BLACKPOOL away memories

[DoDTS]

So have you been to Blackpool before any memories? To jog your memory these are the past fixtures:

1978-79 Blackpool 1-2 Southend Division Three
1979-80 Blackpool 1-0 Southend Division Three
1984-85 Blackpool 1-0 Southend Division Four
1987-88 Blackpool 1-1 Southend Division Three
1988-89 Blackpool 3-2 Southend Division Three
1997-98 Blackpool 3-0 Southend League Two
2000-01 Blackpool 2-2 Southend League Three
2005-06 Blackpool 1-2 Southend League One
2007-08 Blackpool 2-1 Southend League Cup Round 3

Nearly forgot it was at Blackpool but certainly wasn't in Southend although with 30,000 Shrimpers present you would have thought so:
2003-04 Blackpool 2-0 Southend LDV Final at Cardiff.

I was at Cardiff of course and my only other visit was in 2000-01. I had no intention of going to this and was revering from illness and My wife and I had booked a caravan a couple of hours car ride away. The week before Dave Webb was appointed as manager and Uncle Ron organised cheap coach travel (£5 a head from memory). DTS was in Sussex and we both wanted to go and here it was that Mrs DoDtS played a blinder. "Simple" she said " Go to the caravan Friday, come back Saturday, you both go to Blackpool Sunday, back to the Caravan Monday, home on Friday" what a star.

We took about 1,000 there and I remember going into a dubious looking boozer looking cautiously round as we entered only to hear a huge chant of "Dave Webbs Yellow Army"

 

[DoDTS]

Of course there was another Cup match at Blackpool before I and most on here were born :

Over 1,000 fans will travel by rail, road and air to Blackpool this week-end to support Southend United in their stiffest task in post-war football, when they meet Blackpool in the Third Round proper of the F.A. Cup on Saturday. United players came under club orders on Tuesday when they made the Palace Hotel their headquarters.

BLACKPOOL SEND “WARNING” COFFINS A Lorry from a firm in Blackpool pulled into Southend Gas Works on Wednesday laden with materials for the stores and three miniature coffins, warning Southend United Supporters of their teams fate in the F.A. Cup third round tie at Blackpool on Saturday. Inscriptions on the coffins of which several had been distributed during the journey were as follows: “Was it worth the bus and train fare? Southend United fell in the presence of duty! Send flowers and Good wishes”. About ten men from the Gas Works are travelling to Blackpool by Train and one is flying

F.A.Cup Round 3 Saturday 7th January 1950 Blackpool 4-0 Southend United.
The inevitable happened, Southend proved no match for First Division Blackpool and made their exit from the F.A. Cup in the third round proper. It was a great occasion and Blues will be the first to admit that they were beaten by a far superior side. United were hypnotised by the twinkling feet of Stanley Matthews who delighted the home crowd by taking the ball right up to the Blues defenders and then taking it away again. The goals came from Matthews’s brain and a firm half back line which took a firm grip of the game. For thirty minutes Southend made a fight of it and threw everything they had into the game and at this stage there was little between the sides, then Blackpool obtained their first goal shortly followed by their second and Blues were out of the game. Before the kick off the United supporters flag ,with the attendant rattles and horns was paraded round the ground in fine style, then Blackpool in celebration of Stan Matthews selecting the club colours for his racing stable paraded a donkey round the grounds decked in the distinctive tangerine and white colours. The ground was soaked by two days rain and was extremely heavy, but Blues kicked off with a rush and held their own until the 33rd minute. United were surprised by a long throw into the goalmouth which was driven into the net, straight from the kick off Wakefield burst threw but the ball was cleared to Matthews who brought the ball up the wing and crossed for Mortensen to fire through a crowd of players to score the second. There was no further score in the first half but the second resumed with Blackpool still in control and the third goal followed ten minutes after the interval, Matthews beautifully sending in a free kick which was headed home. The final goal was a penalty after Frank Walton, who had the unenviable task of marshalling Matthews, brought him down in the area. The attendance 24,532.Team: Hankey; Loughran and Walton; Wallbanks, Sheard and French; Jones, McAlinden, Wakefield, Morris and Clough.

Southend’s visit to Blackpool will long be remembered by Southend and Blackpool representatives. Members of the United party attended a civic luncheon given by the Mayor. The famous Blackpool trams were placed at the disposal of the visitors for tours of the town and playing at one of the theatres was Scott Sanders who had entertained United before the Wrexham game. The special train from Southend arrived late at its destination, but supporters were able to make the ground in comfortable time. The air contingent arrived just after 11 a.m. and included Mrs. Harry Warren and her daughter Sheila making their first air trip. The air travellers returned to Southend just after 6.30 p.m. while the special train arrived in Southend just after midnight. Enthusiasm ran high in Southend, for large crowds gathered outside the offices of the Southend Standard in Cliff Town road where a commentary of the game was posted up every fifteen minutes.

 

[Berrichonne shrimper]

I was about 30ish i suppose and ended up in an older ladys room and in the morning some fellow shrimpers saw me coming out of her room but did not see her but her 75 year old mother,ah good times good times.

 

[Shrimper2thecore]

Was there in 05/06 and was on the flight home with the players. Great day out.

"It was a penalty.....!"

 

[Firestorm]

Return of The Webb part 3, 2000,

It was my third date with the now Mrs FS , a day trip to Blackpool.

Oddly enough she still talks about it...

 

[AndyT]

Nearly forgot it was at Blackpool but certainly wasn't in Southend although with 30,000 Shrimpers present you would have thought so:
2003-04 Blackpool 2-0 Southend LDV Final at Cardiff.

Only time I've seen Southend against Blackpool away from Roots Hall.

Dreadful performance. Martin Bullock absolutely destroyed Che Wilson.

 

[Welly7]

88/89 midweek game and a day off school! Traveled on the supporters coach with my family and played football with the fans at the services (a regular occurrence back then.) I scored a goal and a few fans sang "are you Crowny in disguise..." which, to a 12 year old version of myself, was pretty special at the time!

 

[CyrilSneer]

Went to two of those. The horrible 3-0 defeat in 97 when Alvin played Andy Rammell centre back. Also the 00/01 game where we came back from 2 down to grab a point. Think Webb was in temporary charge for that one and it was on a Sunday for some reason.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

2000-01 Blackpool 2-2 Southend League Three

One of my all-time favourite games.

Football isn't about opinions, it's about dreams.

And a 2-2 dream at Blackpool had me dreaming more than pretty much any other match. All of a sudden the possibilities were endless again.

Gone was the tortuous Alan Little years (it felt like years) of playing dull, conservative football under a Northern manager who didn't trust the youngsters and in his place we had a Southend legend prepared to attack and to back the kids.

It only took him 45 minutes to end Gordon Connelly's Southend career but what got us back into the match was taking off a central defender on the hour to bring on a centre-forward from the youth system. And that sub went onto grab a last minute equaliser as we came back from two goals down.

Glorious, glorious stuff and at last we could begin to dream again.

 

[TrueBlue]

The return of Webby part 3 for me such hope even Trevor Fitzpatrick scored I think lol

 

[stickyboy]

did the 1989 one where we lost 3-2, think we were 3 down at Half Time. It was the days of the inflatables and remember having a big shark/whale flying over the terrace

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Great memories of our first LDV game at Cardiff against Blackpool.It was a wonderful weekend, apart from the performance and the result,obviously.:sad:

 

[Vinny the Shrimper]

Went to the 1-1 in 87/88. Remember standing on the away terrace in the pouring rain! Think David Crown scored for us.

 

[Gaz_BWFC]

Blackpool fans absolutely loathe us Bolton fans. It started in the 70's when a young Blackpool fan got stabbed on the terrace at Burnden Park and he unfortunately died. The culprit was never prosecuted and every time we play Blackpool, this incident always pops back up again on social media.

I actually like a boozy away day in Blackpool, even though the town is a **** hole and their stadium is pathetic.

 

[rigsby]

Blackpool fans absolutely loathe us Bolton fans. It started in the 70's when a young Blackpool fan got stabbed on the terrace at Burnden Park and he unfortunately died. The culprit was never prosecuted and every time we play Blackpool, this incident always pops back up again on social media.

I actually like a boozy away day in Blackpool, even though the town is a **** hole and their stadium is pathetic.

I believe Bolton is about to be declared a World Heritage site.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I believe Bolton is about to be declared a World Heritage site.

Fellas got a point,Blackpool makes Southend look like Vegas these days

 

[Gaz_BWFC]

I believe Bolton is about to be declared a World Heritage site.

Don't know, I live in a leafy village in Warrington, Cheshire. Bolton is a **** hole!

 

[rigsby]

Fellas got a point,Blackpool makes Southend look like Vegas these days

True. It does cater for Northerners who can't afford Spain so what do you expect.

Played football up there once, we stayed in a place that had electricity meters for the shower, which was down the hall. I had just about soaped up when the water cut out. Didn't have another 10p so I was banging on doors with towel round me and soap in my eyes.

The owner served breakfast complete with roll-up fag and egg stained singlet.

 

[rigsby]

Don't know, I live in a leafy village in Warrington, Cheshire. Bolton is a **** hole!

Your part of the Holdsworth consortium and I claim my £5

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I used to be mates with a Mark Bowley who played for Blackpool in the late 1970/80s; (he is now youth coach at Fleetwood) and we were out "on the town" in Blackpool with his mates (in the early 1980s, just a short time after he had retired from playing),the Dooleys, Wade was the most well known, played for England RFU and all 3 played for Preston Grasshoppers - egg chasing - AND they were BIG BIG lads, all over 6'6" and 16+ stone. I think we had a good night but my memory from 11pm on is blurred.
Happy days. I do remember doing some drinking and a bar/club where there were ladies without much clothing on.......................and there was also this gobby Scot git being a nuisance but he wasn't around for long. I think Blackpool was ok.