Blackpool F.C.

Blackpool Football Club is an English football club currently in Football League One. Their home ground is Bloomfield Road in the seaside resort of Blackpool in north-west England and they are known as "The Seasiders" or "The Tangerines", the latter stemming from their home colour.

The club's most famous achievement is winning the FA Cup in 1953 (in the so-called "Matthews Final"), when they beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3, overturning a 1-3 deficit in the closing stages of the game.

Although the main entrance to the ground (via the now demolished South stand) used to be on Bloomfield Road, since the re-development of the North and West stands, it is now from Seasiders Way.

The club's owners, the Oyston family, announced in December 2005 that they were considering three bids for the club.

Blackpool have been outside the top division since 1971, and are currently in League One (third tier of the English league).

In 1982-83, Blackpool endured the worst season in their history. They finished second from bottom in the Fourth Division and were only saved from relegation to the Alliance Premier League (now the Conference) because the re-election system voted in their favour. The club recovered two years later to win promotion to the Third Division, only to go down again in 1990.

Under the management of Billy Ayre, Blackpool reached the Fourth Division playoff final in 1991 but lost to Torquay on penalties, only to win the following year's final in the same manner against Scunthorpe.

Blackpool narrowly avoided relegation from Division Two in 1994. Ayre was sacked, to be replaced by his assistant, Sam Allardyce, who guided them to third place in 1996; however, he too was sacked after they lost to Bradford in the playoffs.

Nigel Worthington was appointed manager for the 1997-98 season, replacing Stockport-bound Gary Megson, but was relieved of his position two years later with Blackpool heading for relegation to Division Three. His successor, Steve McMahon, was unable to save the Seasiders from relegation, but brought them back at the first attempt via the playoffs. He was replaced by Colin Hendry three years later. Hendry lasted little over a year before being replaced by Simon Grayson.

Grayson had previously briefly teamed up with Mike Flynn for the final game of the 2003-04 season (after McMahon's departure). With assistance from experienced coaches Tony Parkes and Asa Hartford, Grayson was able to guide the team to 19th place and safety in his first managerial job. In early May 2006, it appeared that Valeri Belokon, a Latvian businessman with connections in both banking and beer, was poised to make a considerable investment in the club, possibly even taking over the chairmanship from Karl Oyston. On 19th May, it was announced that Belokon had agreed to invest £5 million into the club, which will be spread over several years.

And duly on 19th June 2006, Valeri Belekon invested into Blackpool FC, purely into the playing side of the club, of which he now has a newly issued share holding of 20% with the option to increase that stake at some point to 50%. Belokon becomes the new "President" of Blackpool FC. All the funds he has invested are apparently to be for the purchase of new players. The club may also bring over Latvian players as there is now also a link to Latvian football. Indeed, Blackpool are due to fly out to Latvia for a pre-season tour of Latvia from 17th to 21st June.

History

1889-90: Founder member of Lancashire League
1890-91: Lancashire League runners-up
1891-92: Lancashire League runners-up
1892-93: Lancashire League runners-up (lost on goal average)
1893-94: Lancashire League champions
1894-95: Lancashire League runners-up
1896: Elected to the Football League
1899: Not re-elected to the Football League
1899-00: Re-joined Lancashire League. South Shore amalgamated during the season
1900: Re-elected back into Football League
1929-30: Division Two champions; promoted to Division One.
1933: Relegated to Division Two
1936-37: Division Two runners-up; promoted to Division One

1939-40: League programme abandoned due to outbreak of World War II

1947-48: F.A. Cup runners-up
1950-51: F.A. Cup runners-up
1952-53: F.A. Cup winners
1955-56: Division One runners-up (on goal average)
1961-62: League Cup semi-finalists
1967: Relegated to Division Two
1967-68: Missed runners-up spot and promotion on goal average
1969-70: Division Two runners-up; promoted to Division One
1971: Relegated to Division Two; winner of the Anglo-Italian Cup
1978: Relegated to Division Three
1982-83: Two points deducted for fielding an ineligible player
1984-85: Division Four runners-up; promoted to Division Three
1990: Relegated to Division Four
1990-91: Division Four play-off runners-up (Blackpool 2-2 Torquay United, at Wembley; Torquay won 5-4 on penalties)
1991-92: Division Four play-off winners; promoted to Division Three (Blackpool 1-1 Scunthorpe United, at Wembley; Blackpool won 4-3 on penalties)
1992-93: Division Three re-designated Division Two upon formation of the F.A. Premier League
1995-96: Division Two play-off semi-finalists (Bradford City 0-2 Blackpool (first leg), Blackpool 0-3 Bradford City (second leg; 2-3 on aggregate)
2000: Relegated to Division Three
2000-01: Division Two play-off winners; promoted to Division One (Blackpool 4-2 Leyton Orient, Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)
2001-02: League Trophy Winners
2003-04: League Trophy Winners

Source:

Managers

There have been 27 different Blackpool managers:

Simon Grayson (November 11, 2005 to date)
Colin Hendry (June 7, 2004 to November 10, 2005)
Steve McMahon (January 7, 2000 to June 6, 2004)
Nigel Worthington (July 8, 1997 to December 23, 1999)
Gary Megson (July 5, 1996 to July 1, 1997)
Sam Allardyce (July 19, 1994 to May 29, 1996)
Billy Ayre (November 30, 1990 to June 10, 1994)
Graham Carr (June 11, 1990 to November 30, 1990)
Jimmy Mullen (May 20, 1989 to April 30, 1990)
Sam Ellis (June 1, 1982 to April 30, 1989)
Allan Brown (March 1, 1981 to May 31, 1982) (second time)
Alan Ball (July 7, 1980 to February 28, 1981)
Stan Ternent (September 19, 1979 to February 1, 1980)
Bob Stokoe (May 20, 1978 to August 17, 1979) (second time)
Jimmy Meadows (March 7, 1978 to May 20, 1978) (second time)
Allan Brown (May 5, 1976 to February 6, 1978)
Harry Potts (January 1, 1972 to May 5, 1976)
Bob Stokoe (December 20, 1970 to November 23, 1972)
Jimmy Meadows (October 26, 1970 to December 20, 1970)
Les Shannon (May 1, 1969 to October 26, 1970)
Stan Mortensen (February 1, 1967 to April 30, 1969)
Ron Suart (May 1, 1958 to February 1, 1967)
Joe Smith (August 1, 1935 to April 30, 1958) (Blackpool's longest-serving manager at 23 years)
Alex 'Sandy' MacFarlane (July 1, 1933 to July 31, 1935)
Harry Evans (August 1, 1928 to May 31, 1933)
Sydney Beaumont (August 1, 1927 to May 31, 1928)
Major Frank Buckley (July 1, 1923 to May 31, 1927)
Bill Norman (August 1, 1919 to May 31, 1923)
John Cox (August 1, 1909 to December 31, 1911)
Tom Barcroft (August 1, 1903 to May 31, 1909)

Current squad

* denotes player signed during close season

Source : SoccerBase

Non-playing staff

Chairman: Karl Oyston
Directors:
- Valeri Belokon
- Owen Oyston
- P. Smith
Manager: Simon Grayson
Physio: Phil Horner
Coaches: Mike Davies

Honours

FA Cup (1): 1952/53
Division Two champions (1): 1929/30
Play-off winners (2): 1991/92 (old Division Four), 2001/02 (Division Three)
Anglo-Italian Cup (1): 1970/1971
League Trophy (2): 2001/02, 2003/04
Lancashire Cup (6): 1935/36, 1936/37, 1953/54, 1993/94, 1994/95, 1995/96

Club records

Record home attendance: 38,098 (v. Wolves, Division One, September 17, 1955)
Record victory: 7-0 (v. Reading, Division Two, November 10, 1928)
Record defeat: 1-10 (v. Small Heath, Division One, March 2, 1901 and v. Huddersfield, Division One, December 13, 1930)
Record appearances: Jimmy Armfield (568, between 1952 and 1971)
Record goalscorer in one season: Jimmy Hampson (45, 1929/30)
Record goalscorer in total: Jimmy Hampson (246, between 1927 and 1938)
Most capped player: Jimmy Armfield (43 for England)
Record transfer fee paid: £275,000 (Chris Malkin, Millwall, 1996)
Record transfer fee received: £1.75m (Brett Ormerod, Southampton, 2001)