Guest blogger Suzanne Warr takes soundings from her native Fleetwood as the little town gets ready to challenge its famous neighbour
Life was tough in Fleetwood in the late '70s and '80s: the cod wars with Iceland had brought the virtual collapse of the fishing industry and nearly all visitors to the Fylde coast preferred to spend their money in the port's bigger and brasher neighbour, Blackpool, nine miles to the south. After hundreds of Fleetwood homes were damaged in the floods of 1977, ugly grey sea defences known as the Berlin Wall were built along much of the town's seafront ? hardly a recipe for enticing holidaymakers.
In such harsh times the kids at my school in Fleetwood couldn't be blamed for supporting one of the Manchester or Liverpool teams instead of Blackpool FC. After the Seasiders' glory years in the 1950s, they spent 1978 to 1992 flitting between the third and fourth divisions, and the Bloomfield Road ground's proximity to the Irish Sea meant it was pretty chilly in the stands watching Blackpool getting beaten.
Two decades later, times have changed. Blackpool had a glorious season in the Premier League last year when they were almost universally praised (Preston and Burnley fans excepted) for their exciting, attacking football and my kids went to see their team (Blackpool) get thrashed by the nearest club to our house (Arsenal) yet still came home smiling. Blackpool are back in the Championship now but may yet sneak into the playoffs for another year.
Up the coast, meanwhile, Fleetwood Town FC are riding high in the Blue Square Premier and there are hopes of promotion into the Football League this season. When Blackpool are playing away, fans often go up to Fleetwood to watch their neighbours play.
But now life has got a bit complicated, albeit in a nice way, for Fleetwood-based Blackpool fans. For the first time since 1980, Fleetwood have been drawn against Blackpool in the FA Cup, on Saturday 7 January, this time in the third round and at Fleetwood's ground, Highbury. Who should get their support, the home town team or the tangerine neighbours who for years have themselves been the underdogs?
In the Highbury sports and social club, overlooking Fleetwood's ground, it's a foregone conclusion. The Fleetwood fans say their town will triumph, "2-0 or 2-1" and believe that despite what they see as a sometimes patronising attitude of Blackpool fans to Fleetwood, the bigger team needs the win most ? both for its pride and as a moneyspinner. For Fleetwood, getting promoted is more important ? but beating Blackpool would be a bonus.
Mick Beeston, a steward at a former incarnation of Fleetwood Town, reckons the success of the team is good for the whole town:
I was here when only 50 people turned up for a match but now everyone is getting involved with something a bit special and they want it to last.
For Tim Bowman, a Fleetwood man now living in Ipswich:
It's put the town on the map. Everyone knows about Fleetwood now.
If Blackpool fans are worried, they're not showing it. Up the Fylde coast in St Annes, Derek Parkinson is planning to watch the match on the big screen at Bloomfield Road as tickets for the 5,500-capacity ground in Fleetwood were all snapped up. His ideal scenario is a draw at Fleetwood, then for Blackpool to win the replay:
It's fantastic what they're doing there [in Fleetwood]. I think Blackpool fans wish them all the best.
The strongest feelings ? and insults - come from Blackpool fans living in Fleetwood who have no intention of jumping ship to their town team. One, who did not wish to be named, said the Fleetwood club was:
...getting too big for its boots and needs a good spanking. I hope [Blackpool's manager, Ian Holloway] fields a strong side because if Fleetwood win, the bragging rights are going to last forever ? it would be deadly.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/jan/03/blackpool-fleetwood-town
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