The most unfashionable team in history? A numpty of a manager? Average gates of only 8,500? All these things and more beside have been said and yet Blackpool Football Club defied all the odds and beat Cardiff City to make it to the top flight of the English Premiership.
I was privileged to witness the 3-2 scoreline at a scorching and packed Wembley Stadium yesterday afternoon. Blackpool sold out their 37,000 ticket allocation way before the match and the fans played a major part on the day. Half the stadium was awash with tangerine. The noise was deafening and it was the most exciting and pulsating atmosphere I have ever witnessed or been part of at a football match. If a match was won by the sheer will of support, then it happened yesterday. I don't think the result was ever in doubt certainly not amongst the supporters. Even when Cardiff went ahead twice, the noise from the seasiders just went higher willing the goals to come. And boy, did they come! Cardiff were undone, outplayed and outclassed. When the final whistle went, myself and most people around me hugged and burst into tears. We'd just witnessed a little history being made for the people, the town and the club. We'd all felt part of it and drank in its success. I will never forget a scorching day in North London and watching a little family club win through and begin rubbing shoulders with the big boys in the Premiership.
Congratulations to Ian Holloway, the Oyston family, the players and most importantly, the fans. I hope the neutrals will enjoy every minute of this season as much as everyone associated with the club.
The future's bright... the future's tangerine
Well, we did it. The impulsive twosome, Vic and I queued up this morning at Bloomfield Road and bought two tickets for next week's play off final at Wembley. There's a 37,000 ticket allocation for Blackpool fans so there's plenty to go round. We've got great seats in the lower tier behind the goal and will be joined by a few thousand mad Lancastrians. We also got carried away with the fan thing and bought a couple of tangerine coloured t shirts. Tangerine? Wow what a colour. Sorry Cardiff, but blue is just so boring. Tangerine... it's the new black!
Vic and I are both footy mad. Vic's a gooner and I'm a Utd fan but we're both Blackpool girls so we're out to support our local club and let's face it, our own teams failed miserably to get to a Wembley final this year. No-one will be cheering more than us two for the Seasiders to go to the Premiership this season.
I'm also lucky to be having a few of my family going to Wembley this year. My eldest brother is over from Italy and will my joined by niece's husband and his little boy (my great nephew!). I also have two nephews going and another brother. They'll also be thousands of Sandgrownun's making it a real party atmosphere for old and young. Blackpool is a small club which makes it very family friendly. They also have a large contingent of drummers and trumpet players in the crowd so Cardiff City will be drowned out as much as possible.
It's my first time at Wembley's new stadium and I can't wait to see it. I love football stadiums and this is renowned as the daddy of the lot. I've been to the Nou Camp in Barcelona which was awesome and I'm reserving judgement to see if it's better than that. I still have the Bernabeu and San Siro on my wish list. I won't be buying the £10 Wembley burger though... I'm too Blackpool for that....
SEA...SEA...SEASIDERS
