LASTSEASON
LEAGUEONE14thFACUPFourthRoundLEAGUECUP
FirstRoundTOPSCORER(ALLCOMPS)BillyKee(16)LASTSEASON
LEAGUE ONE 10th FA CUP Third Round LEAGUE CUP
Fourth Round TOP SCORER Armand Gnanduillet (14)60 Season Preview 2019-20 FourFourTwo
ACCRInGTOn STAnLEY BLACKPOOL
SKY BET LEAGUE OnE
2019-20
FFTVERDICT
19TH FFT VERDICT
13TH
The supposed minnows stayed up
with relative ease last season and
their first mission will be to do the
same again under John Coleman.
Keeping key players such as Billy
Kee and Sean McConville is crucial,
though we can expect them to be
successful in the market as usual.Blackpool can at last look forward
to a buoyant Bloomfield Road for
the new season. Fans hope they
can improve on 10th last term, but
that will be a tough act to follow
even for the experienced Simon
Grayson, who returns to the club
he took out of this league in 2007.The big talking point among the fans
is Stanley playing a pre-season friendly
against Marseille of all clubs!
This season will be different because
it’s our second season in League One
and we know what to expect now.
The best Accrington social media
account is our legendary chairman
on Twitter, @AndyhHolt.
The best thing about the matchday
experience at Accrington is Winners’
Hour – £1 per pint if we win!
The signature local dish is the meat
and potato pie.
Look out for Toby Savin: real potential
and the best name for a goalkeeper.
Save the date for Blackpool away, on
Boxing Day. ‘Massive’ is understating it.
The one change I’d make to the club
would be continued development at
the ground. A new training facility and
changing rooms are essential.
Our most underrated player is Ross
Sykes [below], a potential star in the
making at centre-back.
The opposition player I secretly
admire is former Accrington man
Kayden Jackson, now at Ipswich.
Our key player will be Billy Kee
[above, right], guaranteeing 15+ goals.
Our best celebrity fan is the legend
that is David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd!
The best away ground is Wycombe’s- very friendly – although I often enjoy
a trip to Rochdale.
Did you know that a few years ago,
we were hours away from going out
of business – again. Thanks to Ilyas
Khan, we lived. We’re forever grateful.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that his stock on the pitch has never
been higher – to win four promotions
is remarkable. John Coleman won’t be
under serious pressure unless we’re
bottom of the table at Christmas. His
biggest strength lies in finding rough
diamonds, using some great contacts
and scouting in the North West, then
polishing them into superb players.
His weaknesses are off the field: he
can’t take criticism, even when it’s
obvious that we’re in the wrong – the
scenes away at Charlton last season
certainly spring to mind.
We’ll finish 12th, nicely in mid-table.
The big talking point among the fans
is a new owner: local lad Simon Sadler.
This season will be different because
we’ll have a settled club, our stadium
will have more supporters in it, and
there’ll be a real connection between
the fans and the club. Even the pitch
is looking pristine.
Save the date for Accrington away
[September 21]. Their chairman is
fantastic and was so accommodating
when we visited last year.
Did you know that we have the best
play-off record in history – unlike our
rivals, PNE. Forever in our shadow...
Our most underrated player is Mr
Versatile, aka Ollie Turton [below].
He oozes class wherever he plays.
The signature local dish is fish and
chips – a proper seaside classic.
The other recommendation for away
fans is to make a weekend of it.
The best away fans are Sunderland’s- they brought 7,000 to Bloomfield
Road, which is an incredible effort.
Our key player will be Jay Spearing.
The guy is quality. He’s played in the
Champions League, he’s won major
trophies, and now he’s the rock in our
midfield. Crucial.
The opposition player I secretly
admire is John Marquis, who has
scored goals for fun at Doncaster. He
would do well in the Championship.
The pantomime villain will be Joey
Barton, manager of our neighbours
and not afraid to speak his mind. Let’s
hope we finish above Fleetwood again.
The best thing about the matchday
experience at Blackpool is the fans.
When the stadium’s rocking, there’s
no better place to be.
The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is
that Simon Grayson could prove to be
a fantastic appointment. He has been
promoted from League One four times
in his career, and after his experiences
at Sunderland and Bradford will be so
hungry to prove people wrong – where
better to do that than with the club
where his managerial career began?
We’ll finish by just sneaking into the
play-off spots on the final day of the
season, before winning them again.
It’s the Blackpool way.FAn FILE
LEE WALKER
@leewasi
FAn FILE
KIERAN NEWCOMBE
@newcombepe