Seasiders back after eight years

Last updated : 14 September 2007 By Tony Scholes

Yes, almost eight years since they last visited us for a league game, that was in our promotion season and a season when they were ultimately relegated which led to them playing in what is now League Two for a couple of years before going back up via the play offs after finishing as low as seventh.

In the six years since they had never threatened to win promotion again until the latter part of last season. Five bottom half finishes, but then a fantastic run of wins took them to the play offs, to Wembley and a promotion back to the second tier for the first time since they were somewhat controversially relegated in 1978.

Seven successive league wins and three more wins in the play offs followed a surprise defeat to Rotherham in March, the final play off win coming against Yeovil at Wembley with goals from Robbie Williams and Keigan Parker giving them a 2-0 win.

Manager Simon Grayson has strengthened his squad over the summer with no fewer than nine new signings, but there haven't been too many new faces for the fans to see. Although Williams, scorer of the first Wembley goal, opted for a move to Huddersfield after his loan ended, three others on loan last season have now moved to Blackpool on a permanent basis. They are Ian Evatt, goalkeeper Paul Rachubka, and after a long and protracted move Wes Hoolihan is now playing for them again.

To add to that they resigned two former players in Michael Flynn and John Hills. The full list of summer signings is:

Ian Evatt from QPR
Paul Rachubka from Huddersfield
Michael Flynn from Gillingham
John Hills from Sheffield Wednesday
Stephen Crainey from League One Leeds
Gary Taylor-Fletcher from Huddersfield
Wes Hoolihan from Livingston
Andy Welsh from Toronto
Phil Marsh from Manchester United

Blackpool have made a good start to the new season and have lost just once following promotion, and that was considered an undeserved defeat at Molineux against Wolves. Like the Clarets they too are still in the Carling Cup, and they've knocked out Little Billy's Derby on the way to the 3rd round.

Click HERE to see Blackpool's results this season


It's been a long wait for a home league game for Burnley, an amazing five weeks since we got the season underway with a 2-1 win against West Brom and we will be looking to continue the sort of form we showed at Colchester a fortnight ago to move into the top half of the table.


One to Watch

Two of our side will be familiar to the Blackpool fans. Captain Steven Caldwell spent a month on loan at Bloomfield Road almost six years ago whilst his central defensive partner Clarke Carlisle played over 100 times for them before moving on to QPR.


In the Blackpool side will be a player who was on loan at Burnley just over three and a half years ago but there's every likelihood he won't be recognised by many of the home fans after he failed to make a single appearance for our first team.

He'll be number one on the team sheet - goalkeeper Paul Rachubka - and he spent just over a month with us, coming in at the same time as Bradley Orr and Neil Wood, but during that time wasn't able to get into the side ahead of Brian Jensen meaning his only action for us was in reserve team football.

Rachubka is Californian by birth but has dual nationality which has allowed him to play for England at under-16, under-18 and under-20 level. He was a young goalkeeper considered to have a lot of potential and came through the youth system at Manchester United.

He played just once for United but during his time there had spells on loan with both Royal Antwerp and Oldham. In the summer of 2002 an offer of £200,000 was enough to secure a move to Charlton where he hoped to get more first team action and in the Premiership.

It never happened and in two years with Charlton his only first team games were with clubs on loan. After failing to get a game with us he got games with Huddersfield, Franchise, Northampton and then again at Huddersfield.

It was Huddersfield he joined next, but when he lost his place there he moved to the Fylde Coast on loan and played his part in last season's promotion, and that was enough to win him a deal when he left Huddersfield in the summer. He is now very much number one choice.

Rachubka's only previous appearance at Turf Moor was in February 2004 when he was in goal for our reserves in a 1-0 defeat against Sheffield United.


Team News

"It's a derby but not a big game, Wolves and West Brom are much bigger games," those are the words of Blackpool boss Simon Grayson ahead of this weekend's game. He also doesn't think it will be a tough game.

He's certainly fine as far as injuries are concerned. Claus Jorgensen remains on the injured list but new signing Phil Marsh is expected to recover from a thigh strain, whilst he's also got another new signing Andy Welsh available for the first time.

Kaspars Gorkss has been away on international duty with Latvia and he's returned fit and well and it is thought likely that Grayson will stick with the side that beat Hull a week last Monday in front of the television cameras.

If that's the case then Blackpool will line up: Paul Rachubka, Shaun Barker, Michael Jackson, Ian Evatt, Kaspars Gorkss, David Fox, Keith Southern, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Wes Hoolihan, Keigan Parker, Andy Morrell. Subs from: Stephen Crainey, Adrian Forbes, Michael Flynn, Ben Burgess, Phil Marsh, Scott Vernon, Andy Welsh.

Click HERE to see the full Blackpool squad

The two players definitely out of the reckoning for Burnley are two of our internationals Bes Berisha and Kyle Lafferty. Bes has undergone surgery this week to repair a snapped cruciate ligament and this will rule him our for the rest of the season. He could well be out of hospital and might even be able to attend tomorrow's game. Kyle Lafferty will miss this one, the third and last game in a three match ban following the ridiculous sending off in the second of our pre-season friendlies in Austria.

Apart from that it could be a fully fit squad for Steve Cotterill with those not on international duty having had some playing time this week in the reserves. That is with the exception of Brian Jensen, but that allowed Gabor Kiraly to return from injury with a full game. It is likely though that Jensen will retain his place.

The question is how players have returned from the internationals and in particular Michael Duff who has often been left out on his return. Cotterill has hinted at that again this week and with Graham Alexander now available he could be set to make his home debut in his more familiar role of right back.

The Burnley team could be: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Steven Caldwell, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, Chris McCann, Alan Mahon, Robbie Blake, Andy Gray. Subs from: Gabor Kiraly, Michael Duff, David Unsworth, Jon Harley, James O'Connor, John Spicer, Steve Jones, Ade Akinbiyi.


Last Time Round

November 1999, and because of Kevin Keegan's England being unable to qualify for Euro 2000 we had to involve ourselves in a play off against Scotland. This was played on the day we were due to play Blackpool at home and so we had to shift to the Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. kick off.

Micky Mellon - Number 4
England did get to Euro 2000 in the end, somewhat fortunately, but there was one Scot definitely celebrating on the Sunday as he scored the only goal of the game to see off Blackpool. It was made better by the fact that he used to play for Blackpool, and by the fact that their supporters (this is a set of fans who never applaud a former player) had been abusing him all afternoon.

Remember the number Blackpool fans - number 4 - that's it number 4 MELLON

Burnley were much the better side in the first half against a Blackpool side who were content to get men behind the ball. They had clearly come looking for a 0-0 draw and throughout the first half their plan was successful. From our point of view it only needed a goal.

We lost our way for a while in the second half but with Blackpool still content to sit back there were never too many problems at our end. But in time we got back into our stride and with just thirteen minutes to go we won it.

Glen Little got in a cross from the right. Andy Cooke played it back for Andy Payton. Payts, with his back to goal, teed it up and in he came with a screaming shot from around fifteen yards. Tony Caig in the Blackpool goal had no chance.

It was at the Jimmy Mac end so the Blackpool fans weren't too sure who'd scored it. It's only fair to let them know. So the scorer made his way almost the full length of the field, running backwards at speed, so they could check out out.

Remember the number Blackpool fans - number 4 - that's it number 4 MELLON

Yes, the player you had abused all afternoon had done it - he'd scored the winner against you. Now do us a favour and give Clarke Carlisle some stick.

The teams that day were;

Burnley: Paul Crichton, Dean West, Steve Davis, Mitchell Thomas, Gordon Armstrong, Glen Little, Micky Mellon, Paul Cook, John Mullin (Graham Branch 70), Andy Cooke (Ronnie Jepson 89), Andy Payton. Subs not used: Chris Brass, Lenny Johnrose, Paul Weller.

Blackpool: Tony Caig, John Hills, Clarke Carlisle, Ian Hughes, Marvin Bryan, Phil Clarkson, Steve Bushell, Danny Coid, David Lee (Junior Bent), John Murphy, John Durnin. Subs not used: Adam Nowland, Richard Forsyth, Paul Beesley, Philip Robinson.


Previous results against Blackpool

Previous 20 Seasons

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

1989/90

LC

a

2-2

4,540

White Mumby

.

.

h

0-1

6,085

.

.

FA

a

0-1

7,790

.

1990/91

4

a

2-1

4,737

Deary Mumby

..

h

2-0

18,395

Eli Futcher(pen)

1991/92

AM

a

3-1

2,802

Francis Eli(2)

.

4

a

2-5

8,007

Conroy Francis

..

h

1-1

18,183

Eli

1992/93

2

a

3-1

7,942

Harper Farrell Penney

.

AM

a

3-1

2,979

Conroy(2) Farrell

.

2

h

2-2

12,475

Heath Francis

1993/94

2

h

3-1

18,165

Farrell Russell Francis

.99.

a

2-1

7,956

Eyres Francis

1995/96

2

h

0-1

10,082

.

..

a

1-3

8,941

Nogan

1996/97

2

h

2-0

13,599

Gleghorn Nogan

.

.

a

3-1

7,331

Barnes(3)

1997/98

2

a

1-2

7,429

Creaney

..

h

1-2

13,413

Payton

1998/99

2

h

1-0

11,925

Payton(pen)

.

.

a

2-0

5,658

Payton Little

1999/2000

2

h

1-0

12,898

Mellon

..

a

1-1

8,029

Branch

2002/03

LC

h

3-0

7,448

West Papadopoulos(2)



Click HERE to see all our results against Blackpool