Case of history repeating part 1 - from Blackpool Fanzine

Two items I have which were written during his time at Blackpool i hope they are of some assistance.

IT WAS a sign of the times, and hard times at that. The FA Cup draw last
weekend paired Blackpool with Stoke City, but instead of reminiscing about
past encounters in the top flight, or considering the link of greatness
between the only two league sides that Sir Stanley Matthews played for, the
best a contributor to an unofficial Blackpool website could say was: "At
least we won't hit the headlines by being thrashed by a bunch of amateurs."
Such a reaction was, perhaps, hardly surprising in the wake of a 5-0 home
defeat by Bury that prompted the same website to wonder whether this was the
club's darkest hour. For a club that was a glamour side in the Fifties and
famously won the FA Cup in 1953, being bottom of the Nationwide League
second division is pretty poor, but the club has been in a worse league
position, sinking into the old fourth division in 1981 and again in 1990.
That said, a return to the lowest division is likely after the 2-I home
defeat by Oldham Athletic on Tuesday.
The club is either fiddling while Rome burns or holding its nerve in
keeping faith with Nigel Worthington, who became manager in July 1997, and
has now presided over the club's worst start to a season since 1966.
Worthington, who has not seen his side win since the opening day of the
season, has been under fire, but Karl Oyston, the dub's chairman, appears to
be behind him. When Worthington requested a meeting with Oyston immediately
after the Bury match, a resignation was expected, but not forthcoming.
"Nigel never mentioned anything about resigning, and if he had I would have
talked him out of it," Oyston said.
The match itself had been one to forget, with home fans applauding a goal
for Bury by Ian Lawson, the former Blackpool forward, and cheering Lawson
and another old boy,
Andy Preece. Worthington was booed off but remained defiant. "I was a
battler as a player and I'm the same as a manager," he said. One might draw
one's own conclusions from the Oldham result, but the performance on Tuesday
was an improvement, even if luck ran true to form. "Someone shoots from 30
yards, it hits one of our players on the backside and goes in the net,"
Worthington reflected.
More people might sympathise if Worthington had not broken an unwritten law
earlier in the season in a match against Gillingham. Vince Bartram, the
Gillingham goalkeeper. had kicked the ball out to allow a Blackpool player
to receive treatment. Apparently at the instigation of the manager, instead
of returning possession to Gillingham, Blackpool went onto the attack and
equalised.
"It's dog eat dog," was Worthington's reported remark. You wonder how long
he and Oyston can bear the Promethean experience of being devoured every
week.

20 September 1999

So midway through September and already a fight against relegation is in the
offing. Bottom three, one league victory all season (and that was so lucky
as to beggar belief), no signs of a new stadium and a manager who's idea of
motivation is to criticise the players at every given opportunity, whilst
arranging for the club's topscorer last season to depart the Seaside and
head for bright lights of Linfield on a free transfer.

What the hell is going on??

Although I'm sure Nigel Worthington has a tough job on his hands, and I
admire the way he has handled himself over the past couple of seasons under
difficult circumstances, I now wonder whether he really is the man to lead
Blackpool to bigger and better things. His defence-based tactics, used
against ALL opposition no matter who they are, are frankly beginning to get
on my nerves.

It used to be a pleasure watching Blackpool play, but no longer, and his
arrogant remarks following the disgraceful scenes at home to Gillingham did
him and the club no favours at all. On the plus side, I have to say that
Nigel still commands a great deal of respect in the footballing world, and
that can only help when loans and transfers (??) are being discussed.

Talking of transfers (nice link there) I was fortunate enough to be in
Estonia on BBC duty recently when Scotland played a World Cup Qualifier and
was able to see the man Zelinski in the flesh...so to speak. My opinion (for
what it's worth...which is not much) is that he is a player with vision, a
turn of speed, but is slightly lightweight and may struggle in the
hurly-burly of the Nationwide League. Could be a good addition to the Pool
squad (but then my 13 year old daughter would also be a useful addition the
way things stand at the moment), but as we're not going to sign him, then
all of that is rather irrelevant!! Why didn't we get him??? Well it's my
understanding that if you can persuade the DOE that the player you're
bringing in is significantly better than anything you've already got, and
would not be depriving a British player of a place in he team, then he's
allowed in....Really??? so why isn't he here then????????

So enough of my ramblings...next season in the third division we should at
least win more games than we lose, but I must admit it's not a prospect i
relish. If Nigel is to stay with us and see it through, then I wish him
luck. I don't know the man personally and I don't wish any harm on him at
all...but as a passionate Blackpool fan, I say please to the powers that
be...sort this club out quickly before it's too late!!

Peter Gillatt, Seasiders.Net Editor
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Posted By: notmean_workrate, Mar 9, 08:47:06