Thursday, August 26, 2010

Blackpool-Club Profile

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Blackpool's play-off final victory over Cardiff City ensured they would be the 44th different club to play in the Premier League.

The Seasiders clinched promotion by beating the Bluebirds 3-2 at Wembley where they twice came from behind.

They levelled within minutes of both the Bluebirds' goals, first through Charlie Adam's superb free-kick and then via Gary Taylor-Fletcher's brave close-range header.

Former Southampton striker Brett Ormerod hit the winner just before half-time and the Seasiders held on to become the first team to win promotion through all four divisions via the play-offs.

It was a remarkable achievement for a club which had been second favourites for relegation from the Championship at the start of the campaign.

They achieved their unlikely promotion with an average attendance of just 8,611 and immediately announced plans to increase the capacity of their Bloomfield Road ground from 12,000 to 16,000.

Club Heritage

Blackpool Football Club were formed on 26th July 1887, after a merger with a breakaway group from the local St. John's Football Club.

The club's first foray into the Football league lasted just three seasons. They joined the 16-team Second Division in 1896/97 but, after finishing third-bottom, were not re-elected at the end of the 1898-99 campaign.

The Seasiders spent 1899/1900 back in the Lancashire League, finishing third. After the Football League's annual meeting, on 25th May 1900, they were admitted back into Division Two.

During their 12 months out of the League, Blackpool amalgamated with local rivals South Shore.

A year later they moved from Raikes Hall to a new ground at Gamble's Field, on Bloomfield Road - the name by which the stadium is now known.

They won the Division 2 title in 1930 to reach the top flight for the first time, staying there for three years. After four seasons back in the Second Division, they regained their place among the elite in 1937, remaining there for 30 years.

Blackpool enjoyed a golden era in the Fifties with the highlight being their 1953 FA Cup win.

It has for ever become known as the Matthews Final for the dazzling wing play of Sir Stanley Matthews - even though it was Stan Mortensen who scored a hat-trick as they came from 3-1 down to beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3.

It was the club's third Wembley appearance in six seasons following FA Cup final defeats by Manchester United and Newcastle United.

They finished runners-up in the top division in 1956 and supplied four members of the England team which faced Hungary in 1953.

The Tangerines were relegated in 1967 but bounced back to Division 1 in 1970 where they remained for just one season before beginning a decline which took 39 years to redeem.

After seven years in the second tier and three in the third, Blackpool dropped into the basement division for the first time in their history in 1981.

They finished fourth from bottom of the entire league in 1983 and suffered the indignity of having to apply for re-election.

The Seasiders survived that and went on to finish second in 1985 to climb back to Division 3.

Five years later they dropped back to Division 4, winning promotion via the play-offs in 1992 thanks to a penalty shoot-out victory over Scunthorpe United.

After narrowly avoiding the drop over the next two seasons, the club brought in Sam Allardyce as manager in the summer of 1994.

He led them to a mid-table finish and then third place only to lose 3-2 on aggregate to Bradford City in the play-off semi-finals after being 2-0 up from the first leg.

He was replaced by Gary Megson then Nigel Worthington and former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon who was unable to stave off relegation back to the bottom division in 2000.

Promotion was achieved at the first attempt, again via the play-offs - and that system has proved profitable for the club.

Blackpool have now become the first club to go through all four divisions, winning promotion via the play-offs.

Simon Grayson led them to a 2-0 win over Yeovil Town at Wembley in 2007 and now his successor Ian Holloway has completed the journey.

Premier League History
2009/10 Blackpool beat Cardiff City 3-2 at Wembley in the Championship play-off final to reach the Premier League for the first time.source:

http://www.premierleague.com

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