Blackpool vs Cardiff City, Football League Championship Play-off Final, Wembley, 22nd May 2010

Blackpool vs Cardiff City, Football League Championship Play-off Final, Wembley stadium, 22nd May 2010, kick-off 3:00pm

Never in my wildest dreams at the start of the season did I think that come May I would need to open a thread for what is billed as one of the biggest games in world football - simply because of the riches on offer to the winners. It is now estimated to be worth something like £100M to the club that wins promotion to the Premier League.

I am still in shock at the fact that it has come down to this, either us or Cardiff City will be playing in the Premier League next season.

Blackpool have been allocated 37,500 tickets (Pool fans will be on the East side of Wembley) and they go on sale from 9am on Thursday.

The players will be wearing the same kit worn on Tuesday in the stunning victory over Nottingham Forest.

I've no doubt there will be much more to post before match day.

Come On You Pool!

 

yes yes yes wear it!!!

I think that apart from one or two neutrals the vast majority are backing the Pool. Partly because in an era dominated by clubs buying success, Blackpool are showing that success can be achieved without throwing money away and with a small but passionately dedicated support base.

Talking of which, the online ticket sales site reported that within the first few hours they had sold over 6,000 tickets, and they continue to be sold as we got ours (Hello the two DG's ...... ) online this evening, 6 in total. The Ticket Office at the club has also been selling tickets but no estimate as yet of how many they sold today.

 

Just under 15,000 tickets were sold in the first 24 hours of them going on sale to Pool fans. Online ticket sales (at http://www.seetickets.com/blackpool/ ) were nearly 9,000 whilst cash and card sales at Bloomfield Road was just under 6,000.

 

The officials for the Wembley showpiece have been confirmed. Top Premier League Andre Marriner will take charge of the final. He will be assisted by David Bryan and Adam Watts, with Michael Jones taking fourth official duties.

 

Blackpool - the side the neutrals are backing - the sheer volume of fans from other clubs in England who are backing the Seasiders to win at Wembley is amazing.

Oh and a good luck message all the way from Ghana!!!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuqfZYG6m64&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- "We love Blackpool FC"[/ame]

 

Blackpools last two managers are backing the Pool.


Former Blackpool manager Tony Parkes has said he expects the Seasiders to win the Championship play-off final against Cardiff City.

Tony Parkes has said he expects the Seasiders to win at Wembley.
Parkes led Blackpool to a 15th-placed finish in the Championship as caretaker boss last season.

He told BBC Radio Lancashire:

Parkes left Bloomfield Road in May 2009 after being in temporary charge of the club following Simon Grayson's departure to Leeds in December 2008.

Ten of the 11 players who started Blackpool's 4-3 win at the City Ground in the play-off semi-final second leg played under Parkes last season.

And Simon Grayson says he would like nothing more than to see Blackpool in the Premier League. He has been reluctant to speak to the media in the North-West since controversial switch to Leeds in December 2008. However, he has remained in contact with Steve Thompson, Pools assistant manager, and is delighted by the progress made by the club.

 

Whilst Cardiff City are reportedly offering their squad a £2m bonus for winning, Seasiders benefactor Valery Belokon has promised the Blackpool squad a £5m bonus to share if they win at Wembley!

 

HA HA noooooo

 

The club confirmed that tickets are going on general sale following another hectic day at the ticket office. Anyone who has bought a match ticket in the last two years can purchase up to four tickets for the game from 8pm tonight online and from 9am at the ticket office tomorrow. Looks then that the vast majority of season ticket holders have already got their tickets as general sale was not due until after close of business tomorrow.

It has also been confirmed that due to amount of tickets that have already been sold there is now a limited number of blocks available to buy from Bloomfield Road.

The club will make a further announcement along with a ticket update after the weekend.

 

Currently watching the FA Cup final from Wembley on tv. And all I can think about - this will be Blackpool next week. I couldn't care less about Chelski or Pompey.

 

From the tv gantry as you look at screen we are in bottom right hadn corner!!

Note though that Chelski had their big flag so we should be ok with it next Saturday, just waiting for the club secretary to get back to Mick. He said though that we will need 8 people to fly it at Wembley. (There are 3 of us who do it at Bloomfield Road) - simply because it is a hell of a lot bigger venue so we need to control where it starts and stops!!!!! With Greg (and Dom I am hoping) we will have all 8 to fly it!

 

yes yes, on the seating plan Cardiff are on the left hand of Wembley (where the Chelski fans were today) and Blackpool to the right (where the Pompey fans were).

 

More bit and pieces.

The Blackpool Gazette today has a 20 page Wembley pull-out special.

They also have a dedicated BFC section here with all the latest --

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/CustomPages/CustomPage.aspx?pageID=79792

There will be at least two "Football Specials" - trains going from Blackpool North direct to Wembley, I think there might be three.

And Blackpool fans are flying in from all over the world. Three brothers are each flying in. However they all live in different places. Two in Australia (at each end of that vast country) and the other brother lives in San Diego.

Mick my mate is on holiday in Portugal - but has booked a flight into Stansted and will literally be flying in, seeing the match and flying back to Portugal in the evening.

Other countries where fans are coming over (that I can remember) include France, Germany, Canada, USA (of course......), Dubai, and some from the Far East and Africa.

In England exiled fans have arranged coach and mini-bus trips from all over including Manchester, North East, Yorkshire (Yorkshie Seasiders Supporters Club are taking two coaches I think), Lancaster. There will be 100s of coaches leaving the Fylde coast on Saturday morning.

There has been no official update about the number of tickets sold so far to Pool fans. However, rumours abound at how many have been sold, but I'm not going to start guessing. Suffice to say that the online ticket sales site has now run out completely of two of the price ranges (the cheapest at £36 and the most expensice at £98) with some of the other price ranges (like the £52 and £64 tickets) not having many left.

 

According to another site, the Green Man pub near to the stadium has been allocated as a Blackpool pub, opening at 9am and a BFC bbq party.......

Not 100% sure if this is correct yet or not, but will keep checking.

The pub website -

http://www.thegreenmanhotelatwembley.co.uk/

 

It's a 50/50 option!!! You can vote too!!!! Go on you know you want to.