Pool Panel - Huddersfied (a) Draw 1-1

Another game where we’ve dominated the first half but failed to capitalise and been pegged back.  Friday night was a great performance in the first half, where we dominated the game despite the loss of key personnel in Ferguson, Orr and Osbourne.  Despite plenty of probing, we didn’t really create that many chances, as we didn’t have that final ball when needed.

When the goal came, the incisive ball through was a header from Broadfoot, allowing Fuller to bear down on goal.  He coolly drew Smithies, went round him and then left Clarke floundering on the line as he passed it into the unguarded net.  A great finish.  Despite continuing dominance we then failed to extend the lead and could have been punished only for the linesman’s flag to rescue us.

In the second half we were unable to maintain our dominance and seemed to start defending deeper.  The Huddersfield substitutions also gave us more concern as they started finding space between defence and midfield.  That brought dividends through a fine finish and equaliser.  We were comfortably weathering the challenge though, until Huddersfield broke quickly and Scannell went down in the box for a penalty.  From my perspective at the other end it looked like minimal or no contact as Robinson and Martinez tracked his run, but the referee saw enough to send off the latter.  The second very harsh sending off against us recently.  The delay seemed to affect Vaughan who blazed his penalty against the bar. 

In the end, a decent point but I’d like to think that a little more ambition could see us winning these games.  We had seven forwards on the bench.   I’d like to see at least one of them start.

STARMAN: Ricardo Fuller

Pool Panel - Millwall (a) Loss 3-1 and Leicester (h) Draw 2-2

It’s been a week for the team to show some character and they came up trumps on Saturday.  Tuesday night at Millwall was all going to plan as we approached halftime, but a contentious penalty gave Millwall the belief they’d been lacking, and they forced home that advantage with two quick goals in the second half.

On Saturday, Leicester started brightly but we gradually asserted ourselves and took a deserved lead with a fine header from Basham, once again playing in another role for the good of the team.  We were good value for that lead at half time but the second half was a different game as Leicester came on strongly. 

Despite their pressure, I thought we were defending well enough until another penalty was given against us as Drinkwater went to ground easily under challenge from Robinson.  There was minimal contact, but the midfielder was given the opportunity to go to ground and took it. As at Millwall, we then immediately conceded again with a shot from distance from King.  Against one of the form teams in the League we could’ve then crumbled, but the resilience in the side came to the fore.  We pressed on, but didn’t really look like getting an equaliser until Schmeichel  rashly came for a throw in and conceded a penalty.  Ince smashed it straight down the middle and we got the point we deserved.

We now face a Friday night game, games in which we’ve had a poor record recently.  Time to turn that round and go back to the top of the table.

Finally, I thought the crowd showed some real class in their applause of the returning Gary Taylor-Fletcher.

STARMAN: Barry Ferguson (Millwall); Chris Basham (Leicester) 

Pool Panel - Bournemouth (a) - Won 2-1

Saturday saw us take on a side who had won their previous seven home games, but the fortnight’s break had given our injured players time to get back into contention, giving Paul Ince the luxury of a strong bench.

Bournemouth started brightly, with players making clever runs from deep, a tactic we struggled with but eventually came to terms with.  By contrast, our first meaningful foray forward forced a throw in level with the area.  From the long throw, Ricardo Fuller was on hand to head home and give us an early lead.  That didn’t last long, as we fell victim to the same tactic barely five minutes later.

The rest of the half was fairly even with both sides unable to achieve dominance, although we went closest to scoring as Ince hit the post following a breakaway.  The ref was being particularly fussy, with a number of cards that seemed harsh. 

The second half started brightly as we forced a corner, and Bishop got ahead of his marker to score at the near post putting us back in front.  The tone of the game then changed as Robinson received a second yellow for an innocuous coming together with their winger.  Blackpool reorganised with Bishop at left back and Fuller as a lone outlet, and kept Bournemouth playing in front of us without really threatening.

As the game went on, it was us looking most likely to score on the break, with Delfuenso missing a great chance, and Ince having a goal chalked offside.  We hung on and stay top.  No-one really expected this start, but long may it continue.

STARMAN: Gary Mackenzie

Sponsored Swim

Dave Bentley, one of our Yorkshire Seasiders, is swimming the length of Conniston Water on the 14th September trying to raise money for Macmillan Nurses.

Those of you that know Dave, will know that he isn't quite as young as he once was and that this will be a cracking achievement!

Show your support for Dave and a cracking clause by sponsoring him here: In the swim.

Pool Panel - Watford (h) Won 1-0

What an immense performance and victory Saturday was.  Despite fielding a patched up team with players out of position against one of the form teams in the Division, through sheer determination, a touch of luck and one fantastic piece of skill all three points were obtained.

Going in, we all knew that the squad was down to the bare bones, Basham and Bishop in defence showing just how stretched we were.  In the first half, Watford really took the game to us, and it needed heroic defending, a brilliant goalkeeping display and some wasteful shooting to keep the score level.

A real turning point was the penalty save as that gave the team renewed determination, and the sense that it couldn’t be as one-sided in the second half.

So it transpired, as we took control of the midfield and began to create our own chances.  Fuller was proving a real handful up front while Barry was displaying a masterclass of midfield dominance. 

Unexpectedly, Ince came on and instantly created a different problem for the Watford defence with his direct running at them.  The winning goal was a joy to watch, receiving the ball on the halfway line and running past three defenders before firing across the keeper into the net.  After that, the new, professional Blackpool side saw out the game in some comfort to secure the win and go top of the Division.

As I write, there are 24 hours to the end of the transfer window.  Ince needs backing now to build on this fantastic start.

STARMAN: Matt Gilks

Pool Panel - Reading (h) win 1-0

After a good start to the season, most fans were seeing the visit of Reading as the first real test of the current Blackpool squad.  With a number of injuries in key positions, that squad was stretched to the limit, so to come away with a win and go top of the table is a great result.  Apparently, this is our best ever start to a season.

The goal that won it also came from a local lad, Tom Barkhuizen, which makes the result all the sweeter.  It’s been a while since we’ve had someone come through from the youth set up and having a local boy in the team helps with that indefineable spirit that has stood us in such good stead over the years.

In recent times, while our defence has had decent individual players, as a unit, we’ve been prone to concede soft goals.  With the current side you have more confidence in them keeping a clean sheet, always a good base for any successful side.

With the squad down to the bare bones, and Matty Phillips going to QPR, it’s time for the manager to boost his squad.  Right from the end of last season it’s been clear we are lacking a specialist right back and a creative midfielder who can bring our forwards into the game.  As the transfer deadline approaches, Ince must be given the backing he needs.  The signings he has brought in all seem to have the quality we needed, and with a couple of additions we can be a real force over the season.

STAR MAN: Gary Mackenzie

Q & A with Yorkshire Seasiders

New Blackpool Blog "Measured Progress" - co-edited by one of our number Chris Walker - recently ran an interview with Phil Corbett about the Yorkshire Seasiders.  These are Phil's responses below...

Measured Progress: Can you perhaps start by giving the readers a brief overview of who Yorkshire Seasiders are and what it is you do?

Yorkshire Seasiders: We exist to give a chance for supporters of Blackpool in Yorkshire, whether exiles or natives, to get together on occasion to talk about football and also organise travel to both home and away games, to the mutual benefit of all.

MP: You’ve recently celebrated 10 years as a supporters group. Has it been difficult to get to this point and how has the group changed during that time?

YS: We originally started off with the realisation from seeing the occasional ‘Pool mini-kit and scarf in cars going to games that we were not alone in supporting Blackpool, and after a message on AVFTT posted by Wilf Brooks, we got together in a bar near Huddersfield. From that initial meeting, we’ve now grown to a loose-knit community of around 100, mainly connected through the internet and by email, but also with regular minibuses organised to away games, or car shares to the more far flung games.

There hasn’t really been a time when we thought it wasn’t going to keep going, probably helped by the success on-field through the decade, which has maintained interest and kept the numbers up. Ironically, the difficulty in getting tickets for the Premier League season made it more difficult to arrange transport, especially with the late switching of games for TV.

MP: Have there been any particular highlights or memorable moments for Yorkshire Seasiders during the past 10 years that stand out?

YS: The highlights in terms of numbers in attendance have obviously been the two trips to Wembley when we’ve taken two coaches on each occasion. I think the Cardiff game will live in all our memories as one of the outstanding moments.

Leaving that aside, our first ever organised minibus trip was to Peterborough in November 2003. That game also saw the unveiling of our flag which has been many games since, including overseas on England trips and Blackpool pre-season tours.

More recently, a highlight of our annual programme is the summer Ale Trail trip from Leeds in the direction of Huddersfield. We plan it around the time of the fixtures to give us an opportunity to plan the season ahead and get back into the football spirit.

MP: How many members do you currently have, and of those how many would you term as active? Have your numbers continued to grow during the group’s 10 years in existence, or did relegation from the Premier League have an adverse effect in this area?

YS: From an initial six at the opening meeting, we now have around 100 people in contact through the mailing list, of whom maybe 30 or so we see on a regular basis on the bus trips. The Premier League didn’t really give us a boost in membership, as the peak was probably when we were planning the Wembley trips, especially second time round, when we obtained tickets for 131 people as a block. We find that each autumn we get fresh members as the various universities in the area draw in new people from the Blackpool area. Obviously, some drop off as they graduate, but the overall number remains fairly constant.

MP: One service you provide for exiled Blackpool fans is away travel. How is this operated and how many matches do you expect to provide transport to this season?

#YS: We usually take a 17 seater minibus to most games which are not easily accessible via train, with the Midlands teams usually selling out. London games usually involve taking the train. We try and publicise the train times that the bulk of us are travelling on.

For the remainder of the games, the mailing service means that any spare places in cars are taken up, saving money for all concerned through sharing petrol costs. Buses are subsidised through the funds we raise from Yorkshire Seasiders merchandise, giving us very competitive rates, increasing the take-up. For instance, we try and restrict the price to around £10 per head.

MP: In the past, Yorkshire Seasiders received a regular mention in the matchday programme as part of sponsoring a player, but in recent seasons this no longer appears to be the case – what was the reasoning behind this decision?

YS: On promotion to the Premier League the costs for sponsoring a player became prohibitive and even when prices were reduced on relegation, we came to a decision at a meeting that the monies we raised would be better spent on making access to games a priority, hence the decision to offer reduced, subsidised prices for travel.

MP: In other links to the club, it was common for Yorkshire Seasiders to present their player of the season award at the end of season event. However, this past season no formal presentation appeared to be made. What reason did the club give for doing this?

YS: Because this season’s awards were made during the 60th Anniversary Gala Dinner, a decision was made by the club to condense the award aspect of the evening. We were still able to present Tom Ince with his award from us. We present the annual shield along with a permanent trophy for the recipient. My understanding is that the format will revert to its usual one next season, with due prominence of our award in the ceremony. We are the only exile supporters club who present such an award.

MP: What relationships do Yorkshire Seasiders have with other fans groups? Are they any formal links or has a decision been made to be as independent as possible with no political agenda?

YS: Although we have informal links with BSA, SISA and BASIL, we have consciously made a decision to not affiliate to any other organisation, as we prefer to make our own decisions and make our own standpoint. Because of the loose nature of the Yorkshire Seasiders we have also made a conscious decision not to take a political standpoint as the membership has no single viewpoint, with the full spectrum of views aired at our meetings.

MP: Finally, what do you think (or hope) Paul Ince and his squad can achieve this season?

YS: Ince has impressed me in the time he has been at the club, through the way he initially steadied a rapidly freefalling club and then took us to safety with relative comfort. I think he can make us competitive in the division with the proviso that he is given the support he needs to get in the players he needs. At time of writing [Editor: 14th July], the normal method of business is applied and we have only secured a couple of centre halves. We clearly have need for about five or six more players; who comes in will make or potentially break our season.