Premiership new boys, Blackpool, are ready for their first season in the top flight, thanks to the efforts of Head Groundsman, Stan Raby.
Laurence Gale MSc reports
The future’s... H
aving Blackpool’s manager, Ian Holloway, in the Premier league, for at least a season, is bound to be ‘interesting’. His honest appraisals and
slightly off-the-wall comments have made him somewhat of a legend in the lower leagues, and he joins the likes of Redknapp and McCarthy to, hopefully, put some commonsense (or should that be nonsense?) ahead of the usual rhetoric.
The history of the club can be traced back to 1877 when Victoria Football Club was founded. Ten years later, after a dispute amongst the players, it was renamed Blackpool Football Club. One year later, the club became founder members of the Lancashire League and enjoyed eight successful seasons, culminating in the winning of the
championship in 1893-94, after being pipped on goal average by Liverpool the previous season.
Players of note have included England internationals Jimmy Armfield, Stan Mortensen, Stanley Matthews and Alan Ball, the latter being the only Blackpool player to play in a World Cup. When he was transferred to Everton in 1966 for £112,000 it was, at the time, a record fee between two English clubs. Notable successes have been few, with
an FA Cup win in 1953 their only major trophy. However, promotion to the Premiership this year ranks as a major achievement, one that Ian Holloway believes has written the current squad of players into the club’s folklore. Certainly, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and age old rivals
Liverpool visiting the Bloomfield Road stadium this season, every game will seem like a cup final. As Holloway put it, “the future’s bright, the future’s orange” in reference to the club’s colours.
Looking after the ‘Seasiders’ facilities is Head Groundsman, Stan Raby, who says he is relishing the challenge of preparing pitches for the Premiership. Stan, previously a farmer, joined the club five years ago. He has one assistant, Alex Reeves, and one summer season helper, Connor Cross, who is currently studying at Myerscough College. Between them they look after both the stadium pitch and training ground pitches. A number of volunteers have been trained up to help on match days.
Stan has not been able to rest on his
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