History of Blackpool F.C. (1887–1962)

History of Blackpool Football Club between 1887 and 1962 covers the years from the club's foundation, via a split from another Blackpool

Blackpool

Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...

-based club; the period of nine years before they gained membership to the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

; their recovery after losing their League status after only three seasons; and finally their rise into Division One

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

, which was then the top tier of English football

Football in England

Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...

. Aside from the League, Blackpool also appeared in three FA Cup Final

FA Cup Final

The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...

s in six years, finding success in their third attempt, in 1953. The same year, the club supplied the England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

team with four players for an international game against Hungary

Hungary national football team

The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....

.

Between 1903 and 1962, Blackpool had nine different managers, with Joe Smith occupying the role for 23 of those 59 years. Prior to 1903, team selections were made by the board.

Early years

Blackpool Football Club were formed on 26 July 1887, through a breakaway group from the local St. John's F.C. Mike Jackman's Blackburn Rovers: A Complete Record, 1875–1990, published in 1990, makes reference to a game against "Blackpool" in December 1880, but whether this was today's club is not clear. The St. John's club had been in existence for a decade or so, risen from the ashes of the disbanded Victoria Club. Five members of the club — Revd. N.S. Jeffrey, Sam Bancroft, Dick Swanbrick, Dick Worthington and W.J. Brown — felt it was necessary for the town of Blackpool to have a football club bearing its name. After a disagreement with the other members regarding the possibility of having their name drop the denominational suffix and become a town team, the men left the meeting, went next door to the Stanley Arms Hotel, and immediately founded Blackpool Football Club. The remainder of the St. John's players eventually defected

Defection

In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...

to join the new club, in turn making the former defunct. It was with these individuals that Blackpool F.C. played their first competitive game, at Dole Lane, the home of Chorley

Chorley F.C.

Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...

, in which they recorded a 2–1 victory. Hargreaves scored Blackpool's first-ever goal with "a ponderous kick half the length of the field". Corry added a second, before the hosts scored a late consolation.

In the club's first season, 1887–88, they won the Fylde

The Fylde

The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...

Cup and the Lancashire Junior Cup. In the second competition, Blackpool faced Preston St. Joseph's at Preston North End

Preston North End F.C.

Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...

's Deepdale

Deepdale

Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...

ground, a venue that the seaside club argued was not neutral. The match took place on 24 March 1888. Blackpool went a goal down after 35 minutes, and that is how the score remained at half-time. Two minutes in to the second half, Joe Nelson equalised. T. Parr scored the winner in the final minute.

At the end-of-season annual general meeting

Annual general meeting

An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...

on 14 May 1888, held at the Stanley Arms, club president Alderman John Bickerstaff announced a small profit of around £

Pound sterling

The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

20, with £66 contributed in membership and subscription fees.

At this point in time, Blackpool played home matches at Raikes Hall Gardens (or the Royal Palace Gardens), part of a large entertainment complex containing several attractions, including a theatre and a boating lake. This meant that average attendances hovered around the two-thousand mark, making the club's early years financially successful. Profits almost trebled by the end of the following season, at which point the club became founder members of the Lancashire League

Lancashire League (football)

The Lancashire League has been the name of two separate football competitions for clubs based in northern England.-Lancashire League :...

. In the league's first season, 1889–90, Blackpool finished fifth out of the thirteen member clubs. The following three seasons saw them finish runners-up, to Bury

Bury F.C.

Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...

in 1890–91 and 1891–92, and on goal-difference to Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

in 1892–93.

Blackpool's debut in the first-round proper of the FA Cup

FA Cup

The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

occurred in 1891–92, with a visit from Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...

to Raikes Hall Gardens. The Yorkshire

Yorkshire

Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

men won 3–0. A second tie against the same opposition occurred the following season, with the Blades again victorious, this time by a 3–1 margin.

On 25 February 1893, after Blackpool defeated South Shore 4–0, the contentious issue of the amalgamation of the two clubs was raised. The Gazette and News commented: "He must be a hot-headed supporter of either South Shore or Fleetwood Rangers who will not admit that the Blackpool team is the strongest in the Fylde. To our mind, the sooner the South Shore and Blackpool clubs are fused into one, the better it will be." Despite both clubs' committees being in favour, a meeting of over two hundred South Shore members on 10 April decided to carry on independently, and further talk of a merger was not discussed for another six years.

In 1893–94, Blackpool claimed the Lancashire League title, winning fifteen out of their 22 games to finish three points clear of the nearest competition. After returning to the runners-up berth the following season, they went on to struggle near the foot of the table. The board decided that they could make no further headway in local football and, on 13 May 1896, the club became a limited company

Limited company

A limited company is a company in which the liability of the members or subscribers of the company is limited to what they have invested or guaranteed to the company. Limited companies may be limited by shares or by guarantee. And the former of these, a limited company limited by shares, may be...

and applied for entry to the Football League

The Football League

. They failed with their first attempt, but their second was successful.

Blackpool's third FA Cup encounter, which took place earlier in 1896, proved marginally more successful than the previous two, as they defeated Burton Swifts

Burton Swifts F.C.

Burton Swifts were an English football club from Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club ceased to exist in 1901 when they merged with Burton Wanderers to form Burton United.-History:...

in the first round, only to be eliminated three weeks later at the hands of Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

. It was reported that the Blackpool players were on a win bonus of around ten shilling

Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...

s (fifty pence), whereas their opponents were paid an extra 45 shillings (£2.25) if they were the victors.

In and out of the Football League

Blackpool's application to the Football League

The Football League

was successful, and for the club's debut season

Blackpool F.C. season 1896-97

The 1896–97 season was Blackpool F.C.s first season in the Football League. They competed in the sixteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing eighth....

, they joined the sixteen-team Second Division

Football League Second Division

From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

along with Gainsborough Trinity

Gainsborough Trinity F.C.

Gainsborough Trinity Football Club are an English football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Between 1896 and 1912 they were members of the Football League. They are currently in the Conference North, and play their home matches at The Northolme, which has a capacity of 4,304...

and Walsall

Walsall F.C.

Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...

, replacing Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra F.C.

Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

, Burslem Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

and Rotherham County

Rotherham County F.C.

Rotherham County Football Club was an English football club based in the town of Rotherham, Yorkshire. The club was founded in 1877 as Thornhill Football Club becoming Rotherham County in 1905. It joined the Midland League in 1903, and stayed in that competition until it was abandoned for World...

.

The club's first-ever Football League game took place on 5 September 1896, at Lincoln City

Lincoln City F.C.

Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

. The fact that the game took place at all is notable in itself, because it took the Blackpool team six hours to travel what was just a 150 miles (241.4 km) journey. The players, directors and club doctor caught the 7am train from Blackpool North

Blackpool North railway station

Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....

and endured a journey via Manchester

Manchester

Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...

and Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

. They had to change trains on two occasions, with the players' only exercise being a run up and down the platform.

The game was due to kick off at 2pm, but due to the fact that it was "raining incessantly", causing the pitch

Association football pitch

An association football pitch is the playing surface for the game of association football made of turf. Its dimensions and markings are defined by Law 1 of the Laws of the Game, "The Field of Play".All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define...

to resemble a swamp

Swamp

A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...

, the referee delayed the start by fifteen minutes while the players acclimatized themselves.

When the match got underway, Blackpool found themselves a goal behind after five minutes. The Imps doubled their lead a minute before half-time.

The players reluctantly came out for the second half as conditions got steadily worse. Most of the 1,500 spectators had decided that a warm seat by the fireside was infinitely more enjoyable than standing around a muddy field.

Ten minutes after the restart, Blackpool scored their first-ever League goal, courtesy of a Charlie Mount free-kick

Direct free kick

A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...

. Blackpool could not find the equalising goal, however, and five minutes from time they conceded a third. The Athletic News reported that Blackpool had "a weakness in front of goal, plus a rather poor defence."

The club finished the season in eighth position, which would remain their highest placing for the next fourteen years, and had managed to attract relatively large attendances to Raikes Hall. One year later, however, that all changed when they announced a loss of £1,183. The club had started with capital of around £2,000, but the players' wages amounted to almost exactly three-quarters of that total. With attendance numbers declining to an average of two thousand, the club's financial position, which had once been healthy, was now looking bleak.

On the pitch, too, Blackpool had begun to struggle. They finished the 1897–98 season

Blackpool F.C. season 1897-98

The 1897–98 season was Blackpool F.C.s second consecutive season in the Football League. They competed in the sixteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing eleventh....

in eleventh place and failed to make the first-round proper of the FA Cup. This came after moving to a new home, the Athletic Grounds in the town's present-day Stanley Park

Stanley Park, Blackpool

Stanley Park is a municipal park in the town of Blackpool on the Fylde coast in the county of Lancashire, England. It is the largest park in the town, bounded by a roughly circular perimeter of 2.2 miles and covering an area of...

. The move was made without damaging their financial status too much; they announced a loss of only £441 2s 5½d, despite a reduction in admission prices. The club's League status became increasingly worse, however. They finished the 1898–99 season

Blackpool F.C. season 1898-99

The 1898-99 season was Blackpool F.C.s third consecutive season in the Football League. They competed in the eighteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing sixteenth...

in sixteenth place, two points ahead of Loughborough

Loughborough F.C.

Loughborough Athletic and Football Club were an English football club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, that played in The Football League at the end of the 19th century.-History:...

, and, along with fellow Lancastrians

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

Darwen

Darwen F.C.

A.F.C. Darwen is a football club from Darwen in Lancashire, North West England. The team, formed in 1870 as Darwen F.C., currently play in the Division One of the North West Counties League. They play their home games at the Anchor Ground.-History:...

, failed to gain re-election. They were replaced by Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough F.C.

Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

and Chesterfield

Chesterfield F.C.

Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...

. They also set a new and existing club record of consecutive defeats: eight, between 26 November and 7 January.

The first seven home games of that doomed 1898–99 campaign were played at the Athletic Grounds, while the other ten were hosted at Raikes Hall.

During the close season, Frank Wilson, a centre-forward signed from Gravesend United

Gravesend United F.C.

Gravesend United Football Club was a football club based in Gravesend, Kent.They were founder members of the Kent League in 1894-95 before moving to join the Southern League in 1896-97...

two years earlier, died at the age of 22 from "maniacal exhaustion caused by football and excitement". On the day he died, he should have been transferred to Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...

or Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

.

Much to the dismay of the Blackpool faithful, in 1899, during the season back in Lancashire League

Lancashire League (football)

The Lancashire League has been the name of two separate football competitions for clubs based in northern England.-Lancashire League :...

football, it was decided that the club would amalgamate with local rivals South Shore F.C., the thinking being that one club would be more successful than two. South Shore had experienced limited success in the Lancashire League but had put their name on the football map four years earlier when they defeated Notts County

Notts County F.C.

Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

in the FA Cup at the former's Waterloo Road home in what was a huge giantkilling act.

After the merger, which was completed on 12 December 1899, most of South Shore's players joined Blackpool.

Blackpool's one season out of the Football League was only moderately successful, with their finishing in third place in the Lancashire League. However, at the League's annual meeting on 25 May 1900, they were able to regain a place in Division Two

Football League Second Division

, along with Lancashire League champions Stockport County

Stockport County F.C.

Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...

.

The club's committee set about rebuilding the team in an attempt to cope with League football again. Notable signings included Joe Dorrington, a goalkeeper

Goalkeeper (football)

In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...

from Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....

; Harold Hardman

Harold Hardman

Harold Payne Hardman was an English footballer and later football chairman.-Football career:Born in Newton Heath, Manchester, he was discovered by Blackpool as a schoolboy and thrown into the first team during their season in exile from the Football League in 1899-1900...

, a local schoolboy who played at outside-left but went on to bigger things at Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

and as a director at Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

; and Jack Parkinson

Jack Parkinson (footballer born 1869)

John "Jack" Parkinson was an English professional football player. He played as a forward.-Career:Born in Blackpool, Lancashire, Parkinson, with fifteen goals, he was top scorer for his hometown club in 1896-97, their first-ever season in the Football League; indeed, he played in the club's first...

, who had been the club's top scorer in their first season in the League, returned after a brief taste of First Division

Football League First Division

football with Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

. On his way out of the club was Jack Cox, who was sold to Liverpool for the large sum of £150.

Early 20th century

Blackpool spent a final season

Blackpool F.C. season 1900-01

The 1900-01 season was Blackpool F.C.s first season back in the Football League . They competed in the eighteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing twelfth....

at Raikes Hall, after it was given the go-ahead for housing development. They attained a twelfth-placed finish in their first season back in the League, despite suffering their record defeat: 10–1 at Small Heath

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

. The referee blew the whistle for time four minutes early, with the score 9–1, and did not realise until the players had reached the dressing room and the crowd had all left. He took them out for the remaining four minutes, during which Small Heath scored a tenth goal. No joy was to be had in the FA Cup yet again.

Blackpool began the 1901–02 season

Blackpool F.C. season 1901-02

The 1901-02 season was Blackpool F.C.s fifth season in the Football League. They competed in the eighteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing thirteenth....

at Gamble's Field, the former home of South Shore, on the town's Bloomfield Road. The name of the ground was subsequently renamed for the road on which it stood. They finished thirteenth at the end of the campaign, at which point the club was surviving solely on the income from gate receipts and the increasing generosity of members of its committee.

In 1903, R.B. Middleton moved to Blackburn Rovers to become secretary of the East Lancashire club, and 33-year-old Rossendale

Rossendale

Rossendale is a local government district with borough status. It is made up of a number of small former mill towns in Lancashire, England centered around the valley of the River Irwell in the industrial North West...

native Tom Barcroft took over his duties at Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...

. It was meant to be a temporary appointment, but Barcroft remained in the role for well over thirty years. He stabilised the club as it tried to find its feet in the early years of its existence.

Between 1902–03

Blackpool F.C. season 1902-03

The 1902-03 season was Blackpool F.C.s sixth season in the Football League. They competed in the eighteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourteenth....

and 1904–05

Blackpool F.C. season 1904-05

The 1904-05 season was Blackpool F.C.s eighth season in the Football League. They competed in the eighteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fifteenth....

, Blackpool enjoyed little in the way of success, with one fourteenth- and two fifteenth-placed finishing positions in the table. There was, however, a significant increase in attendances, with as many as 7,000 turning out for the visit of Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

on 10 October 1903, although it was reported that at least 3,000 of them were travelling supporters.

Finances were still in a precarious state, and for the start of the 1905–06

Blackpool F.C. season 1905-06

The 1905-06 season was Blackpool F.C.s ninth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourteenth....

season a new board of directors was formed, with Charles Ramsden as chairman and Tom Barcroft remaining in his capacity as secretary.

In January of the same season, the club made the first round of the FA Cup after two seasons of elimination in its qualifying rounds, but a 2–1 defeat at Bristol City

Bristol City F.C.

Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

ensued. A year later, in the same competition, Blackpool enjoyed their finest moment to date: after beating Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace F.C.

Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

over three games, they were drawn at home to the powerful Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

. The board, mindful about financial restrictions, "sold" the ground rights and agreed to play at Bramall Lane

Bramall Lane

-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

. Despite protests from the Blackpool support, the move was agreed, and on 3 February 1906, Blackpool travelled to South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

and won the game 2–1. What made the victory all the more sweet for the club was that they still made around £300 from the game. They bank

Bank

A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...

ed a further £650 from the third-round tie at Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...

, which they lost 5–0 in front of 35,000 fans.

Also during 1905–06, Blackpool had their first serious reprimand from the football authorities over crowd behaviour. It came after a 3–0 home defeat to West Brom

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

, when referee W. Gilgryst had to be escorted from the field, protected from furious spectators who vented their anger regarding some controversial decisions. One of these had included the "sending-off

Penalty card

A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...

" off a Blackpool fan for abusive language. Gilgryst was forced to leave the ground with the assistance of two police officers, and at the sounding of the final whistle, two hundred fans invaded the Bloomfield Road pitch. The club was severely censured by the Football League

The Football League

and told to take every step to prevent a repeat of such scenes.

A year on from the Sheffield United game, the Blackpool directors again sold the ground rights of an FA Cup tie, this time for a first-round game against West Ham

West Ham United F.C.

West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...

on 12 January 1907. The recently opened Upton Park

Boleyn Ground

The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...

attracted 13,000 on that day, which resulted in Blackpool's receiving £300 from the gate receipts. The FA Cup did not offer any further financial gain, however — a 2-1 win for the Hammers ending the Lancashire club's interest in the competition. They finished thirteenth in the League.

For the 1907–08

Blackpool F.C. season 1907-08

The 1907-08 season was Blackpool F.C.s eleventh season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fifteenth....

season, a new board was introduced, with the availability of more money being promised. Fred Seed succeeded Charles Ramsden as chairman, and the club began to purchase new players. Serious injuries at the start of the season left Blackpool struggling, and they finished in the lower half of the table once again. They also experienced another early exit from the FA Cup, this time at the hands of Manchester United.

Forward Bob Whittingham

Bob Whittingham

Robert "Bob" Whittingham was an English footballer who played as an inside-forward for various clubs, mainly prior to the First World War...

was sold to Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

in January 1909. Although he left Blackpool midway through the 1908–09

Blackpool F.C. season 1908-09

The 1908-09 season was Blackpool F.C.s twelfth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing bottom. The club's application for re-election was successful.Bob Whittingham top-scored for the second consecutive season...

season, he finished as the Seasiders' top scorer at the end of the season. Yet again, the club had struggled again; they finished bottom and successfully applied for re-election.

Jack Cox returned to Blackpool at the start of the 1909–10

Blackpool F.C. season 1909-10

The 1909-10 season was Blackpool F.C.s thirteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing twelfth....

season, as an unofficial player-manager, and the team's fortunes took an upturn as they achieved a mid-table finish.

Increasingly dire financial straits meant the club were again obliged to sell the ground rights of another FA Cup game. This time, the match against Manchester United at Old Trafford netted Blackpool £680, with 20,000 spectators witnessing a home victory, 2–1.

Back in the League, there was a marked improvement in Blackpool's fortunes. They finished seventh in what was their most successful season to date. The following two seasons — 1911–12

Blackpool F.C. season 1911-12

The 1911-12 season was Blackpool F.C.s fifteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourteenth....

and 1912–13

Blackpool F.C. season 1912-13

The 1912-13 season was Blackpool F.C.s sixteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing bottom...

— saw a return to previous form, however, with final positions of fourteenth and rock-bottom twentieth achieved, the latter meaning they had to apply for re-election again. Their application was successful once more.

The 1913–14

Blackpool F.C. season 1913-14

The 1913-14 season was Blackpool F.C.s seventeenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing sixteenth....

season concluded with Blackpool in sixteenth place, and an early FA Cup exit at the hands of lowly Gillingham

Gillingham F.C.

Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...

, then in the Southern League, proved to be somewhat of a shock. One of the notable signings that season was Joe Lane

Joe Lane (footballer)

James Charles "Joe" Lane was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward.After spells with Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC and English side Sunderland, Lane signed for another English club, Blackpool, in 1913 for ₤400. He made his debut for the club on November 22, 1913, in a 2–2...

, who moved south from Sunderland

Sunderland A.F.C.

Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

. Lane, who had been playing Hungarian football prior to joining the Roker Park

Roker Park

Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...

club, cost Blackpool £400. He proceeded to repay them immediately, however, netting eleven goals in his first season and 28 (which was the leading total for the club) the following season

Blackpool F.C. season 1914-15

The 1914-15 season was Blackpool F.C.s eighteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing tenth....

. He continued to score regularly for the remainder of his Bloomfield Road career.

Almost predictably, Blackpool's involvement in the 1914–15 FA Cup ended in the first round, which was the final season before World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

's intervention, at which point football, like other professional sports, was abandoned until hostilities ended.

Eventually, football was resurrected with unfamiliar regional leagues, and Blackpool stitched together a side during the remaining war years. They were relatively successful during the first season, finishing third in the principal competition of the Lancashire section, followed by second in the subsidiary tournament. They were not as successful again until the end of the 1918–19

Blackpool F.C. season 1918-19

The 1918-19 season was Blackpool F.C.s fourth and final season in special wartime football during World War I. They competed in two Football League competitions spread over the full season — the Lancashire Section, Northern Group Principal Competition, for thirty games, and then in the Lancashire...

season, when they were victorious in Section "A" of the subsidiary competition. Their section contained only local clubs Burnley

Burnley F.C.

Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...

, Preston North End

Preston North End F.C.

and Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

. The winners of the four sections qualified for the semi-finals of the Lancashire Senior Cup, in which Blackpool lost to Liverpool by a single goal at Bloomfield Road.

When football-proper was resumed, in 1919–20

Blackpool F.C. season 1919-20

The 1919-20 season was Blackpool F.C.s nineteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourth....

, Blackpool had by that point joined the increasing number of clubs to appoint a full-time manager, in the form of Bill Norman

Bill Norman (football manager)

William "Bill" Norman was an English football manager.Between 1918 and 1923, he was in charge of Blackpool, who became one of a growing number of clubs to appoint a full-time manager. Before that point, the team selection had been the responsibility of a committee comprising directors, the captain,...

. Norman had taken over the role twelve months earlier after leaving Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town F.C.

Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

. A fitness fanatic, Norman organised strict training routines in an attempt to make his footballers achieve the highest possible level of fitness. It seemed to do the trick, as Blackpool finished fourth in Division Two, their highest finish yet, and won the Central League Championship; however, their progress in the FA Cup ended in the second round.

In March 1920, Joe Lane was sold to Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

for a then-record fee of £3,600. His departure, not for the first time, caused an uproar in the town, with many fans questioning the board's ambition. At the end of the season, however, the club announced a profit of £2,383, a marked difference from the £1,337 loss the previous year. It was not all good news: a fire in the West Stand all but destroyed the structure, and a large outlay was needed for its reconstruction.

The club's improvement continued into the 1920–21

Blackpool F.C. season 1920-21

The 1920-21 season was Blackpool F.C.s twentieth season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourth....

season, with another promotion push; however, a poor run-in cost them. Their fourth-placed finish was viewed as a huge disappointment by the fans, particularly because the team had spent the majority of the campaign atop the table. They exited the FA Cup in the second round again, this time at the hands of non-League Southend United

Southend United F.C.

Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

. On the goalscoring front, only one player broke into double figures: Heathcote, with 18.

On 27 December 1920, in a League encounter at Barnsley

Barnsley F.C.

Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

, young full-back Horace Fairhurst

Horace Fairhurst

Horace Fairhurst was an English professional football player. He played as a defender.After playing for Darwen for a number of years, Fairhurst joined fellow Lancashire club Blackpool in May 1919 after previously playing for them during the 1916-17 and 1917-18 World War I wartime...

received a blow to the head. He died at home eleven days later as a result of the injury.

The 1921–22

Blackpool F.C. season 1921-22

The 1921-22 season was Blackpool F.C.s 21st season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing nineteenth....

season saw Blackpool flirt with relegation to the new Division Three North

Football League Third Division North

The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...

. They went into the final two games, both against West Ham

West Ham United F.C.

, knowing that they had to take six points out of six to make safety. The Londoners were on the coattails of promotion, but Blackpool won both fixtures — 2–0 at Upton Park

Upton Park F.C.

Upton Park Football Club were an amateur football club from Upton Park, London in the late 19th and early 20th century, now defunct. As well as being one of the fifteen teams that played in the inaugural FA Cup, they also represented Great Britain at the 1900 Summer Olympics football tournament,...

and 3–1 at Bloomfield Road seven days later — escaping the drop by a single point, at the expense of Bradford City and Bristol City

Bristol City F.C.

Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

.

Blackpool struggled despite the fact that they had acquired the signature of goalscoring machine Harry Bedford

Harry Bedford

Henry "Harry" Bedford was an English professional football player. He scored 326 league goals in 485 games.-Club career:...

from Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. Bedford would go on to emulate Joe Lane by scoring the majority of the team’s goals over the following seasons.

Also joining the club was Bert Baverstock

Bert Baverstock

Herbert "Bert" Baverstock was an English footballer. He spent sixteen years with Bolton Wanderers in the first part of the 20th century, making over 350 Football League appearances for the club.-References:...

from Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

, who was installed as captain, although an injury early on in his Blackpool career limited his appearances.

Again, without a cup run to swell their finances, the club announced another loss, this time totalling £2,994, for the 1921–22 season. Nonetheless, the Bloomfield Road ground continued to be improved, with extra concrete added to the Spion Kop – now the South Stand – increasing the overall capacity to 18,000.

As the 1922–23

Blackpool F.C. season 1922-23

The 1922-23 season was Blackpool F.C.s 22nd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fifth....

campaign drew to a close, the club found themselves in the running for promotion; however, three defeats in their final six games meant only a fifth-placed finish was achieved, largely as a result of Harry Bedford's 32 goals. After the final curtain came down, Bill Norman and his assistant, son-in-law Allan Ure, both moved to Leeds United. Ure returned to Bloomfield Road as trainer in 1928.

Norman’s ability to strengthen the team had been handicapped by a lack of funds, with the only real exception being the purchase of Harry White

Henry White (footballer)

Henry Albert "Bert" White was an English footballer.-Playing career:White was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, and first played for Brentford as an amateur, before World War I intervened...

from Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

for £1,225. White's fee increased Blackpool's overall loss at the end of the season to £4,000, and measures were put in place to rectify it.
For the 1923–24

Blackpool F.C. season 1923-24

The 1923-24 season was Blackpool F.C.s 23rd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourth....

season, Major Frank Buckley

Frank Buckley (footballer)

Franklin Charles Buckley was an English football player and, later, manager. He is the brother of Chris Buckley who played for Aston Villa.-Early life:...

, previously manager at Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...

, was installed as Norman's successor. Blackpool failed to win any of their first seven games; however, they eventually began to play as a unit and, with the help of another 32 goals by Bedford, attained a fourth-placed finish.

It was at this time that Blackpool adopted their famous tangerine

Tangerine (color)

Tangerine is an orange color hue used to give the impression of the tangerine fruit. Just like there are a variety of shades of tangerine fruit, there are a variety of color mixes employed to give the impression...

shirts. Albert Hargreaves, who officiated a Holland

Netherlands national football team

The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...

–Belgium international match, was impressed by the Dutchmen's colours and suggested that Blackpool start the season wearing them. The colours were adopted and received with universal praise from the fans, although the black collars, cuffs and shorts made the kit seem "uneven". After an FA Cup

FA Cup

game at Blackburn

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

on 7 March 1925, the black was dropped when it was suggested that visitors had lost because the players could not see each other in the murky atmosphere.

For the 1924–25

Blackpool F.C. season 1924-25

The 1924-25 season was Blackpool F.C.s 24th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing seventeenth....

season there were more off-the-field problems, the majority of a financial nature. A writ

Writ

In common law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this body is generally a court...

was presented to the club for £3,618 from the builders of the redeveloped South Stand, of which the club had only managed to pay £1,000. After a drawn-out meeting, it was decided to double the share capital

Share capital

Share capital or issued capital or capital stock refers to the portion of a company's equity that has been obtained by trading stock to a shareholder for cash or an equivalent item of capital value...

, bringing it up to £10,000 in order to pay off the outstanding debt

Debt

A debt is an obligation owed by one party to a second party, the creditor; usually this refers to assets granted by the creditor to the debtor, but the term can also be used metaphorically to cover moral obligations and other interactions not based on economic value.A debt is created when a...

. In addition, the board underwent several changes, with new members being added in the hope of providing much-needed cash to help alleviate the dire situation. Sir Lindsay Parkinson resigned as president, to be replaced by Alderman John Bickerstaff. Also, the Blackpool Supporters' Club was formed, and in its early days boasted a membership of over three hundred.

On the field, the team, without new blood, struggled. They spent most of the season fighting relegation, although Harry Bedford

Harry Bedford

Henry "Harry" Bedford was an English professional football player. He scored 326 league goals in 485 games.-Club career:...

top-scored for the fourth consecutive season, with 28 goals in all competitions. Only the consistent Matt Barrass also reached double figures. The club made it into the fourth round of the FA Cup

FA Cup

for the first time, in which they lost to Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

by a single goal in front of 60,000 fans.

On 9 May 1925, Blackpool won the inaugural end-of-season Victoria Hospital Cup, defeating Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

2–1 at Bloomfield Road.

Two of Blackpool's top players left the club during the 1925–26

Blackpool F.C. season 1925-26

The 1925-26 season was Blackpool F.C.s 25th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing sixth....

season, both for much-welcomed large fees. Herbert Jones

Herbert Jones (footballer)

Herbert "Taffy" Jones was an English professional footballer. He played as a defender.-Early life:Jones trained as a plumber before World War I. He lied to enlist, signing up illegally aged 15. During the war, he was stationed in France. He took part in the famous events of Christmas 1915...

went to Blackburn for ₤3,850 and "goalscoring machine" Harry Bedford was sold to Derby County

Derby County F.C.

Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...

for ₤3,500.

Despite the loss in playing talent, Blackpool attained a League finish of sixth place. The board spent a large part of the transfer money on the new South Stand, although its final cost of ₤13,146 was slightly more than they had foreseen. Nevertheless, it had increased the capacity of Bloomfield Road to well over 20,000.

The 1926–27

Blackpool F.C. season 1926-27

The 1926-27 season was Blackpool F.C.s 26th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing ninth....

season saw Teddy Rosebroom and Stanley Streets move to Chesterfield

Chesterfield F.C.

and Clapton Orient

Leyton Orient F.C.

Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...

, respectively. In came forward Tommy Browell

Tommy Browell

Thomas "Tommy" Browell was an English footballer who played as a forward for Hull City, Everton, Manchester City and Blackpool. He is the seventh-highest Manchester City goalscorer of all time with 139 goals for the club.Browell was born in Walbottle, Northumberland, in 1892...

from Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...

for £1,100. Then at the veteran stage of his career, Browell had played in the previous season's FA Cup Final, and he expected to add experience to the Blackpool team; however, the club made little progress, finishing ninth. One success, though, was the form of centre-forward Billy Tremelling

Billy Tremelling

William Reuben "Billy" Tremelling was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward at the beginning of his career, but was later played as a defender...

, who scored 31 goals in total. He later moved to centre-half to accommodate an even richer goalscoring talent in the shape of Jimmy Hampson

Jimmy Hampson

James "Jimmy" Hampson was an English professional footballer. He spent eleven seasons at Blackpool, where he remains record goalscorer with 252 goals in 373 games, and is still regarded as one of the best centre forwards to play for the club.-Club career:Born in Little Hulton, Lancashire, Hampson...

.

Hampson was signed from Nelson

Nelson F.C.

Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...

in October 1927 for ₤1,000, and he proved to be one of the club's most astute buys. In his first season

Blackpool F.C. season 1927-28

The 1927-28 season was Blackpool F.C.s 27th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing nineteenth....

he scored 31 goals in 32 League appearances, including four in a home win over Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. He went on to contribute immensely to the team over the next decade, and he could rightly stake his claim as one of the club's greatest talents.

Other new faces in the 1927–28 season included Johnny McIntyre from Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers F.C.

Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....

, Horace Williams from New Brighton

New Brighton Tower F.C.

New Brighton Tower F.C. was a short-lived English football club based in New Brighton, Merseyside. Established in 1896, the club spent three seasons in the Football League before folding in 1901. They played at the 80,000-capacity Tower Athletic Grounds....

, William Grant

William Grant (footballer)

William Middleton Grant was a Scottish professional footballer. He spent eight years at Blackpool in the early 1900s, making over 200 Football League appearances for the club...

from East Stirlingshire

East Stirlingshire F.C.

East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk. Founded in 1880, originally as Bainsford Britannia, the club changed to their current name a year later in 1881...

, Syd Brookes from Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United F.C.

Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

, and a twin signing for £4,500 of Jack Oxberry and Stan Ramsay from the North-East.

There was also a new manager. Sydney Beaumont

Sydney Beaumont

Sydney Beaumont was an English professional footballer and football manager. He played at both half-back and left-wing during his career....

, a former Preston North End

Preston North End F.C.

player, replaced Major Frank Buckley, who left for Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...

. Beaumont only lasted a season, however, in which Blackpool finished nineteenth, avoiding relegation by a single point. A milestone occurred on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...

1927, when Blackpool played their 1,000th Football League game, at Fulham

Fulham F.C.

Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

.

In a bid to cut costs, the club decided against appointing another full-time manager. Instead, they gave the title of "honorary manager" to director Harry Evans. Evans went on to hold the position for five years.

Despite another 40 goals from Jimmy Hampson in 1928–29

Blackpool F.C. season 1928-29

The 1928-29 season was Blackpool F.C.s 28th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing eighth....

, Blackpool could finish no higher than ninth. They were also embarrassed by Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth Argyle F.C.

Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...

in the FA Cup, losing 3–0 on the south coast. The side's inconsistency was exposed in October and November 1928 when they recorded successive League results of 1–4, 4–0, 2–8 and 7–0. Hampson scored five goals in the last game of the sequence, against Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

.

There were a few additions to the squad, with the tough-tackling Scot

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

Jimmy Hamilton joining from St. Mirren

St. Mirren F.C.

St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...

, and goalkeeper Billy Mercer

Billy Mercer (goalkeeper)

William Henry "Billy" Mercer was a professional football goalkeeper who played for Hull City, Huddersfield Town and Blackpool. He was born in Prescot.-References:*99 Years & Counting - Stats & Stories - Huddersfield Town History...

from Huddersfield Town. All in all, though, it had been another below-par campaign, and the pressure on the team to bring success to the town had become intense. It was said that the 1929–30

Blackpool F.C. season 1929-30

The 1929–30 season was Blackpool F.C.s 29th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing first, winning their only League championship to date....

season would be a make-or-break one.

League success

The team responded to the pressure. Under Harry Evans' guidance, Blackpool were crowned Division Two

Football League Second Division

champions, their only League title to date, and reached the top flight for the first time in their history. The team held their nerve in the important run-in, including a victory at fellow title-challengers Oldham Athletic

Oldham Athletic A.F.C.

Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...

in front of a crowd of over 45,000. Blackpool claimed the title on the final day of the season, 3 May, with a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...

. Runners-up Chelsea

Chelsea F.C.

Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

could have won the title themselves the same afternoon if they had won and Blackpool had lost, but the Londoners were defeated at Bury

Bury F.C.

by a single goal. Jimmy Hampson

Jimmy Hampson

's 45 League goals (the most in the country that season) was a Blackpool record for a single season, and still stands as such. In addition, the final points tally of 58 was equalled only once more before the three-for-a-win points system was introduced in 1981–82

1981-82 in English football

The 1981–82 season was the 102nd season of competitive football in England.It was also the first season that the Three points for a win system was introduced.- First Division :Three points for a win was introduced for the first time in England...

. For his part, Hampson wanted to avoid the spotlight and sneaked off to get the train home from Kirkham

Kirkham, Lancashire

Kirkham, or as it once was known, Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the smaller town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location...

to avoid the fans who had gathered to welcome the team at Blackpool North

Blackpool North railway station

Blackpool North railway station is the main railway station serving the seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire, England. It is the terminus of the main Blackpool branch line from Preston....

.

During the successful season, Hampson had scored his 100th goal for Blackpool in only his 97th game. Also, the team had played in front of the largest crowds since the club's formation, including over 24,000 for the visit of Oldham.

Very few additions were made to the squad during the season, with only Charles Broadhurst

Charles Broadhurst

Charles Broadhurst was an English professional footballer. A centre forward, he played for two Football League clubs during the 1920s and 1930s.-Career:...

and Percy Downes

Percy Downes

Percy Downes was an English professional footballer. He spent six years at Blackpool in the early 20th century, making over 150 Football League appearances for the club, and over 350 league appearances in total...

joining the Bloomfield Road

Bloomfield Road

staff. The players spent the subsequent summer months enjoying civic receptions and dinners held in their honour.

There were many changes made to the club prior to its first season of First Division

Football League First Division

football. With regards to the ground, a vast new terrace was erected on the north side of the ground, the Spion Kop, which at its peak could hold 12,000. It was not concrete

Concrete

Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...

d for quite some time, but it did increase the capacity to around 30,000.

The playing staff was strengthened by the arrivals of J. McLelland, Eric Longden, Jack O'Donnell and Jackie Carr, yet the 1930–31

Blackpool F.C. season 1930-31

The 1930-31 season was Blackpool F.C.s 30th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing twentieth...

season must go down as one of the most disastrous in the club's history. The players found themselves out of their depth, and proceeded to capitulate to virtually all opposition. In the first game of the season, Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

won 4–1 at Bloomfield Road in front of a crowd of nearly 29,000. The team won the following game four days later, 4–2 at Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

, but the remaining nine months of the season proved to be a defensive nightmare. Four goals were conceded on five occasions; five goals four times; six goals twice, seven on three occasions, and finally ten without reply against Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town F.C.

Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

, a result that remains a record victory for the Yorkshire

Yorkshire

men, as well as Blackpool's joint-record defeat. All told, the Blackpool back line leaked a First Division record of 125 goals and lost 21 games during a season in which they finished twentieth.

Despite their defensive frailties, the club escaped relegation, with Jimmy Hampson's 32 goals being enough to secure First Division football for at least one more season. Also, a "£10,000 goal" from Albert Watson occurred in the final match, a 2–2 draw at home to Manchester City. The equaliser by the half-back was said to be worth at least that amount as it secured the club's short-term future with the guarantee of large attendances for the next twelve months. Finances were still an immediate concern, however, with the club now possessing a bank overdraft

Overdraft

An overdraft occurs when money is withdrawn from a bank account and the available balance goes below zero. In this situation the account is said to be "overdrawn". If there is a prior agreement with the account provider for an overdraft, and the amount overdrawn is within the authorized overdraft...

of over ₤17,000.

The 1931–32

Blackpool F.C. season 1931-32

The 1931-32 season was Blackpool F.C.s 31st season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing twentieth....

season saw an improvement, in that only 102 goals were conceded, including another seven at Manchester City and five occurrences of a concession of five goals. Harry Evans had been busy during the close season, most notably signing Phil Watson

Phil Watson (footballer)

Philip Ross Watson was a Scottish professional footballer. He made one appearance for the Scotland national team. He played as a defender.-Hamilton Academical:...

from Hamilton Academical

Hamilton Academical F.C.

Hamilton Academical Football Club, often known as Hamilton Academical, or Accies, are a Scottish football club from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire. They were established in 1874 from the school football team at Hamilton Academy. They remain the only professional club in British football to have...

for ₤3,000. Watson replaced Billy Tremelling

Billy Tremelling

William Reuben "Billy" Tremelling was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward at the beginning of his career, but was later played as a defender...

, who had moved to Preston North End

Preston North End F.C.

. Walter Lax was brought in from Lincoln City

Lincoln City F.C.

, for whom he had scored 26 goals the previous season, plus Jack Everest from Rochdale, and a new goalkeeper, Alec Roxburgh.

Blackpool avoided the drop by yet again winning the final two games of the season, against Huddersfield and Sheffield United

Sheffield United F.C.

. Again, Hampson was top scorer, with 24 goals in total, and FA Cup interest ended again in the third round.

Season 1932–33

Blackpool F.C. season 1932-33

The 1932-33 season was Blackpool F.C.s 32nd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing bottom...

, however, saw the club's luck run out. Hampson's goals had dried up by his own standards, with only eighteen to his name in the League, and Blackpool finished bottom of the table. After only three seasons in the top flight, they were relegated back to Division Two

Football League Second Division

.

Eric Longden returned to Hull City

Hull City A.F.C.

Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

for a "nominal" fee, but tricky outside-right Alec Reid signed from Preston. Changes were afoot in the boardroom too, with no less than six long-standing directors resigning. This came after a requisition

Requisition

A requisition is a request for something, especially a formal written request on a pre-printed form.An online requisition is an electronic document, which can be originated by the requester and then using the company workflow or hierarchy rules, can be submitted to the subsequent levels, until it...

was served on the board less than 48 hours after the club's relegation. The directors had no alternative but accept this as a vote "no confidence" in their management of the club's affairs. Two months later, only Sam Butterworth and Harry Evans remained with the club. Butterworth eventually became Life President, while Evans became chairman.

There were calls for the board to appoint a full-time manager again, and the request was answered with the appointment of Alex "Sandy" MacFarlane, a former Scotland international

Scotland national football team

The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...

with fourteen years of managerial experience behind him. MacFarlane was a strict disciplinarian, a perfectionist who demonstrated his ruthlessness at the end of his first season

Blackpool F.C. season 1933-34

The 1933-34 season was Blackpool F.C.s 33rd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing eleventh....

by having a mass clear-out. Departing were Frank McDonough, Bobby Crawford, Bertie Thomson, Charlie Rattray, Walter Bussey, Albert Butterworth, Sammy Armes and Sidney Tufnell, all regulars during their years with the club.

The exodus was likely prompted by the side's inability to adjust to Second Division football, as they could finish only in mid-table, plus the almost-obligatory third-round FA Cup exit.

Also at the end of the 1933-34 campaign, Blackpool won the Victoria Hospital Cup after beating holders Everton 2–0.

On 3 July 1934, Blackpool's long-serving secretary Tom Barcroft received an illuminated manuscript

Illuminated manuscript

An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...

in recognition of his 31 years of service to the club. He had been secretary for most of that period.

The following season

Blackpool F.C. season 1934-35

The 1934-35 season was Blackpool F.C.s 34th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourth....

, with the signing of Dickie Watmough

Dickie Watmough

Richard "Dickie" Watmough was an English professional footballer and cricketer. He played as a midfielder in the former sport.-Football:...

from Bradford City

Bradford City A.F.C.

Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....

for ₤3,000 and John Middleton from Darlington

Darlington F.C.

Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...

, a push for promotion was made. Blackpool missed out by only three points, finishing fourth, a marked improvement on the previous campaign. Only their failure to win any of their final three games denied them. Jimmy Hampson seemed back to his former self, once again topping the scoring chart, with twenty goals.

Hampson was joined in the forward line by a newcomer who had signed from Glentoran

Glentoran F.C.

Glentoran F.C. is a semi-professional, football club in Northern Ireland. The club was founded in 1882 and plays its home games at the Oval in east Belfast. Club colours are green, red, and black.Glentoran's biggest rivals are Linfield...

a year earlier for ₤1,000. His name was Peter Doherty

Peter Doherty (footballer)

Peter Dermot Doherty was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager who played for Manchester City.An inside left, he was one of the top players of his time, winning a league title with Manchester City, an F.A. Cup final with Derby County in which he scored, and gained 16 caps for...

, a player who went on to become one of his country

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

's greatest-ever footballers. The planned regular link-up of Hampson, Doherty and Bobby Finan

Bobby Finan

Robert Joseph "Bobby" Finan was a Scottish professional football player. He played as a forward.-Club career:...

, who had joined the club from non-League football, did not become a realisation due to injuries to one or the other.

For the beginning of the 1935–36

Blackpool F.C. season 1935-36

The 1935-36 season was Blackpool F.C.s 35th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing tenth....

season, the Blackpool board appointed former Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

manager Joe Smith to the Bloomfield Road hot seat, a seat he would occupy for the next 23 years.

Smith was a relaxed man who thoroughly enjoyed his football, and this showed in the teams that he produced at Bloomfield Road over the years. One of his first signings was Fred Chandler, from his old club, but for the most part he kept together the team he inherited from his predecessor Sandy MacFarlane, who, after leaving Blackpool, retired from the game at the age of 57.

On 11 January 1936, Blackpool hosted Margate

Margate F.C.

Margate Football Club is an English football team based in the seaside resort of Margate, Kent, currently playing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. The club was known for a number of years during the 1980s as Thanet United....

in the FA Cup in what is believed to be the first game captured on film at Bloomfield Road. The tie, which Blackpool won 3–1, was filmed by the Tower Company and was later shown at the Winter Gardens and Grand Theatre.

Blackpool finished tenth in Smith's first season, and Bobby Finan racked-up 34 League goals and two FA Cup

FA Cup

strikes.

A year later

Blackpool F.C. season 1936-37

The 1936-37 season was Blackpool F.C.s 36th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing second...

, the club finished runners-up to Leicester City

Leicester City F.C.

Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

and were promoted back to the top division. This was achieved with a minimal outlay on new players, with only Alex Munro

Alex Munro

Alexander Dewar "Alex" Munro was a Scottish professional football player.-Club career:...

costing a substantial fee. The Scot was signed from Hearts

Heart of Midlothian F.C.

Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...

for ₤3,500. Other signings included Danny Blair

Danny Blair

Daniel "Danny" Blair was a Scottish football player who began his career in North America before finishing it in England. He also earned nine caps with the Scottish national team....

from Aston Villa

Aston Villa F.C.

, Frank Hill

Frank Hill

Frank Robert Hill was a Scottish football player and manager.-Forfar and Aberdeen:Hill was born in Forfar and started his career at Forfar Athletic, joining the club in 1924. He moved to Aberdeen in 1928 and played over 100 Scottish First Division matches...

from Arsenal

Arsenal F.C.

and Willie Cook from Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

.

The twin strike-force of Hampson and Finan resulted in 44 goals, and with two other forwards – Dickie Watmough and Sammy Jones

Sammy Jones (footballer)

Samuel "Sammy" Jones was an Irish professional footballer. He played as a defender.-Domestic career:Born in Lurgan, Ireland, Jones began his professional career with Distillery in his native land. In 1933, he joined Sandy MacFarlane's Blackpool, making his debut on 21 October 1933, in a goalless...

– also netting in the double-figures, Blackpool seemed a safe bet in Division One. However, finances were once again causing problems, and the Irish star Peter Doherty had to be sold. He went to Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

for the enormous fee of ₤10,000.

The 1937–38

Blackpool F.C. season 1937-38

The 1937-38 season was Blackpool F.C.s 37th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing twelfth....

season was overshadowed by the death of Jimmy Hampson. The forward was on a fishing

Fishing

Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....

expedition off the Fleetwood

Fleetwood

Fleetwood is a town within the Wyre district of Lancashire, England, lying at the northwest corner of the Fylde. It had a population of 26,840 people at the 2001 Census. It forms part of the Greater Blackpool conurbation. The town was the first planned community of the Victorian era...

coast on 10 January 1938, when his boat collided with a trawler and sank. Hampson drowned, but his body was never recovered. His 252 goals in all competitions remains a Blackpool club record.

On the field, Blackpool settled well into the First Division and finished in twelfth place. Among the players who were emerging in the team were George Farrow

George Farrow

George Henry Farrow was an English professional footballer. He played for six clubs in a seventeen-year professional career....

, a right-back signed from Bournemouth

A.F.C. Bournemouth

A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....

, and Jock Wallace

Jock Wallace, Sr.

John Martin "Jock" Wallace was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper. His son, Jock Wallace, Jr., managed Rangers, Leicester City and Sevilla....

, who was challenging Alex Roxburgh hard for the goalkeeper's jersey. New signings Frank O'Donnell

Frank O'Donnell

Francis Joseph "Frank" O'Donnell was a Scottish professional footballer. He was the older brother of fellow footballer Hugh O'Donnell. The siblings stayed together for the first sixteen years of their careers, both playing concurrently for Celtic, Preston North End and Blackpool...

and Willie Buchan

Willie Buchan

William Ralston Murray "Willie" Buchan was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played for Celtic, Blackpool, Hull City, Gateshead, Coleraine and East Stirlingshire....

, both from Celtic

Celtic F.C.

Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...

, each cost £10,000, but there were less expensive imports too, such as Eric Sibley

Eric Sibley

Eric Seymour Sibley was a professional footballer who played as a defender for Bournemouth, Blackpool, Grimsby Town and Chester.-Blackpool:...

and Malcolm Butler.
For the 1938–39

Blackpool F.C. season 1938-39

The 1938-39 season was Blackpool F.C.s 38th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing fifteenth....

season, Blackpool spent over ₤60,000 on new players, a huge amount for the era. In came George Eastham

George Eastham, Sr.

George Richard Eastham was an English footballer and manager. As an inside forward, he represented England once at international level and played for Bolton, Brentford, Blackpool, Swansea, Rochdale and Lincoln City. He is the father of George Edward Eastham and the brother of Harry...

from Bolton for ₤5,000, Tommy Lewis from Bradford City, Jock Dodds

Jock Dodds

Ephraim "Jock" Dodds was a Scottish professional football player. He played in the 1936 FA Cup Final, and, at the time of his death, he was the oldest surviving player to have played in a final at Wembley Stadium....

from Sheffield United for ₤10,500, and Hugh O'Donnell

Hugh O'Donnell (footballer)

Hugh O'Donnell was a Scottish professional footballer. He was the younger brother of fellow footballer Frank O'Donnell...

, brother of the departing Frank

Frank O'Donnell

, for a further £2,500, plus many others such as Dai Astley

Dai Astley

David John "Dai" Astley was a Welsh international footballer who played as an inside forward in The Football League in the 1920s and 1930s.-Club career:...

, Malcolm McLaren, Dick Burke and William Park.

Frank O'Donnell's destination was Aston Villa, for ₤10,500. Also departing was Dickie Watmough, to Preston North End.

After five seasons of wearing dark- and light-blue-striped shirts, the team changed their home colours for the final time, back to tangerine.

At the outbreak of World War II

World War II

, in September 1939, Blackpool sat atop the First Division after winning their opening three games. The team's good form continued through the non-competitive wartime period with the help of many guest players. In 1939–40

Blackpool F.C. season 1939-40

The 1939-40 season was Blackpool F.C.s first season in special wartime football during World War II. Upon the abandonment of League football in September 1939 , they competed in the North-West Regional League, finishing third.Jock Dodds was the club's top scorer for the second consecutive...

, the first season of the wartime regional league, Blackpool finished third and reached the quarter-finals of the War Cup

Football League War Cup

The Football League War Cup was an association football tournament held between 1939 and 1945 which aimed to fill the gaping hole left in English Football by the cancellation of the FA Cup.- Background:...

, assisted by the scoring feats of Jock Dodds. He netted thirty goals in eighteen league appearances, including seven in an 11–2 defeat of Oldham. Over the wartime seasons, Dodds scored over 200 goals. In 1941–42

Blackpool F.C. season 1941-42

The 1941-42 season was Blackpool F.C.s third season in special wartime football during World War II. They competed in League North, finishing first. Blackpool also won the Lancashire Cup, beating Blackburn Rovers 7-1 in the final....

alone, he scored 66 times. The team, meanwhile, won the Northern Section's first competition on three occasions, lifted the Lancashire Cup

Lancashire Senior Cup

The Lancashire County Football Association Cup , is a football knockout tournament involving teams from Lancashire, England and surrounding areas. It is a County Cup competition of the Lancashire County Football Association and involves Premier League clubs and Football League clubs...

once, and reached the War Cup final twice, winning it in 1943 by beating Arsenal, winners of the southern section, 4–2 at Stamford Bridge

Stamford Bridge (stadium)

Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...

.

Blackpool's guest players, who, as in World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, found themselves stationed in the town, including Ronnie Dix

Ronnie Dix

Ronald William "Ronnie" Dix was a professional footballer, who holds the record for being the youngest goalscorer in Football League history, when he scored for Bristol Rovers aged 15 years 180 days in 1928....

(Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

) and Alex Stevenson

Alex Stevenson

Alexander Ernest Stevenson was an Irish footballer who played for Rangers and Everton, amongst other teams. As an international, Stevenson also played for both Ireland teams - the FAI XI and the IFA XI...

(Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

). There was also an outside-right who was a regular England

England national football team

international and played club football for Stoke City

Stoke City F.C.

Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

. His name was Stanley Matthews

Stanley Matthews

Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...

, and he made regular appearances for Blackpool during the war years, teaming up with a promising youngster by the name of Stan Mortensen

Stan Mortensen

Stanley Harding "Stan" Mortensen was an English professional footballer, most famous for his part in the 1953 FA Cup Final , in which he became the only player ever to score a hat-trick in a Wembley FA Cup Final...

.

For Blackpool as a club, one positive aspect of the war was the wiping-out of their bank overdraft, which stood at ₤33,704. With the armed forces requiring Bloomfield Road for various reasons, the rent paid by the War Office

War Office

The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...

helped the club to become solvent

Solvency

Solvency, in finance or business, is the degree to which the current assets of an individual or entity exceed the current liabilities of that individual or entity. Solvency can also be described as the ability of a corporation to meet its long-term fixed expenses and to accomplish long-term...

once again.

When peace returned to Europe, Blackpool found themselves in a stronger position than before the intervention of war, even with the sales of Jock Dodds to Shamrock Rovers

Shamrock Rovers F.C.

Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...

and Hugh O'Donnell to Rochdale. Manager Joe Smith gathered around him some of the most talented footballers in the country, and with the help of Stan Mortensen's 28 goals, the team finished the 1946–47

Blackpool F.C. season 1946-47

The 1946-47 season was Blackpool F.C.s 40th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing fifth....

season in fifth position, by far the highest final position that they had achieved up to that point.

Matthews and Mortensen: the post-war years

After the war, attendances at grounds across the country were booming, and Blackpool's attractive football appealed to local fans as they flocked to Bloomfield Road in their thousands. The visit of Blackburn Rovers

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

on 26 December 1946, was the ground's first all-ticket affair.

During the summer of 1947, Joe Smith persuaded Stoke City

Stoke City F.C.

to release Stanley Matthews

Stanley Matthews

for £11,500. The winger had fallen in love with Blackpool town and club and was eager to don the tangerine shirt again.

Other new names for 1947–48

Blackpool F.C. season 1947-48

The 1947-48 season was Blackpool F.C.s 41st season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing ninth...

included Joe Robinson

Joe Robinson (footballer)

Joseph "Joe" Robinson was an English football goalkeeper. He played for Blackpool in their appearance in the 1948 FA Cup Final against Manchester United.-Hartlepools United:...

, Albert Hobson

Albert Hobson

Albert Hobson is an English former footballer who played for Blackpool, Huddersfield Town and York City.-Career:...

and Walter Rickett, but the club sold Jimmy Blair to Bournemouth

A.F.C. Bournemouth

and long-serving goalkeeper Jock Wallace

Jock Wallace, Sr.

John Martin "Jock" Wallace was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper. His son, Jock Wallace, Jr., managed Rangers, Leicester City and Sevilla....

to Derby County

Derby County F.C.

for just £500.

In the League, Blackpool finished ninth, but they made their first-ever trip to Wembley Stadium for an FA Cup Final

FA Cup Final

against Manchester United

Manchester United F.C.

. In the final

1948 FA Cup Final

The 1948 FA Cup Final was contested by Manchester United and Blackpool at Wembley Stadium on 24 April 1948. United, who had not appeared in an FA Cup Final for 39 years, won 4–2, with two goals from Jack Rowley and one apiece from Stan Pearson and John Anderson. Eddie Shimwell and Stan Mortensen...

, a highly competitive game saw them finally lose 4–2 after leading 2–1 at half-time. Stan Mortensen

Stan Mortensen

's goal, Blackpool's second, meant that he had scored in every round, a feat rarely achieved. That evening, at 10 p.m., a "Celebration Evening" was held for the team at London's May Fair

The May Fair

The May Fair is a historic hotel with a modern design, set in the heart of Mayfair, London. It is located on Stratton Street, within close proximity of Piccadilly, Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Green Park and Buckingham Palace....

hotel.

The two teams met again at Bloomfield Road four days later in the League, with the hosts winning by a single goal.

In the final game of the season, Blackpool put seven goals past local rivals Preston North End

Preston North End F.C.

without reply, including five from Jimmy McIntosh

Jimmy McIntosh

James McLaughlin "Jimmy" McIntosh was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. As a player McIntosh was a fast, strong, stocky, forward.-Blackpool :...

. McIntosh was dropped from the team seven days before the Cup Final.

The 1948–49

Blackpool F.C. season 1948-49

The 1948-49 season was Blackpool F.C.s 42nd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing sixteenth....

season saw Blackpool attain a sixteenth-placed League finish, although injuries to both Mortensen and the supplying Matthews meant a lack of firepower up front. Many players left the club, such as Jimmy McIntosh, Murdoch McCormack, George Farrow

George Farrow

George Henry Farrow was an English professional footballer. He played for six clubs in a seventeen-year professional career....

and Tommy Lewis. Incomers included Rex Adams from amateurs Oxford City

Oxford City F.C.

Oxford City Football Club is an English football club, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division after gaining promotion via the Division One South & West playoffs...

, Willie Wardle

Billy Wardle

William "Billy" Wardle was an English professional footballer born in Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, who played as an outside left. He made 239 appearances in the Football League playing for Southport, Manchester City, Grimsby Town, Blackpool, Birmingham City and Barnsley.-References:...

from Grimsby Town

Grimsby Town F.C.

Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

, Ewan Fenton

Ewan Fenton

Alexander Ewan Fenton, more commonly known as Ewan Fenton was a Scottish professional footballer. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool, with whom he was victorious in the famous FA Cup Final of 1953.-Playing career:...

, Jackie Wright, and a giant of a goalkeeper from Hibernian

Hibernian F.C.

Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...

, George Farm

George Farm

George Neil Farm was a Scottish professional football goalkeeper and manager.Born in Slateford, a suburb of Edinburgh, Farm represented his country on ten occasions, the last three of which occurred after a gap of five years....

. Farm was only playing third-string football for the Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

club when Blackpool signed him, yet he went on to become a regular in Joe Smith's starting elevens, breaking several appearance records along the way.

Blackpool finished the 1949–50

Blackpool F.C. season 1949-50

The 1949-50 season was Blackpool F.C.s 43rd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing seventh....

season in seventh place. A quarter-final defeat at Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

ended the club's FA Cup interest for another season. Blackpool's reserve team, however, won the Central League championship, scoring 82 goals in the process. They were assisted significantly by Jackie Mudie

Jackie Mudie

John "Jackie" Knight Mudie was a Scottish international footballer who played as a forward. He won seventeen caps for his country, helping the Scots to qualify for the 1958 FIFA World Cup....

, who was just beginning to knock on the door of the first team. Other new members included the amateur Bill Slater

Bill Slater

William John "Bill" Slater , OBE is an English former professional footballer....

and Bill Perry

Bill Perry (footballer)

William "Bill" Perry was a South African-born English professional footballer. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool during the 1950s and 1960s.-Club career:...

. Out went goalkeeper Joe Robinson, who was unable to win back the number-one jersey from Farm, as well as Alex Munro

Alex Munro

Alexander Dewar "Alex" Munro was a Scottish professional football player.-Club career:...

, who retired, and Ron Suart

Ron Suart

Ronald Suart is an English former football player and manager.-Playing days:Suart was a full-back at Blackpool, playing alongside fellow defenders George Farrow and Harry Johnston in a team which also included Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. Blackpool reached the 1948 FA Cup Final, but Suart...

, who joined Blackburn.

Blackpool's success was reflected in the crowds they were drawing, both at home and at grounds all across England. Over 70,000 attended Everton

Everton F.C.

Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

's hosting of Blackpool at Goodison Park

Goodison Park

Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...

on 7 April 1950, although they were ultimately disappointed to discover that, as was the case in the corresponding fixture a year earlier, Stanley Matthews was injured and would not be playing.

At home, over 12,000 turned up to watch Blackpool's reserves beat Burnley

Burnley F.C.

. Financially, the club had never been in a better position.

At this time, the club's players were paid the maximum wage

Maximum wage

A maximum wage, also often called a wage ceiling, is a legal limit on how much income an individual can earn. This is a related economic concept that is complementary to the minimum wage used currently by some states to enforce minimum earnings...

of ₤12, which included a win bonus. Wages were to be picked up from the club office on Friday lunchtimes. The money, which was for the previous week's game, was in cash form. It was given in a small brown envelope, and each player had to sign a chitty to declare that he had received his payment.

Another Cup Final appearance in 1951

1951 FA Cup Final

The 1951 FA Cup Final was contested by Newcastle United and Blackpool at Wembley on 28 April 1951. Newcastle won 2–0, with both goals scored by Jackie Milburn....

, this time against Newcastle United

Newcastle United F.C.

, almost overshadowed the fact that the team had enjoyed their most successful League season to date by finishing in third position (see Blackpool F.C. season 1950–51

Blackpool F.C. season 1950-51

The 1950-51 season was Blackpool F.C.s 44th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing third....

). Newcastle lifted the cup with a 2–0 scoreline. Both goals came from Jackie Milburn

Jackie Milburn

John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...

.

There had been few additions to the Blackpool squad, with the exception of Allan Brown, who signed from East Fife

East Fife F.C.

East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...

for £26,500, then a record transfer fee paid to a Scottish club. Brown missed the Cup Final, however, after seriously injuring himself at Huddersfield Town

Huddersfield Town F.C.

Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...

three weeks earlier. Offsetting the transfer fee, Ian McCall

Andy McCall (footballer born 1925)

Andrew "Andy" McCall is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a winger, making over 300 appearances in the Football League.-Early and personal life:...

was sold to West Brom

West Bromwich Albion F.C.

for £10,500.

Blackpool's finishing League position was assisted by a combined 47 goals from Mortensen and Mudie, with Matthews' trickery on the wing rounding out the "M" forward line.

In May 1951, Blackpool played in a mini-series of challenge matches as part of the Festival of Britain

Festival of Britain

The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...

. On 14 May, they hosted Rennes at Bloomfield Road and ran out 3–0 victors.

The 1951–52

Blackpool F.C. season 1951-52

The 1951-52 season was Blackpool F.C.s 45th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing ninth. Stan Mortensen was the club's top scorer for the eighth consecutive season, with 26 goals in all competitions.-Table:...

season was, by comparison, unsuccessful for Blackpool. They finished ninth in Division One, and exited the FA Cup in an "embarrassing" defeat to West Ham

West Ham United F.C.

at the Boleyn Ground

Boleyn Ground

The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...

.

Ernie Taylor, who had impressed in the Cup Final, was signed from Newcastle United for £25,000, but Willie McIntosh and Bill Slater both left, to Stoke and Brentford, respectively.

Stan Mortensen scored 26 League goals, although Stanley Matthews could manage only nineteen appearances due to injury. The crowds still flocked to Bloomfield Road, however, with over 32,000 taking in a goalless draw with Arsenal during the Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

holiday.

Blackpool had a successful 1952–53

Blackpool F.C. season 1952-53

The 1952-53 season was Blackpool F.C.s 46th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing seventh....

League season, finishing seventh, with over 36,000 watching the opening home game against Preston North End. New names emerging in the team at this time included Dave Durie

Dave Durie

David George Durie is an English former professional football player. He played as a forward.Blackpool-born Durie began his professional career with his hometown club in 1952. He was signed as a deputy to Allan Brown, but eventually succeeded him. He made his Football League debut on March 3,...

, David Frith and the giant Roy Gratrix

Roy Gratrix

Roy Gratrix was an English professional footballer. He played as a defender.Gratrix began his professional career with Blackpool as a 20-year-old in September 1952, joining from Manchester side Taylor Bros...

. Leaving Bloomfield Road were Len Stephenson and Jackie Wright. The forward line of Taylor, Mortensen, Brown and Perry provided most of the goals, but Matthews was still experiencing niggling injuries, which meant played in only half of the first-team matches.

In the FA Cup, it was third time lucky for Blackpool as they finally won the nation's primary cup competition. After trailing 3–1 to Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

with twenty minutes to go at Wembley, Matthews inspired a turnaround in fortunes as Blackpool triumphed 4–3, thanks to a hat-trick by Mortensen, the only such feat to have occurred in an FA Cup final. Blackpool equalised with one minute to go, and then, courtesy of Bill Perry, scored the winner in stoppage time, lifting the club to the high point of their 66-year history. Allan Brown missed his second successive Cup Final, however, after breaking his leg in scoring the winner in Blackpool's sixth-round victory over Arsenal.

Blackpool met champions Arsenal in the annual FA Charity Shield

FA Community Shield

The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition...

in October 1953. The Gunners won 3–1.

The following season

Blackpool F.C. season 1953-54

The 1953-54 season was Blackpool F.C.s 47th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing sixth....

saw another push for the elusive League Championship, but an unfruitful Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

period, during which only five points were procured from a possible fifty, contributed to a final position of sixth. New players had been added in the form of Jim Kelly from Watford

Watford F.C.

Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

for around £15,000, and Northern Irish

Northern Ireland national football team

The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...

international Johnny McKenna

Johnny McKenna

Johnny McKenna was a professional footballer who played mainly for Huddersfield Town during the 1940s and 1950s. He also gained 7 caps for Northern Ireland.- External links :*...

from Huddersfield Town.

Leaving were John Crosland

John Crosland

John Ronald Crosland was an English professional football player. He played as a defender, and could switch from centre-half to full-back....

, who went to Bournemouth, George McKnight, bound for Chesterfield

Chesterfield F.C.

, and Jack Ainscough, who went into non-League football. In addition, Allan Brown was still recovering from his broken leg and also a cartilage injury, but Stan Mortensen continued to score goals.

In the FA Cup, after three third-round replays against Luton Town

Luton Town F.C.

Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...

, Cup holders Blackpool made it past West Ham in the fourth round, only to be knocked out in the fifth at Third-Division

Football League Third Division

The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

by a 2–0 scoreline.

A year later, Blackpool went out of the Cup at the third-round stage, the round in which they entered the competition, again by a 2–0 scoreline, at the hands of another third-tier team, this time York City

York City F.C.

York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...

and at home. The result was deemed "a disaster", and without the efforts of George Farm it could have been far more humiliating for the hosts.

The League offered little respite, with a fight against relegation on their hands. With only three games remaining, Blackpool's fate appeared sealed, but a 6–1 victory at Manchester City

Manchester City F.C.

, with Bill Perry scoring a hat-trick, went a long way to sparing them, and First Division football was ensured for another campaign.

The 1955–56

Blackpool F.C. season 1955-56

The 1955-56 season was Blackpool F.C.s 49th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing second, their highest finish in the English league system to date, despite losing their final four League games.Jackie Mudie was...

season was significant for many reasons; firstly, two of the club's greatest servants, captain Harry Johnston and Stan Mortensen, both departed to face new challenges. Johnston became manager of Reading

Reading F.C.

Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

, while Morty went to Hull City

Hull City A.F.C.

. Their places were filled by Roy Gratrix and Jackie Mudie, who switched to centre-forward, allowing Dave Durie to take over the inside-left position.

The highest-ever attendance of 38,098 at Bloomfield Road was recorded this season, when Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.

visited on 17 September 1955.

On 29 October 1955, in a 6–2 home defeat by Preston North End, George Farm became one of the few goalkeepers to score a goal. He injured a shoulder and replaced Jackie Mudie at centre-forward, where he proceeded to open the scoring with his head.

At the season's conclusion, Blackpool had attained their highest-ever League finish. They were runners-up to Manchester United, finishing eleven points behind the Red Devils and ahead of third-placed Wolves on goal average.

Gradually, the Cup-winning squad of 1953 was beginning to break up, but to Joe Smith's credit, they were replaced by new talent. A young defender, Jimmy Armfield

Jimmy Armfield

James Christopher "Jimmy" Armfield, CBE, DL is an English former professional football player and manager who currently works as a football pundit for BBC Radio Five Live. He played the whole of his Football League career at Blackpool, usually at right back...

, was demonstrating his credentials with Jim and Hugh Kelly

Hugh Kelly (footballer)

Hugh Thomas "Hughie" Kelly was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a defender and spent his entire 14-year professional career with Blackpool.-Club career:...

in the half-back line. Up front, Jackie Mudie had quickly taken over the scoring mantle from Stan Mortensen, and during the 1956–57

Blackpool F.C. season 1956-57

The 1956-57 season was Blackpool F.C.s 50th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing fourth....

season scored 32 goals, while Dave Durie netted twenty. Blackpool finished fourth in the table, despite scoring 93 goals.

Attendances were down significantly, with only four home games attracting over 30,000 people. This prompted the local newspaper to declare that the Blackpool public did not deserve First Division football, and unless a new, comfortable stadium was built, it could not see football being played in the town for much longer. Fans had to wait another forty years before any ground modernisation got underway.

Also in 1956–57, there were two major departures from Bloomfield Road: Allan Brown joined Luton Town for £10,000, and Jim Kelly quit League football at the end of the season. Also at the end of the season, on 24 May, Blackpool hosted FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona

Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

in a friendly.

Seventh place in 1957–58

Blackpool F.C. season 1957-58

The 1957-58 season was Blackpool F.C.s 51st season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing seventh....

was seen by fans as another piece of evidence that the team's best days were now behind them, and with no player able to achieve the twenty-goal mark, Blackpool's challenge was fading fast. On 19 October 1957, Blackpool played their 2,000th match in the Football League. It occurred against Manchester City at Bloomfield Road.

The future appeared less bleak, however, with the emergence of a new scorer in the shape of Ray Charnley

Ray Charnley

Raymond Ogden "Ray" Charnley was an English professional footballer. He was a centre forward and was one of the most prolific scorers for Blackpool, with whom he spent ten years, including all but one season in the top flight of English football.With 193 goals in 363 league games, Charnley is the...

at centre-forward, but there were signs that the maestro himself, Stanley Matthews, was inevitably bowing to the passing years. There were rumours that he would return to Stoke City, but at the end of the season he was still in tangerine.

On 19 April 1957, Blackpool became the first club to fly to a Football League match. Highbury was the venue for the Good Friday

Good Friday

Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

fixture against Arsenal.

Also at the end of the season, in April 1958, Joe Smith retired as Blackpool manager. His final game in charge was a 2–1 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

at White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane

White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....

on 26 April. He had transformed Blackpool into one of the great sides of the post-war era and only ill–health prevented him continuing.

One of the club's former players, Ron Suart, took over the reins for the 1958–59

Blackpool F.C. season 1958-59

The 1958-59 season was Blackpool F.C.s 52nd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing eighth....

campaign, and he had the unenviable task of continuing Smith's work. A quietly spoken, deep-thinking man,

In May and June 1958, Blackpool embarked on an a tour of Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

before taking on an All Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

XI and a combined Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

XI. A Ray Charnley hat-trick saw the Tangerines beat Hong Kong, and the Chinese were beaten 10–1 in the second game. Both fixtures were played at the Government Stadium in front of 28,000 fans.

Suart did not do badly in his first year in charge, guiding the team to eighth place. Ray Charnley scored twenty goals, with Jackie Mudie and Bill Perry also breaking double-figures.

Blackpool reached the sixth round of the FA Cup, going out to eventual finalists Luton Town, with former Blackpool man Allan Brown netting the only goal. Also, Ernie Taylor said farewell to the seaside by joining Manchester United in the wake of the Munich air disaster

Munich air disaster

The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off from a slush-covered runway at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany. On board the plane was the Manchester United football team, nicknamed the "Busby Babes",...

.

The following season

Blackpool F.C. season 1959-60

The 1959-60 season was Blackpool F.C.s 53rd season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing eleventh, mid-table....

saw many changes in playing personnel, with Ewan Fenton, Jackie Wright and George Farm all departing Bloomfield Road. In came junior Bruce Crawford, Arthur Kay from Barnsley

Barnsley F.C.

Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

, local schoolboy "Mandy" Hill

Steve Hill (footballer)

Stephen "Mandy" Hill was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward.Hill began his career with his hometown club, Blackpool, in May 1959. He made his debut for the Tangerines on 3 October 1959, in a 3–1 defeat to Manchester City at Bloomfield Road, as a deputy for the injured...

, and goalkeeper Tony Waiters

Tony Waiters

Anthony Keith "Tony" Waiters is a former England international football goalkeeper and Canadian national football team head coach...

from Macclesfield

Macclesfield Town F.C.

Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...

, who later played for England

England national football team

.

Ray Charnley kept on finding the back of the net, eighteen this season, and Stanley Matthews kept defying his age by turning out regularly, indeed now enjoying a new partnership with Charnley. The team as a whole, however, failed to make any impact on the Championship, and their eleventh place was to be the last time that Blackpool finished in the top half of the First Division.

At the end of the season, the club embarked on a tour of Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

and Rhodesia

Rhodesia

Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...

. They won seven of the eight games played. The tour began on 4 May, with a game against a Kumasi

Kumasi

Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...

XI, and finished with a fixture against Nyasaland

Nyasaland

Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....

on the 31st. The six games in between were against Nigeria

Nigeria national football team

The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...

, a Northern Nigeria

Northern Nigeria

Northern Nigeria is a geographical region of Nigeria. It is more arid and less densely populated than the south. The people are largely Muslim, and many are Hausa...

XI, Black Star Group (lost), Northern Rhodesia

Northern Rhodesia

Northern Rhodesia was a territory in south central Africa, formed in 1911. It became independent in 1964 as Zambia.It was initially administered under charter by the British South Africa Company and formed by it in 1911 by amalgamating North-Western Rhodesia and North-Eastern Rhodesia...

and two matches against Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia

Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...

.

Blackpool won only one of their first thirteen League games of the 1960–61

Blackpool F.C. season 1960-61

The 1960-61 season was Blackpool F.C.s 54th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing twentieth....

season. Relegation looked highly probable until they picked up six points in the last four matches, lifting the club into twentieth place and eventual safety, with Preston North End and Newcastle making the drop. After 440 games for the club, Stanley Matthews made his final appearance in a Blackpool shirt on 7 October 1961, in a 3–0 defeat at Arsenal, before returning to Stoke City.

There had been many changes, with Hugh Kelly, Brian Snowdon and Peter Smethurst, a South African import who did not make the grade, all leaving. No less than eight players made their debuts for the club this season, amongst them Glyn James

Glyn James

Edward Glyn James is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a defender. He spent his entire professional career with Blackpool.James also represented Wales on nine occasions.-Early life:...

, a future Wales

Wales national football team

The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...

international; Gordon West

Gordon West

Gordon West is an English former professional football goalkeeper.-Blackpool:He made his debut for Blackpool at the age of 17...

, who shared goalkeeping duties with Tony Waiters; Ray Parry

Ray Parry

Raymond Alan Parry was an English footballer.He was born in Derby and joined Bolton Wanderers in 1951 and made his senior debut against Wolves at Burnden Park after playing only 6 games in the reserves, becoming the youngest player ever to play in the first division at the age of 15 years and 267...

; and Leslie Lea

Leslie Lea

Leslie Lea is an English former professional footballer. He played as a midfielder.Lea began his professional career with Blackpool in 1960, making his debut in the opening game of the 1960–61 league campaign. He scored his first goal for the club in their fourth league game, a 3–1 defeat at...

.

Ron Suart's tenure as manager looked in some danger. The Blackpool fans had now turned on him, especially after a 6–2 defeat at Second Division Scunthorpe United

Scunthorpe United F.C.

Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....

in the FA Cup. A home attendance fell below 10,000 for the first time in over fifteen years, the visit of Leicester City

Leicester City F.C.

Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...

on 17 December 1960. Suart rode out the storm, however, and continued to rebuild the side as he saw fit.

Blackpool became one of the first clubs in Europe to sign a player from Asia. Cheung Chi Doy

Cheung Chi Doy

Cheung Chi Doy is a Chinese former professional footballer. He played for Blackpool and the Republic of China . During the era, Republic of China team was represented by players from Hong Kong....

joined from Hong Kong's South China AA, becoming the first Chinese player in the Football League. Chi Doy scored his first goal for the club against Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday F.C.

Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...

on 25 November 1961.

The new League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

competition provided little interest as Blackpool lost a replay to Leeds United at Bloomfield Road.

The final proof that the golden days had ended for Blackpool Football Club came during the 1961–62

Blackpool F.C. season 1961-62

The 1961-62 season was Blackpool F.C.s 55th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing thirteenth....

season, when Stanley Matthews returned to Stoke after fourteen years on the Lancashire coast. Despite the loss, Blackpool finished the season thirteenth. They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup, in which they were beaten by Norwich City

Norwich City F.C.

over two legs. The competition was still very much in its infancy, however; indeed there was no Wembley final to look forwards to.

Ray Charnley scored thirty goals, and Graham Oates made his debut, but overall it was a quite undramatic campaign.

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