Wow, what a long day today! Awoke just before 6 a.m. to find that Tom was already awake and dressed. Despite the early hour (especially for a Saturday) I still took Sara up a cup of tea. I also raised the Lancashire red rose flag which will fly for the next two days. Sara also got up and helped Tom finish with his packing red for our trip up to Blackpool. After a breakfast of toast and cereal we set off for the long trek up to Lancashire at around 7.15 a.m. It was a wonderful drive up - so much in contrast to my drive up to Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon. The roads were clear and weather dry and sunny - the weather that is until around about Warrington when than gloomy Mancunian weather of Wednesday greeted us and remained with us until late afternoon.We stopped briefly at Keele Services near Stoke for water and a general comfort break but still arrived in Blackpool at 11.15 a.m. - just four hours from Winterslow to Blackpool. Having parked the car of Central Drive, just 200 yards or so from the Bloomfield Road "stadium" - more of that in a minute - we went for a walk past the football ground, along Lytham road to Manchester Square and along the first part of the Golden Mile. The weather was cold and misty and we did not even get a glimpse of Blackpool Tower! We walked along Blundell Street and Rigby Road to have a look at the working tram depot. We could see quite a number and selection of tramcars in the depot but at no time did we see any trams running along the seafront route. We settled upon having lunch at a fish restaurant proclaiming itself to be "Award Winning" and ordered fish and chips and mushy peas with a mug of tea for me and burger and chips and Irn Bru for Tom. I have to say that the fish was excellent - beautiful fresh fish from Fleetwood no doubt and Tom finish his lunch with no problem. We meta number of other Saints supporters in the restaurant - particularly a family from Telford whom we met up with later at the ground. After lunch we went for a further stroll (about a mile) to walk off our lunch and returned to the ground where we visited the shop. Upon entering the ground itself we realised what an absolute dump it is. There are two covered stands on the north and west of the pitch reserved for the home finds whilst to the south there is nothing but a building site and to the east the away supporters stand consisting of low temporary seating - totally unprotected and uncovered facing the prevailing westerly winds. The programmes cost 50p more than anywhere else in the Championship and the price of tickets is significantly more expensive than St. Mary's. The pitch's condition resembled a Sunday morning amateurs' "rec" rather than a second tier league club's. The football in the first half was poor and the refereeing poorer still with Blackpool (the Seasiders or Tangerines) being awarded a dodgy penalty which they converted. Saints' passing was poor and we looked altogether a poor side. After the break our game improved and we got the equaliser in the course of play. Right at the end of the game we were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area which we struck well but which just hit the post. The final result was 1-1. A useful point but we are second still from bottom. There was also one very unfortunate event when the penalty was scored. A Saints fan remonstrated with the referee and being abusive was challenged by a steward. The police were called in number to assist the steward and in the fray he appeared to hit one of the police officers. He was immediately carted off leaving behind his 5-year old son crying on the terraces. Somebody in the crowd looked after the lad but what a dreadful situation. How does he explain that to the mother in Southampton - "Hello dear I'm in the nick and your son is in care up here in Blackpool. All because I was an idiot!" ! Fortunately, none of the other teams around us won and we can still survive. We made a quick getaway from Blackpool after the game and arrived in Liverpool at Malcolm's at 6.30 p.m. We went to the China Garden (formerly the Princess Garden) in Rice Lane Walton where we had a banquet for four - me, Tom, Malcolm and Sam. The food is really excellent there but it is interesting to note that the recession is having its toll as it was by no means as full as it used to be on a Saturday night. We arrived back at Malcolm's jut before 10 p.m. Tom went almost immediately to bed- absolutely "jiggered". Sam continued up (after making me a coffee) on Malcolm's computer until 10.30 p.m. I laid down on the sofa for a short while and discovered that I had dozed off when I awoke at 11.30 p.m. I then wrote up this blog before retiring for the night on Malcolm's sofa again.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Bitter Tangerines in Blackpool
Wow, what a long day today! Awoke just before 6 a.m. to find that Tom was already awake and dressed. Despite the early hour (especially for a Saturday) I still took Sara up a cup of tea. I also raised the Lancashire red rose flag which will fly for the next two days. Sara also got up and helped Tom finish with his packing red for our trip up to Blackpool. After a breakfast of toast and cereal we set off for the long trek up to Lancashire at around 7.15 a.m. It was a wonderful drive up - so much in contrast to my drive up to Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon. The roads were clear and weather dry and sunny - the weather that is until around about Warrington when than gloomy Mancunian weather of Wednesday greeted us and remained with us until late afternoon.We stopped briefly at Keele Services near Stoke for water and a general comfort break but still arrived in Blackpool at 11.15 a.m. - just four hours from Winterslow to Blackpool. Having parked the car of Central Drive, just 200 yards or so from the Bloomfield Road "stadium" - more of that in a minute - we went for a walk past the football ground, along Lytham road to Manchester Square and along the first part of the Golden Mile. The weather was cold and misty and we did not even get a glimpse of Blackpool Tower! We walked along Blundell Street and Rigby Road to have a look at the working tram depot. We could see quite a number and selection of tramcars in the depot but at no time did we see any trams running along the seafront route. We settled upon having lunch at a fish restaurant proclaiming itself to be "Award Winning" and ordered fish and chips and mushy peas with a mug of tea for me and burger and chips and Irn Bru for Tom. I have to say that the fish was excellent - beautiful fresh fish from Fleetwood no doubt and Tom finish his lunch with no problem. We meta number of other Saints supporters in the restaurant - particularly a family from Telford whom we met up with later at the ground. After lunch we went for a further stroll (about a mile) to walk off our lunch and returned to the ground where we visited the shop. Upon entering the ground itself we realised what an absolute dump it is. There are two covered stands on the north and west of the pitch reserved for the home finds whilst to the south there is nothing but a building site and to the east the away supporters stand consisting of low temporary seating - totally unprotected and uncovered facing the prevailing westerly winds. The programmes cost 50p more than anywhere else in the Championship and the price of tickets is significantly more expensive than St. Mary's. The pitch's condition resembled a Sunday morning amateurs' "rec" rather than a second tier league club's. The football in the first half was poor and the refereeing poorer still with Blackpool (the Seasiders or Tangerines) being awarded a dodgy penalty which they converted. Saints' passing was poor and we looked altogether a poor side. After the break our game improved and we got the equaliser in the course of play. Right at the end of the game we were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area which we struck well but which just hit the post. The final result was 1-1. A useful point but we are second still from bottom. There was also one very unfortunate event when the penalty was scored. A Saints fan remonstrated with the referee and being abusive was challenged by a steward. The police were called in number to assist the steward and in the fray he appeared to hit one of the police officers. He was immediately carted off leaving behind his 5-year old son crying on the terraces. Somebody in the crowd looked after the lad but what a dreadful situation. How does he explain that to the mother in Southampton - "Hello dear I'm in the nick and your son is in care up here in Blackpool. All because I was an idiot!" ! Fortunately, none of the other teams around us won and we can still survive. We made a quick getaway from Blackpool after the game and arrived in Liverpool at Malcolm's at 6.30 p.m. We went to the China Garden (formerly the Princess Garden) in Rice Lane Walton where we had a banquet for four - me, Tom, Malcolm and Sam. The food is really excellent there but it is interesting to note that the recession is having its toll as it was by no means as full as it used to be on a Saturday night. We arrived back at Malcolm's jut before 10 p.m. Tom went almost immediately to bed- absolutely "jiggered". Sam continued up (after making me a coffee) on Malcolm's computer until 10.30 p.m. I laid down on the sofa for a short while and discovered that I had dozed off when I awoke at 11.30 p.m. I then wrote up this blog before retiring for the night on Malcolm's sofa again.
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