence, the previous two being Raikes Hall Gardens and the Athletic Grounds.

Largely unchanged since the 1960s, the stadium began a redevelopment phase in the early 2000s. A temporary East Stand was erected before the start of the 2010–11 season, the club's debut in the Premier League. It is still in place today. The three permanent stands are named the Stan Mortensen North Stand (denoted by the acronym "B.F.C." spelled out in white seats, the Jimmy Armfield South Stand (with the former player's last name spelled out in white seats) and the Sir Stanley Matthews West Stand (with one of the club's nicknames, "SEASIDERS", spelled out in white seats).

The record attendance at Bloomfield Road is 38,098, when Blackpool played Wolverhampton Wanderers on 17 September 1955.[5]

The stadium hosted three matches of the 2005 UEFA Women's Championship. It has also been the venue for the final of the Northern Rail Cup, a rugby league tournament.

MANAGER

Liverpool
Due to fixture congestion of Liverpool's first team during the 2019–20 season, Critchley served as their stand-in manager for their EFL Cup away match against Aston Villa on 17 December 2019.[4] The congestion was caused by Liverpool's participation in the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar, which overlapped with the EFL Cup quarter-finals.[5][6][7] Liverpool, fielding a team made up exclusively of under-23s, were beaten 5–0.[8][9] Critchley again served as Liverpool's stand-in manager for the FA Cup fourth round replay against Shrewsbury Town on 4 February 2020, as the first team were on a mid-season break.[10] The youthful Liverpool team won 1–0 via an own goal.[11]

Blackpool
On 2 March 2020, Critchley was appointed as head coach of Blackpool on a three-and-a-half-year contract.[12] After a curtailed regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Blackpool finished in 13th position after standings were amended to reflect a points-per-game ratio.[13]

In Critchley's first full season in charge, 2020–21, Blackpool finished third at the conclusion of the regular season, going on to win promotion via the EFL League One play-offs.[14]

To be fair Critchley has done well would have been happy to steal him when Neil got potted and therefore that's the problem they will face the better he does the more he will be wanted by other clubs

MYSTIC MACS FORM GUIDE

BLACKPOOL 13 PNE 7

LAST TIME OUT

PNE Team News

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After picking up injuries in the defeat against Queens Park Rangers prior to the international break, both Sean Maguire and Ali McCann have been back in training with North End ahead of this fixture.

Frankie McAvoy said that the rest of the squad which faced Coventry City on Wednesday night would be assessed on Thursday.

The Opposition

Blackpool head into Saturday’s game after coming from behind to beat Reading on Wednesday evening, with three goals in the second half turning around a two-goal deficit.

They currently sit 12th in the table in their first season back in the Championship since being relegated in 2015.

In the dugout for them is Neil Critchley, in his first senior managerial role after previously being in charge of Liverpool’s U18s and U23s.

Key Stats

Striker Jerry Yates, joint top scorer this season in the Blackpool squad, comes into this encounter in fine form, having scored four goals in his last three games.

PNE have much the better of the head to head record against their rivals, winning 45 of the 94 games, compared to Blackpool’s 30 victories.

The Seasiders sit third in the form table, taking 13 points from a possible 18, with the only defeat in that run coming against Huddersfield Town at home.

Our Last Meeting





Not many will need reminding of the last time these two sides faced each other back in League Cup action in 2013.

The game looked set to be heading into extra-time, but captain Tom Clarke popped up with a famous 87th-minute, heading home Lee Holmes’ free-kick, cuing huge celebrations in the home stands.

Man In The Middle

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Tim Robinson will take charge of his second PNE game of the season at the weekend, with the first being the goalless draw away at Bristol City back in September.

Robinson is an experienced EFL official, with his first season in the Football League coming in the 2012/13 campaign.

He will be assisted by Andrew Fox and Matthew McGrath, while Bobby Madley will be fourth official.

They won't be there because they are dead but they came from Blackpool

Gary Miller, born Neville Williams (3 May 1924 – 15 June 1968)[1] was an Englishpopular musicsinger and actor of the 1950s and 1960s.[2] His career spanned only 13 years before he died of a heart attack in 1968. He released 24 singles and six EPs on the Pyelabel between 1955 and 1967. Pye released a further compilation EP after his death.

MACS VIEW

Long time since we paid a viist to the 7th century outpost of civilisation, a 1-1 draw with Billy Clark scoring in about 45 seconds and Ross Wallace direct from a free kick a trademark goal from the left footed Scottish winger.
A lot of water has passed since then, they've been down and have come back , got rid of the Oyston's and now seem to be stable as a club which is helping them on the pitch as well
Promoted via the play offs last season|(one day they may actually win a league.)
In the grand scheme of things this is all about local bragging rights however the main aim for both clubs is to get 50 points ASAP
They are in better form than us at the moment mind you apart from Cardiff who isn't
We have only one league defeat sinnce 17/8/2021 QPR but we have only had one win since the beginning of September, a series of draws were in truth we probably didn't do enough to win any of them.
Wednesday's win against Coventry was welcomed but we need to turn up for the entire 90 minutes which we have rarely done this season.
Tomorrow is not the day to give a half arsed performance.
Well lads up to you

 

Blackpool 2 Anderson Madine Preston North End 0
Blackpool line-up: Grimshaw, Husband, Gabriel, Wintle, Yates (Carey, 79), Anderson, Bowler (Mitchell, 80), Dougall (Connolly, 83), Madine, Ekpiteta (c), Keogh. Subs not used: Moore, Dale, Garbutt, Sterling.

PNE line-up: Iversen, Storey, Bauer, Hughes, van den Berg, Whiteman (Potts, 74), Browne (c), Earl (Maguire, 65), Johnson (Barkhizen, 64), Sinclair, Riis. Subs not used: Rudd, Cunningham, Lindsay, Ledson, Maguire, Barkhuizen, Potts.

Referee: Mr T Robinson

Attendance: 13,946 (2,180 PNE fans)

First of all they deserved to win they played for the 100 minutes the game lasted we played for 10 minutes, as we have done in most recent game, alsoanother obvious thing from this game is we need a change of direction off and on the field, we are drifing at the moment although being sunk is a distinct possibility if things don't change
The sending off of Browne the skipper in the last minute for his part in a 20 man brawl sums up the club at the moment lack of leadership.
Put this into context Huddersfield was shocking and this rates a close second but it's every game we have failed to compete in most of them.
Great atmosphere at the ground lots of welcoming signs from both sets of fans.
They set of at full tilt with Bonner a thorn on the right hand side, as usual midfield were there but invisible as the ball by passed them as usual. Dougall should have opened the scoring from the edge of the box sent his shot wide, Sinclair tested their young keeper with a shot which he saved at the second attempt and we had weathered the early storm

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Little between the sides as North End tried the old and trusted tactics of Goal kick to Earl' head and cross field pass from teh back to whoever was ambling along the right wing at the time. Not forgetting the long ball to the ever willing Riis to hpld the ball up for his colleagues 90 yards away. The deadlock was was broken on 27 minutes Anderson scored from just outside the box, wasn't a powerful however nobody moved , defenders, forwards or keeper and it dribbled into the net
Needless to say the home fans were excited but for a brief period of time after the goal we upped the pace, a couple of corners never looked like scoring
And at half time they led, first five minutes of the second period were probably the most entertaining of the entire game, we came out early and we were into them forced a corner from which Blackool nearly scored only a great last ditch tackle by Earl stopped them, within seconds down the other end four on one break, Riis to Wiseman and he must score but doesn't and with that miss away went our last chance of getting anything from the game.

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Pool defended well denied us space and had occasional forays into our half, we made couple of substitutions went 433 and almost immediately went two down, Yates on the right edge of the area, passed the ball towards goal and like the first goal no one moved although Madine apparently got a touch and it was game over.
We hammered them on bookings although have to say Mr Robinson who is usually a decent referee didn't have the best of games the booking of Potts for a well timed sliding tckle ws laughable. A couple of near things in their box but any chance of the game flowing ended with lots of players from the home side collapsing from Vertigo.The last action of the game was for Maguire and a home player to roll around on the ground hence mass brawl Maguire and Browne booked his second and followed by a red.
Less than happy away fans requesting Frankie seeks new employment, Liverpool next.

Blackpool manager Neil Critchley told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It was a really good goal, the second goal, and we've seen the game out quite comfortably in the end. It's a great win.

"These days are for the supporters. They can go and enjoy their night tonight, I'm delighted for them.

"I think we'll get better. I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing. This group of players, with their character, resilience and an ability to listen and learn, will improve."

Preston North End manager Frankie McAvoy told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"I don't think there's a great deal in terms of opportunities and chances between each of us.

"I'm just so disappointed that they have managed to come out on top.

"I work hard as best as I can to try and get the best results we can. We've won three and drawn six of the 14 games we have played - we need to do better."