1946–47 Blackpool F.C. season

Blackpool F.C.
Season 1946-47
LeagueDivision One
ManagerJoe Smith
League position5th
Top goalscorersLeague: Stan Mortensen (28)
Combined: Stan Mortensen (29)
FA CupThird round[1]
Highest home attendance 28,907 (v. Preston North End)
Lowest home attendance14,501 (v. Leeds United)
Previous season1945-46
Next season1947-48

The 1946-47 season was Blackpool F.C.'s 39th season (36th consecutive) in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division One, then the top tier of English football, finishing fifth.

New signings included John Crosland (from local club Ansdell Rovers), George Dick, Jimmy McIntosh (from Preston North End), George McKnight, Sammy Nelson and Eddie Shimwell (from Sheffield United). Out went, amongst others, Dai Astley, Dick Burke, Malcolm Butler, the prolific goalscorer Jock Dodds (to Shamrock Rovers), Bobby Finan, Frank O'Donnell (to Aston Villa) and Alec Roxburgh.

Stan Mortensen was the club's top scorer for the third consecutive season, with 29 goals (28 in the league and one in the FA Cup).

Season review

Blackpool's first league game took them to Yorkshire to face Huddersfield Town on 31 August. Stan Mortensen, Jimmy Blair and Alex Munro got the visitors' goals in a 3–1 victory.

Three more victories followed: 4–2 against Brentford at Bloomfield Road (Mortensen, Willie Buchan (two) and Jimmy McIntosh the scorers), 2–0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers (George Eastham and Mortensen), and 1–0 at Portsmouth (Eastham).

Eastham scored two more goals in the next game, at Sunderland, making it four in three games, but Blackpool lost 3–2.

Another four-game win streak ended September and began October: 1–0 at home to Aston Villa (Mortensen) on 21 September, 4–3 at home to Portsmouth two days later (a Buchan hat-trick and Blair), 2–1 at Derby County (Mortensen and McIntosh), and 2–1 against Arsenal at Bloomfield Road (Mortensen and debutant George Dick).

On 12 October, Blackpool lost at Preston North End 0–2 in the first West Lancashire derby of the season.

A week later, Blackpool hosted Manchester United at Bloomfield Road and won 3–1, with George Farrow, Mortensen, and Dick the scorers for the home side.

Blackpool recorded their first draw of the campaign on 26 October — 1–1 at Bolton Wanderers, McIntosh getting the Seasiders' goal.

Chelsea visited Bloomfield Road on 2 November, and they returned to the capital pointless after a single-goal defeat. Blair scored the goal.

Blackpool travelled to Sheffield United the following weekend and lost 4–2. A Mortensen penalty and an Eastham strike accounted for the Blackpool half of the scoreline.

Two more defeats ensued — 2–3 at Grimsby Town (McIntosh and Mortensen) and 2–4 at Leeds United (Hugh O'Donnell, in his only appearance of the season, and Mortensen).

Blackpool got back to winning ways on 30 November with a 3–2 result against Liverpool at home. McIntosh, Blair and Mortensen were the scorers for the hosts.

Into December, Blackpool travelled to Stoke City and lost 4–1 (Dick getting the Blackpool goal), before a heavy 5–0 home defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough.

On 21 December, Blackpool visited Charlton Athletic, where a Buchan penalty was enough to give them both points.

On Christmas Day, Blackpool travelled to Lancashire neighbours Blackburn Rovers. Mortensen scored Blackpool's goal in a 1–1 draw.

The following day, the return fixture, saw the first all-ticket game at Bloomfield Road. Mortensen's goal, his fourteenth of the season, gave Blackpool the victory.

On 28 December, Huddersfield Town visited Bloomfield Road, and goals by Dick and Buchan (a penalty) gave Blackpool a 2–1 win.

The first game of 1947 took Blackpool to Wolves, where they lost 3–1 (Mortensen getting the visitors' goal).

On 11 January, Blackpool travelled to Hillsborough for an FA Cup third-round tie with Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday won 4–1, with Mortensen scoring Blackpool's goal.

Sunderland completed the double over Blackpool on 18 January with a 5–0 victory.

A draw followed, at Aston Villa, 1–1, with Mortensen again finding the net for Blackpool.

On 1 February, Blackpool recorded one more in the win column with a 2–1 edging of Derby County at Bloomfield Road, Munro and Dick getting the goals.

Seven days later, Blackpool travelled to London to face Arsenal and drew 1–1, Mortensen adding to his season's tally.

The Tangerines exacted revenge on arch-rivals Preston North End after their 2–0 victory back in October by beating them 4–0 at Bloomfield Road on 15 February. Dick and Mortensen scored two apiece.

Blackpool's joy was short-lived, however: they lost 3–0 at Manchester United seven days later, and then by a single goal at home to Bolton Wanderers.

For the fourth time this season, Blackpool strung four consecutive wins together, beginning on 8 March at Chelsea. Dick (two), Buchan and Mortensen were the Blackpool scorers in the 4–1 scoreline. They also beat Sheffield United at home 4–2 (Mortensen, Munro and another Dick double), Grimsby Town away, 3–2 (two from Mortensen and one from George McKnight), and Leeds United at home, 3–0, with the same scorers.

On 4 April, Blackpool drew 1–1 with Everton at Goodison Park. Blackpool's goal came from a T. G. Jones own-goal.

Blackpool remained in Liverpool for the following day's game at Anfield. The visitors won 3–2, with Mortensen (two) and Buchan getting their goals. It remained their last League double over the eventual champions for 64 years.[2]

Everton travelled to Bloomfield Road two days later and won 3–0.

Blackpool suffered a second consecutive home defeat (0–2 on this occasion) when Stoke City visited on 12 April.

Middlesbrough hosted Blackpool the following week, and goals from Eastham and Mortensen gave the visitors both points in a 2–1 scoreline.

The season was rounded off on 28 April with a visit by Charlton Athletic to Bloomfield Road. The match finished goalless.

Table

P WDLFAGAPts
1Liverpool422571084521.61557
2Manchester United422212895541.75956
3Wolverhampton Wanderers422561198561.75056
4Stoke City422471190531.69855
5Blackpool422261471701.01450
6Sheffield United422171489751.18749
7Preston North End4218111376741.02747
8Aston Villa421891567531.26445
9Sunderland421881665660.98544
10Everton421791662670.92543
11Middlesbrough421781773681.07442
12Portsmouth421691766601.10041
13Arsenal421691772701.02941
14Derby County421851973790.92441
15Chelsea421671969840.82139
16Grimsby Town4213121761820.74438
17Blackburn Rovers421482045530.84936
18Bolton Wanderers421382157690.82634
19Charlton Athletic4211121957710.80334
20Huddersfield Town421372253790.67133
21Brentford42972645880.51125
22Leeds United42663045900.50018

Player statistics

Appearances

League

Players used: 22

No appearances: Ewan Fenton

FA Cup

Players used: 11

Goals

League

Goals scored: 70 (plus one own-goal)

FA Cup

Goals scored: 1

Notes

  1. Entered competition in third round
  2. "Blackpool 2–1 Liverpool" - BBC Sport, 12 January 2011
  3. Ever-present

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, March 26, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.