Fleetwood Town travel down the road to local rivals Blackpool FC on Tuesday night, and in this preview, we tell you everything you need to know about the fixture.
Competition: Sky Bet League One
Date: Tuesday 9 April
Kick-off: 19:45 GMT
Venue: Bloomfield Road, Seasiders Way, Blackpool, FY1 6JJ
BLACKPOOL FC
In Blackpool’s recent clash at home to Cambridge United, the Tangerines were as comfortable as they could’ve been despite only a 1-0 scoreline - limiting the visitors to two shots on goal - a common theme for Tuesday night’s hosts as they prove a tough outfit to beat at home with a 57% win ratio at Bloomfield Road this year (21 games played, 12 wins).
Blackpool sit 6 points away from the final play-off spot which is occupied by Oxford United with four league games remaining, the Seasiders aren’t out of the equation to sneak into the playoffs, however they would require teams around them to make mistakes along the way - away form has been Blackpool’s Achilles heal this campaign with only winning 6 games on the road out of 21 played (28%) where the last time the two sides met it was an entertaining 3-3 draw at Highbury.
Since Blackpool’s premier league season in 2010/11, Tuesday’s hosts have spent 6 seasons in Sky Bet League One and with aims of being towards the top end of the table, head coach Neil Critchley will hope the current unbeaten run of four games will breed confidence to finish the season on a high.
Jordan Rhodes has been Blackpool’s key man this season with 15 goals and three assists to his name as the on-loan Huddersfield man is currently the leagues’ joint fifth highest scorer, the Scotsman’s best scoring returns since his time at Blackburn Rovers in 2015/16.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS
On the 27 October 2018, Fleetwood hosted Blackpool at a sold-out Highbury Stadium where the performance on the pitch was nothing short of resilient, impressive and entertaining.
Wesley Burns opened the scoring four minutes in with current coach Ross Wallace doubling the advantage, Blackpool halved the deficit through Jordan Thompson, but Paddy Madden responded to put the score to 3-1.
Nathan Delfouneso then gave Blackpool a second but the score finished 3-2 to Fleetwood - a day fondly remembered by fans and staff around Fleetwood.
THOSE WHO HAVE PLAYED FOR BOTH
There has been a plethora of players that have made the short journey between their careers, here is a few unique examples we have found - can you remember any others?
Ashley Eastham
A figure Fleetwood fans will be fond of as you could rely on him to be punctual and dependable at the back, Eastham also found himself wearing the captains armband on occasions throughout his 135 appearances for the Cods.
Eastham started his career at Blackpool, however couldn’t break the first team, however, a one month loan at Fleetwood in 2012 was the first time he wore the red where five years later Eastham would rejoin Highbury with also winning player of the year in 2017.
Barry Ferguson
An individual known for his time with Scottish giants Rangers early in his career before making the move to England permanently in 2009, where he won the League cup in 2011 with Birmingham.
A move to Blackpool followed, where Ferguson was loaned to the Cods in a spell where he made six appearances at Highbury Stadium in 2012. He returned to Bloomfield and picked up a role of caretaker manager - Ferguson was capped by Scotland 45 times.
Chris Long
A product of Everton’s academy, Long has represented ten clubs since his departure from the Toffees, including a loan spell and a permanent move at the Cods and a move straight to Bloomfield after his time at Fleetwood was up.
This saw a move to Scotland followed to Motherwell where Crewe Alexandra in Sky Bet League Two bought Long and he’s now played the most games he has at one club in his career.
HEAR THE THOUGHTS FROM BOSS CHARLIE ADAM
Click HERE to hear what Adam himself had to say on the game coming up at Bloomfield Road
TICKET AND TRAVEL INFORMATION
Back the lads on the road on our shortest journey of the year as the Cods look to win at Bloomfield Road for the first time.
Trams, buses and local transport will be available for all supporters to use on the night around the Fylde Coast.
More information on travel and other information can be found here: https://www.blackpooltransport.com
Fleetwood Town fans have until 5pm on Tuesday 9 April to buy their tickets from the Town Ticket Office, with an option now available for supporters to buy on the night from the White Booth which will be located outside the away end.
Town supporters will located in the East Stand on the night, with ticket prices below as followed:
Adults – £25
Seniors – £21
Under-22s – £21
Under-18s – £11
Under-12s – £7
Fans are reminded that flares and smoke bombs are prohibited. Anyone found using them inside the ground may face a police or club sanction. Love Football, Protect the Game.
If you would like any more information regarding the ticket sales dates, prices, or any other general enquiries, you can contact our ticket office at Highbury Stadium by ringing 01253 775080 or you can email info@fleetwoodtownfc.com.
KEY IFOLLOW INFORMATION
With this match on Tuesday, supporters who are based in the United Kingdom and abroad will be able to watch the full 90 minutes for just £10 - meaning you won't miss any of the action!
CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR IFOLLOW MATCH PASS!
On the evening of the game (Tuesday 9 April 2024), there will be two matchday packages available for our UK-based and overseas supporters:
Audio Match Pass - £2.50
Video Match Pass - £10.00*
*This pass is available for those who are based overseas and in the United Kingdom.
Those who choose the Audio Match Pass option will get access to just the commentary, which will be provided by our partners, BBC Radio Lancashire - with this being played on the Video Match Pass as part of the full package.
