BFC 2-1 Blackpool, Wednesday 2nd September 2026

‘Get her a Slack-o-gram.’

When was the last time fans stuck around and serenaded the players off the pitch? That 4-2 against Washday? I dunno. Maybe it happens all the time and it’s just that I’m out the door as soon as the full-time whistle blows, but it was great to see so many fans stay behind last nite, as the Ponty sang ‘Barnsley’s going up again under Daniel Stendel.’ (It looks less catchy in writing.) The feelgood factor has returned! Will it stick around this time?

Another entertaining, attacking performance full of risks at the back...and another victory. Like last season, the bet appears to be BTTS (Both Teams To Score), the question being who’ll outscore who. I thank Nice Guy Chris for this stat (tho who knows where he got it from):

Most touches in the opposition box in the EFL this season:
Reds 165
Bristol Rovers 150
QPR 127
Cardiff 125
Stockport 124

That is INCREDIBLE. 15 touches ahead of 2nd, nearly 40 ahead of 3rd. Of course, one might say ‘goals scored’ is the crucial stat (if not ‘points won’) while who can say whether Cleary dilly-dallying is 100 of those touches? But still. The opposition can’t score if it’s in their box, surely? We are a pleasure to watch right now. As we were last season, when we were on the front foot. The difference is in our back 5:

Last season: Murphy/Crapman, O’Keeffe, Roberts, Shepherd, MdG
This season: Ravenhill, Kay, Gale, O’Riordan, Noslin.

I am tempted to say every single one of the current back 5 is an improvement on last season. Well done whoever signs these players. Early days, and maybe I’m still in my honeymoon period of not having to watch Shepherd and/or Roberts. (In years to come, I hope to look back fondly on quite how awful they were.)

We started slowly, Blackpool edging the opening 25 (the Tangerines hitting the post with a long range sighter), but thereafter, we looked comfortably the better side. But we still couldn’t score against a defence that included Josh Earl. (Add him to that list of hapless Reds’ defenders last season.) Even worse, when we were presented with the unmissable, it was Earl who blocked Kirk’s scuff on the line. Did I say unmissable? Kay plays in Kelly into the box, Kelly cuts back and puts it on a plate for Kirk, who can pick his spot. The pendulum has swung back in favour of ‘he’s useless’. He’s also soon to lose his place to this new Ivorian we’ve signed, surely.

That said, Blackpool had an opportunity early 2nd half which had 3 (count em!) unmissable opportunities in the same move, as the curse of the Ponty End box extended to their boots too. Maybe it was the new lights (see later)? O’Riordan (twice) and Bland cleared off the line from their unconvincing efforts, but how they didn’t score, I’ll never know.

It was end to end stuff, with Cleary seeing a good deal of ball and Kelly making runs, but it’s from a deadball we score. Noslin puts it in, it’s half-cleared and Kelly hits a bobbler from the edge of the box which is turned in by McGeehan. Johnny on the spot. It’s no fluke either, as he stretches out a stud to direct it in. I wonder to my neighbour whether we’ve gone ahead too early.

We have. Less than 3 minutes later, they’ve equalised. And if they’ve run out of creative options, there’s always the ‘letting a Red kick it to them.’ There’s a touch of misfortune as Bland’s attempt at a tackle rolls straight to their bloke, who squares it for the easy finish. Like Satdy, Ravenhill will never keep a clean sheet while we give them simple chances.

But we’re not deflated. Driven on by sub Richards, we’re looking dangerous. Richards himself has a scuffed effort (we seem to be specialising in ‘the scuff’ at mo...Kelly and McGeehan being masters too) deflected off the post by a defender and in the ensuing chaos Cleary sends a rebound across goal from 4 yards out.

It continues to be an open game and Blackpool blaze one over when the ref waves play-on after Kay chops their winger. Still, it’s nice to know some people know the rules and a Tangerine player helpfully reminds the ref about said foul until eventually, he pulls out the yellow card. Right decision, but still. (In the ref’s favour, he’s not slow in booking Blackpool players’ cynical fouls, 4 in all.)

By now, Connell is on for Bland. I didn’t see that coming. But I did call the next one, on-loan (Welcome back...Ziyad?) Larkeche on for a tired Noslin, Kay switching to right back. And did I mention Farrell coming on at half-time for Kirk? No I didn’t. Might as well be the same player. Tries hard to no effect.

And we go on to win it in controversial circumstances in the 87th minute. A Cleary cross is flicked on by Kelly for Richards to loop a perfect header over the keeper and into the far corner of the net. Seems fine to me (my instinct to look at the linesman suggested no infraction) but some of Blackpool’s players are going mad and convince the ref to consult his assistant. A photograph appears to show Kelly flicked it on with his hand, though you’d be hard-pressed to spot it in real time, and fortunately, the men in black don’t. Hopefully the Farnhams and Jonesys of this world will remember this when they’re totting up the Great Refereeing Conspiracy Theory against the Super Reds. (Or b) they weren’t there, so it didn’t happen.)

This could be a rollercoaster season. Hang on!

Onwards and upwards!

*** Richards. On at half-time for Alker, for me, he’s the difference between being on top 1st half and not scoring, and an even 2nd half, where we bagged 2.
** Kelly. Looked more like himself today, several runs at the defence gaining us yardage.
* McGeehan. Molly’s new favourite player. A steady head and always seems to know when to hold his ground and when to ghost forward to score.

Official MOTM: Kay

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. McGeehan 2. Kelly 3. Richards

Despatches:
R.I.P. our floodlights. Well, rumours of their demise are perhaps greatly exaggerated at the moment, but it can’t be long. New bulbs in the roof make the floodlights surplus to requirements. If they’re packed off to Ken Booth’s scrapyard (ok, pedants, they’ve gone bust. And Ken died last year anyway) then I’ll be gravely disappointed. They’re part of the fabric of Oakwell. This town talks a good game with regards to its heritage, but I firmly expect they’ll go the same way of the early 20th century toilets of Peel Square. A landmark (can 4 floodlights be ‘a landmark’?) scrubbed from history.

Instead, we’ve got some (more) blinding lights off the roofs. Apparently, from the Ponty, the East Stand side looked dark. I know from my seat virtually on the halfway line, several times the brightness caught my eyes (and not in a good way). These could be teething issues, until they position them correctly, but it sounds worse in the lower decks, as the ball enters the orbit and you’re blinded by the light. Still, about time us heathens saw the light. But, please, don’t knock the floodlights down. (I believe at least one is used for communications, but let’s not leave just one up, either.)

I was also told the reason why we played Wednesday instead of Tuesday this week was cos of the transfer deadline. That makes sense. Had to make sure O’Keeffe left the building. How apt that his last ‘contribution’ was to give Leyton Orient a consolation last Satdy. Farewell, Corey. You leave with my best wishes (honestly). He could have been a contender, or, at the very least, a footballer. But he’ll never be a defender.

More crucially, we kept hold of all of our assets. I’d usually say ‘both of our assets’ (Cleary, Kelly) but I’d throw in Ravenhill, Kay and Bland (careful). The latter, especially, looks a lot better without having to kick the ball 6 yards square to Connell every time he gets it. Will Stendel resist temptation to bring the former captain back in? And how much did we turn down for Connell in the transfer window? (A club statement claimed we turned down overtures.)

Drink du jour: Beartown Inception at Spiral.

Away: c.600 (9,416).

The Damage:
£18.22 ent (Season ticket. £419/23 matches.)
£8 petrol
£55 home shirt (away shirts sold out)
= £81.22

AFC Blackpool 3-0 Holker Old Boys, Saturday 28th February 2026

AFC Blackpool 3-0 Holker Old Boys, North West Counties League First Division North, Mechanics Ground, att. 410

It’s the final game of the day for the Saturday of the North West Counties League groundhop and it’s only a 5 minute walk from the previous game at Squires Gate. It’s almost like they planned these things! As luck would also have it, I’ve parked my car inbetween the two, which is handy for my mate Stu. He’s a little cold and wants to don his big coat.

At Squires Gate, I asked another groundhopper where AFC Blackpool was. He pointed towards some houses. ‘You can see the floodlights!’ That was handy, as it meant no rush, so while most of the groundhoppers made their way over, we watched a bit of Der Klassiker in the social club. (Well, it beat watching Dirty Leeds – Man City.)

I was worried about crowd numbers at AFC. Would fans have had enough and be drifting home after 3 matches already? There were certainly fewer, but 410 was a more than respectable attendance for a Satdy nite 10th tier game. The social club was a lot pokier than Squires Gate however, and the queue was out the door for food and warm drinks. Stu would have to come back for our tea. Last season’s shirts were a bargain tenner a pop, but I just couldn’t ever foresee myself needing to wear a tangerine AFC Blackpool shirt, other than to point out to bemused folk that it wasn’t Blackpool FC, but AFC Blackpool.

The name of the ground intrigued me. ‘The Mechanics Ground.’ Wasn’t there a side called Blackpool Mechanics? Indeed there was. Inside the entrance to the social club, a display case showed off various trophies and other paraphernalia linked to Mechanics. Had they gone bust? A bit of digging found that no, they’d simply re-named themselves ‘AFC Blackpool’ in 2008. Much more prosaic and less romantic.

The small seated stand beside the social club was busy, but I spied the stand behind the goal. It looked a higher vantage point and it’d be cosy (warmer) under the roof. We bumped into Nathaniel, again, the Hednesford groundhopper. ‘Have you noticed anything?’ he asks. No. ‘Look up.’ There was no roof. So much for cosy. The stand had sides, a fascia, a back, stanchions, but no roof. Still, we stayed, as the home side were attacking (and scoring) at this end. 2 nil after 15 minutes.

Stu brought me a tea, then we went for a wander. The long side to our right had the most spectators. A small stand with a couple of steps straddled the halfway line. There was another covered stand behind the goal, but this was virtually empty save for a couple of lads on drums, making up songs to their hearts’ content. Indeed, there were more drums than they had ensemble, perched on chairs. Good on ‘em, even if no-one else wanted to join them.

Half-time arrived, the home side still being 2 goals ahead. I knew Stu was chilly, and although I faced a drive of over an hour, he’d have another hour drive after that. ‘Shall we call it a day?’ It was up to me. We’d done our stint, had a most enjoyable day, but I didn’t expect we’d miss much if we were to go home.

Thanks, North-West Counties Football League, and thanks GroundhoppersUK.

The Damage:
£6 ent
£2 prog...and a very sparse offering at that. Talk about punting one out just cos the groundhoppers are in town!
= £8

BFC 2-1 Blackpool, Saturday 17th January 2026

‘Autistic child on board.’

What a difference a last minute winner makes. Before then, folk were openly grumbling...as the Reds were crumbling. We’d tossed away a 1st half lead to a goal everyone said ‘was coming’ and Cleary had been subbed for some bloke who struggled for a game at Guiseley (Leo Farrell for non-regulars). Blackpool were pegging us back, our midfield couldn’t get hold of the ball, and the only positive appeared to be the new bloke in goal looking unbeatable save for an outrageous deflection.

THEN IT HAPPENED. We suckered Blackpool, the fools. As they hunted for the winner their 2nd half dominance possibly deserved, they piled forward for a long throw. The defensive header reaches the edge of the box where Kelly, hitherto very quiet, bursts into action, beating a Tangerine, carrying it 60 yards at pace, then laying it off for McG. (I’m still not having any of this ‘Didzy’ nonsense. He’s not my mate). Not having the pace to take it in his stride, he controls it, lets the defender pass him, then does him with one of his trademark stepovers and buries the ball into the far corner. Unimpeachable.

The crowd go wild...and so does Praise or Grumble, which has not one, not two, but three Reds callers going overboard about how amazing we were today. As I said, what a difference a last minute goal makes. In truth, with Cleary and Kelly not reaching previous heights, we were average. But well done the defence, who still had to defend a corner in what was left of injury time.

We went ahead with an absolute GIFT. I thought only our keepers did this? Stand miles out of goal, then give away possession to the centre forward. Didzy (ho ho) controls it and hits it first time from distance with his WRONG foot. Well done him. And well done Bailey Peacock-Farrell, just for having one of my favourite names in football.

At the other end, we have a comedy moment of our own. New signing O’Connell (he’s no Brendan, I’ll say that now) trips over his own feet and gifts them a 2 on 1. The ball is squared and the recipient simply slides it first time into the net from 10 yards. Oh, hang on, what’s he doing? He controls it, takes a touch, cuts back inside some desperate challenge and has his shot well saved. Fair play to Goodman (for it was by he) but once that player has cut inside, there’s only one place that shot is going, though Goodman does good, man, by getting across. He also makes a smart save from a near post drive.

Early second half, we spurn a great chance to extend our lead. Phillips lays it to Kelly who blazes the ball Phillipsesque into the crowd from 12 yards. Did it hit a bobble? Dunno, but Kelly’s not really been on it today.

Another one not on it, so much so he’s hauled at HT is the GOAT, or ‘Accident Waiting To Happen.’ Bland is booked halfway through the 1st half for pulling back their player having been outwitted. Then, before half-time, he chops down a breaking Tangerine. I suspect the ref gives him the benefit of the doubt as the ball bounced around 3 or 4 players on that centre circle (Bland’s natural habitat) before breaking. At least Conor realizes his mistake from earlier this season (leaving GOAT on to be booked a second time). Mind, I thought his replacement, Yoganathan, was dreadful. Couldn’t get hold of it, and when he did, gave it away.

(At this point, I must make mention of 2 super passes from Bland. One was a crossfield ball to Cleary on the left wing, and another was to put O’Keeffe clean through. Naturally, by the time O’Keeffe got his shot off, the defender who was BEHIND him was in front of him to block.)

So there. Kelly missed, and Blackpool took control, helped by some lenient officiating. I thought shirt-pulling was an offence? Presumably only if your name’s Bland. Jonathan Bland. In fact, one such shirt pull DID prevent a break, a la Bland, but it was just outside our box. Too far away to be considered ‘dangerous’? How did we score our winner? Then there’s the challenge on Cleary, clattering him from behind. Not even a free kick. It was grating, but we weren’t playing well. Goodman made a few more regulatory saves before being beaten by ex-Red Fletcher thanks to a deflection.

But well done Reds. Hung in there and nicked it. I heard we’re now 7 pts behind a play-off place with 5 games in hand. That’s incredible. But I refuse to look at a table till we’ve won 2 in a row. What does 1 win do? Take us to ----teenth in the table? Big wow.

Onwards and upwards!

*** McGoldrick. Held onto the ball, played in teammates (lovely flick 1st half to send Cleary away), never stopped working...oh, and bagged 2 superb goals.
** O’Keeffe. Threw in some great challenges on the halfway line and looked to get forward. (I’ll ignore the early aberration where he gets done with a throughball.) If the ball’s in front of him and to be won, he’s got a chance. (On being the official MOTM, a caller to Praise and Grumble asked if his wife chose it!)
* Goodman. Till the winner, I was thinking about making him MOTM. He saved everything, came out and caught or punched. But one thing bothers me…he never seemed to stop anything cleanly, needing 2 goes at most things.

Official MOTM: O’Keeffe (announced before McG’s winner)

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. McGoldrick 2. O’Keeffe 3. Goodman

Despatches:
We were looking remarkably threadbare by the end. Farrell looks like what he is, poor lad, a junior over-promoted. Reminds me of Karl Rose (hopefully without the underage sex). Completely anonymous when he came on, but we had no-one else. Well, not now Conor’s got rid of Russell (who’s now getting rave reviews off Mansfield fans). I had to laugh at the remark that ‘we could only name 6 subs’. How many does a team need? Though this was ours: Flavell, Yoganthan, Gent, Farrell, Barrett and MdG. Still, Connell injured, and DKD ‘ill’ (and definitely NOT sold...as of Saturday, 5pm)...a pensioner is forced to play 90 minutes.

Cleary had a mixed game, thank the Lord. (No-one wants to see him sold). Got into lots of good positions 1st half, but the cross always ended up at the front post, to nobody (like in the Cadden years). Either he needs to put it somewhere else, or someone needs to get on that front post. As for folk blaming him for their equalizer...by keeping it in and kicking it to Ogbeta...well, Ogbeta shoulda done beta!

POTY Kelly was very quiet, save for that miss. Saving his energy for the 94th minute, obviously. In defence, Shepherd had another strong game. That’s 2 in a row. (BTW, who had 13 minutes for the ‘Shepherd Flop’ wins a fiver. Hilariously, now we’re not playing at Anfield, these League 1 refs keep giving him the free kick.) I was intrigued by Conor’s tictacs…when in possession, we’d go to a back 4, Shepherd coming wide left and Ogbeta going into central midfield. O’Connell didn’t make a 2nd mistake, but one was worrying enough. Watson was solid, while Ogbeta wasn’t really used down the wing (see earlier). Was it his fault for the goal? Was he fouled? Dunno. Then there’s Phillips, who, even when he's invisible, still manages to set up Kelly, or blaze a good chance (1st half.)

Drink du jour: Verdant Lightbulb at Spiral City. Where Jude became the ‘lucky’ recipient of not one, but TWO half and half scarves from the Liverpoo game. Great minds think alike, D. Wood.

Away: 860 (10,266). Even the official number of home supporters is now less than 10 thousand. Come on Tykes. LET’S BE ‘AVIN YOU!!!!!!! Or just let us die a slow death.

The Damage:
c.£7 petrol
= c.£7

BFC 0-3 Blackpool, Saturday 8th March 2025

‘Our next best chance of scoring today is Phillips...and he’s not even playing!’

I’m not angry. I’m not even disappointed. I’ve gone beyond that – I’m resigned. Resigned to the fact we’re going nowhere fast (other than down). Resigned that, right now, the club is rotten. The ownership, the management, the recruitment, the players, the fans...it’s awful throughout. The vocal minority are busy blaming the board, and I get it. They’re the ones in control of the purse strings, but without em, we’d be bust. They’re also in control of appointments, and in that respect, Coach Clarke and the Director of Recruitment (what a disaster he is thus far) are their fault too.

The latest embarrassment was the worst of the season, for me. (Reedy still claims Leyton O, but I wasn’t there). On Satdy we were played off the park in BOTH halves by another midtable side who have NOTHING to play for. Yet they ran about, they pressed, they made themselves available, they always looked to the front foot. It was everything we’re not. They coulda (shoulda) been 3 or 4 nil up by half-time. (Others said as many as 6). My favourite miss was when their lad put it wide from 6 yards, with an empty net. The keeper made a diving save too, but mostly, it was just poor misses.

In contrast, we had one effort of any note. Connell chipped a great pass through for Humphreys to control with his chest and...blaze over from 8 yards. OK, the keeper’s in close proximity, but all he has to do is get it on target. Just knock it under the keeper into the open goal, rather than paralyse someone in Row X.

But it’s ok, we’ve made it to half time, goalless. A chance for Coach Clarke to reset. Another inspirational teamtalk, some tactical tweaking, maybe a sub. He sends them out identical. If we had the ball (which we had plenty) we had one tactic: hoof it long behind their fullbacks to…to WHO? Every single time, their fullback turned around and collected, or the centre half came across, and possession was ceded. Or it went down the middle to the keeper. This isn’t a one-off. This IS what amounts to us trying to score a goal*. It was repeatedly tried at Rovrum to slightly better success, as their defenders blatantly didn’t know what to do with the ball, and we eked a penalty out of it. Blackpool’s defenders had us on toast all day. Listen, Coach Clarke, it might be the 3rd division but these players are PROFESSIONALS. (I’m referring to the Blackpool players here.) They will not simply give it back to us in their third. This is not Sunday football. (The lack of any kind of press exacerbates the issue.)

*ok, there’s the ‘hopefully DKD will pick up the ball in the final third, beat a player and curl it home from 20 yards’. But that’s hardly a tactic...is it?

Thus the second half started. It took 11 minutes for Blackpool to score. A Tangerine (capital ‘T’) ran 40 yards unchallenged, before burying it into the bottom corner from 20 yards. Another one that went under Smith’s right hand, a la Charlton. I think I see a weakness. But at the point of shooting, there are FOUR Reds players in close proximity to the shooter and NONE of them are putting in a tackle or block. We have given up.

Will Coach Clarke make a change before or after they score a second? He brings on Nwakali and Benson for Connell and Watters. Does that mean we’re not playing with a centre forward? (Insert hilarious caption here.) Within 3 minutes it’s 0-2. A harmless looking cross to the back post is headed in by former Red Fletcher. At least he didn’t celebrate, but I wouldn’t have minded if he did. How does ONE player get inbetween Farrugia, Conor Barrett and the goalkeeper, to score? (By the way, if we have 5 ‘top class centre halves’ according to our leader, what is Barrett?)

It’s ok tho, cos Coach Clarke brings on Rodrigues for the aforementioned Barrett. A centre forward for a centre half. All out attack, then? Does Rodrigues even touch the ball? (Yes, he does. I distinctly remember him touching the ball. Does he touch it twice? I can’t remember a second time, but he definitely touches it at least once in his 25 minute (plus injury time) trot out.)

By now, we’re trying a different tactic (oh yes!). Nwakali appears to be playing right centre half, and is orchestrating all our possession, which invariable is playing the ball forward through the lines to feet, whereupon a Russell, or someone, would hold it up, lay it off…then that player would lose it. Every time. Did we have a shot?

Another pacey attack for the visitors brings a fine save out of Smith, but the loose ball is gobbled up from close range. What ARE our defenders doing (FYI: O’Keefe, Roberts, McCarthy, Farrugia)? No Earl to blame this week, though Barrett was an able deputy. (As in, I don’t rate either.)

There’s still 17 minutes left, not that 80% of the home end will see it. Once again, we are left with the masochists and idiots. Blackpool fans start chanting ‘You’re so sh*t it’s unbelievable’, gaining a round of applause from the home areas, before a few in the Ponty give it ‘We’re so sh*t it’s unbelievable’.

Onwards and upwards!

*** DKD. I trust his transfer request is already in. Needs to play for someone else next season.
** Russell. Generally kept possession
* Nwakali. Plays the ball FORWARD on the FLOOR to players wearing RED. The novelty of it. Marked down for only being on pitch half an hour.

Official MOTM: DKD.

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. No-one 2. No-one 3. DKD/No-one

Despatches:
Let’s start with the players. O’Keeffe? S***. Farrugia? Hapless. Barrett? Hopeless. McCarthy? Clueless (This is starting to sound like the 7 Dwarves.) Roberts? Crap. Connell? Rubbish. Humphreys? Weak. Watters? Anonymous. Rodrigues? Pathetic. Benson? Actually, didn’t look that bad. Smith? Average. Special mention to Bailey McCann, coming on at 0-3 in the 88th minute. We are now GIVING AWAY appearances. It reminds me of Man U, away, where Coach Clarke sticks in Jalo and Yoganathan – 2 youngsters with little first team pedigree and we’re whacked 7-0 by the worst Manure team in living memory.

This is all poor timing, what with season ticket renewal about to come up. Crap football, poorly performing players, awful signings…and random kick off times. I am worried. The club and I are just hoping that 8,000 people renew out of habit, to help the club, etc...cos if we don’t renew, the club has no budget, we sign even worse (cheap) players, and we disappear for the next 20 years.

I’m saving a rant about our recruitment for another week cos I don’t know where to start. What I will say is that the only decent signing we’ve made in the last 2 windows (DKD) was hardly a scouting masterpiece – anyone who picks up a Sunday paper (remember those?) could see him scoring every other week in division 4.

Oh, and Michael Duff got sacked at Huddersfield yesterday. I’d have him back tomorrow, I really would. This has gone far enough.

And just as I finish writing this, my XG correspondent comes good. 1.31 v 2.76. 1.31? I am gobsmacked. I thought we created as little as we have done all season. That Humphreys miss is doing a lot of lifting, but I wouldn’t have that higher than about 0.4. What did I miss?* What other shots or chances did we possibly have???

*It was a balmy afternoon in the sun. Diane had given away my seat to some juvenile Geordie and I went and sat downstairs with Reedy. Consequently, with little happening on the pitch – for us – my eyelids were given to closing. Did we have a cheeky shot every time I nodded off? I know I fell asleep inbetween the award of a corner, and it being taken. The subsequent crowd groan woke me up. O’Keeffe had delivered yet another awful set piece, low to the first man. It’s bad enough that he can’t defend...

Drink du jour: House Party IPA in Spiral. ‘Home Fans Only’ said a hastily scrawled sign (part of a set of two with TAFKA The Arcade Ale House. (I forget what it’s called these days, but something nowhere near as good.)

Away: 826. They enjoyed themselves.

The Damage:
c.£8 petrol
= c. £8