subject: The History Of Blackpool Football Club [print this page] The Blackpool Football Club has become the 44th to compete in the Premier League and this holiday town is gearing up for the fans that will be coming to watch the football and have a short break in one of the hotels in Blackpool. The history of this particular F.C. began some hundred and thirty years ago, with Rev. James Wayman founding the Victoria Football Club, in 1877. It originally played on Manchester's Field in Blackpool, England. In the first couple of years, the Victoria club split up and its remaining members joined together to found the Blackpool St. Johns team. However, this team was to be a short-lived one, and a dispute among its players led to the formation of the Blackpool Football Club.
By 1888, the club had become a founding member of the Lancashire League. It boasted eight highly successful seasons, ending with a championship win in the '93-'94 season. In May of 1896, the Blackpool Football Club became a Limited Company worth 2,000 pounds in 1-pound shares. Two months later, it successfully entered into the Football League. Its first official League match was played in Lincoln City on September 5th, 1896. There were 2,000 spectators at the game that day, which ended in a defeat. Blackpool's first League goal was shot by Charles Mount.
In their first League season, the Blackpool F.C. finished eighth in the Second Division. They scored 31 points in a total of 30 matches. For the thirty years following their initiation, Blackpool stayed in the Second Divison with no consistent reign of success. After World War I, the club made a serious bid for the First Division. At this point, George Mee joined the team and played 195 consecutive games, becoming a notable club constant in the 1920s. Other players in this period included Billy Benton, "Matty" Barrass, Jackie Meredith, Harry Bedford, and Jimmy Hampson.
In the 1922-1923 season, Blackpool owners hired Major Frank Buckley as team manager. With revolutionary training skills and an exceptional scouting system, he was a valuable asset to the club during his four year stay. The following couple of years, the club began to lose its financial grip and it was only through the pains of The Supporters' Club that enough money was raised to keep the team running.
As the years passed, the Blackpool F.C. jumped into the First Division at last, and though it had difficulty holding its position at first, by the 1960s it had become a first class organization. In 1953, it even walked away with the F.A. Cup. Later, the club continued to sway in and out of Division One and financial woes deprived it of key players. A real comeback wasn't realized until recently, when the Blackpool Football Club has run across some newfound success.
There are thousands of hotels and B&B's so Accommodation in Blackpool is very easy to find, so when you come to visit Blackpool to watch the football, you can stay for the weekend and see what else Blackpool has to offer.
