11/09/2026
This month's SLO column in the Blackpool Gazette:
After a table-topping August start to our 125th anniversary season at Bloomfield Road, including an uplifting 4-0 win against Peterborough United, September so far has been a bit of a reality check with back to back defeats on the road for the Seasiders.
The squad will be looking to put that behind them and get back to winning ways with two upcoming home fixtures, starting with Bromley FC tomorrow, and they’ll be hoping that our vociferous support will help them on their way.
This is Bromley FC’s first visit to Bloomfield Road. The only previous meeting between the two clubs was in the FA Cup in November 2023 when the Seasiders enjoyed a 2-0 away win. Bromley were promoted to League One for the first time at the end of last season as EFL League Two champions. They started this campaign brightly with a win and a draw, but have since racked up three successive defeats, shipping 14 goals in the process.
On paper, you’d expect it to be a home win. The Pool have certainly been creating more chances lately with our brand of football. It’s been positive play and pleasing to watch. What is needed is more shots on target from promising positions, and more goals - as in the recent display against Peterborough. Let’s hope we can pick up tomorrow in that same spirit.
Talking of goals, this month it’s 70 years since Stanley Matthews, possibly our most famous player, scored his last ever goal in tangerine. It came almost nine years to the day after his first league goal for the club back in 1947. Although a brilliant and mesmerising winger, goal-scoring wasn’t his forte. He was provider rather than finisher. It was only his 18th goal in 440 appearances and it came in a fine 4-1 home win over Spurs in September 1956 in front of 28,000 fans. That sort of attendance hasn’t been seen consistently at the stadium since our 1970-71 season in the top flight, but we can still make a noise. I believe some used to call it the Revoe Roar.
As I write this, construction crews are working into the night resurfacing Bloomfield Road. Let’s hope their job is done before Saturday. You might want to allow extra time to get yourselves down to the ground.
It’s also worth noting that starting tomorrow, Blackpool Transport is launching a Seasiders Special bus to run between Market Street and Rigby Road every 15 minutes in the two hours before kick-off and for an hour after the final whistle. If you find the walk from town to the ground a bit of a challenge, this could be for you, especially as the nights draw in and the weather gets worse.
Finally, returning to that Peterborough game, the Blackpool Stadium Volunteers who kindly clean your seats before every match and litter-pick afterwards were a bit surprised by the sheer amount of litter left lying around the stadium afterwards. What they do saves the Club many thousands of pounds every season. You could really help them by picking up your empty cups, bottles, pie wrappers after the final whistle and putting them in the bags provided as you leave. Thank you.
UTMP!
Steve Rowland
