1897β98 Blackpool F.C. season
Season 1897-98 | |
---|---|
League | Division Two |
Manager | None |
League position | 11th |
Top goalscorer | Jack Cox (12) |
Highest home attendance | 4,000 (v. Burnley, Newton Heath and Darwen)[1] |
Lowest home attendance | 200 (v. Luton Town)[1] |
Previous season | β 1896-97 |
Next season | 1898-99 β |
The 1897β98 season was Blackpool F.C.'s second consecutive season in the Football League. They competed in the sixteen-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing eleventh.
New signings for the season included Jack Cox from South Shore, Jack Leadbetter, Frank Wilson, and McHardie. Out had gone Fred Thompson (after making only six appearances the previous season), Tom Bradshaw, and John Clarke.
Cox was the club's top scorer, with twelve goals in seventeen appearances.[2] Goalkeeper William Douglas was ever-present throughout the club's 30 league games for the second consecutive season.
Season review
The season commenced with a trip to local rivals Burnley. The hosts won 5β1, and even Blackpoolβs goal was scored by a Clarets player.
Seven days later, the fixture was reversed. Jimmy Martin, Blackpoolβs second-top scorer the previous season, scored the home sideβs goal in a 1β1 draw.
Three consecutive defeats followed: 2β0 at home to Manchester City, 1β0 at Newton Heath, and 4β1 at Gainsborough Trinity. Laurence Halsall scored Blackpoolβs goal in the latter game.
On 9 October, Blackpool recorded their first win of the season, 2β1 at home to Burton Swifts. Jack Cox, in only his second start for the club since his arrival from South Shore, scored both Blackpool goals.
Cox scored another brace in the following game, a 4β1 victory over Small Heath at Stanley Park's Athletic Grounds. John Clarkin and Bob Birkett netted the other goals for the home side.
On 23 October, Blackpool travelled to Newcastle United and returned empty-handed after a 2β0 defeat.
November proved to be a fruitless month, with defeats at Leicester Fosse (4β1), Darwen (3β1), Woolwich Arsenal (2β1) and Luton Town (3β1). Martin scored Blackpoolβs goals in the first three losses, and Clarkin in the final one.
After a three-week break, Blackpool beat Gainsborough Trinity 5β0 at the Athletic Grounds. Cox, Harry Stirzaker and Jack Parkinson scored, alongside two own-goals by the visitors.
Cox scored two more in the following game a week later, a 3β2 home defeat by Newcastle.
1897 was closed out with a 6β0 defeat at Walsall.
Blackpool began the New Year with a 3β3 draw at home to Woolwich Arsenal. Cox netted twice, with Birkett also scoring.
On 8 January, Parkinson and Martin combined to lift Blackpool to a 2β1 victory over Leicester Fosse.
Continuing their inconsistent season, the Seasiders lost the following game, their third consecutive home match, 4β0 to Newton Heath.
At the end of the month, Blackpool travelled to Small Heath and recorded a 3β2 victory. Parkinson, Martin and Cox were the scorers.
February began with a defeat, 3β2 at Lincoln City; however, Blackpool exacted revenge six days later in the return match: two goals apiece from Birkett and Cox, plus one more from Parkinson, gave them a 5β0 victory. This was Cox's final appearance for Blackpool before he was sold to Liverpool, but his twelve goals remained unbeaten in the remaining nine games.
Birkett scored in the following game, at Burton Swifts on 26 February, but he could not carry them to victory, Swifts winning 2β1.
Blackpool didnβt play again until 19 March, when they travelled to Grimsby Town. The home side won 3β0.
Seven days later, Blackpool hosted Loughborough. Goals from Birkett and Jack Leadbetter, his first of the season, gave Blackpool a 2β0 victory.
March ended with a 3β3 draw at Manchester City, featuring two goals from Parkinson and one from Clarkin.
Another draw followed, this time 1β1 with Walsall, in the first of five consecutive home games for Blackpool. Martin scored his seventh of the season.
On 8 April, Clarkin scored the only goal of the game as Blackpool beat Darwen.
Eight days later, Leadbetter scored his second goal of the season in a 1β1 draw with Grimsby.
Leadbetter was also one of the scorers as Blackpool completed a double over Loughborough. Parkinson (two) and Birkett scored the other goals of the 4β0 victory. Blackpool started the match a man short.
The season ended with a single-goal victory over Luton, Clarkin scoring his fifth of the campaign.
Table
P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Burnley[3] | 30 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 80 | 24 | 3.333 | 48 |
2 | Newcastle United[3] | 30 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 64 | 32 | 2.000 | 45 |
3 | Manchester City | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 66 | 36 | 1.833 | 39 |
4 | Newton Heath | 30 | 16 | 6 | 8 | 64 | 35 | 1.829 | 38 |
5 | Woolwich Arsenal | 30 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 69 | 49 | 1.408 | 37 |
6 | Small Heath | 30 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 58 | 50 | 1.160 | 36 |
7 | Leicester Fosse | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 46 | 35 | 1.314 | 33 |
8 | Luton Town | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 68 | 50 | 1.360 | 30 |
9 | Gainsborough Trinity | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 50 | 54 | 0.926 | 30 |
10 | Walsall | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 58 | 58 | 1.000 | 29 |
11 | Blackpool | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 49 | 61 | 0.803 | 25 |
12 | Grimsby Town | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 52 | 62 | 0.839 | 24 |
13 | Burton Swifts | 30 | 8 | 5 | 17 | 38 | 69 | 0.551 | 21 |
14 | Lincoln City | 30 | 6 | 5 | 19 | 43 | 82 | 0.524 | 17 |
15 | Darwen | 30 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 31 | 76 | 0.408 | 14 |
16 | Loughborough | 30 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 24 | 87 | 0.276 | 14 |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
Player statistics
Appearances
- William Douglas β 30[4]
- Jimmy Martin β 29
- Henry Parr β 28
- John Clarkin β 26
- Harry Stirzaker β 25
- D. McHardie β 24
- Jack Parkinson β 24
- Bob Norris β 23
- Frank Wilson β 23
- Jack Cox β 17
- Jack Leadbetter β 17
- Bill Keech β 16
- Bob Birkett β 14
- Alex Stuart β 10
- Tommy Bowman β 8
- G. Cardwell β 6
- Laurence Halsall β 5
- John Scarr β 3
- James Banks β 1
Players used: 19
Goals
- Jack Cox β 12
- Bob Birkett β 8
- Jack Parkinson β 8
- Jimmy Martin β 7
- John Clarkin β 5
- Jack Leadbetter β 3
- Harry Stirzaker β 1
- Frank Wilson β 1
- Laurence Halsall β 1
Total goals scored: 46 (plus three own-goals)
Transfers
In
Date | Player | From | Fee | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1897 | James Banks | Unknown | Unknown | |
1897 | G. Cardwell | Unknown | Unknown | |
1897 | Jack Cox | South Shore | Unknown | |
1897 | Laurence Halsall | Southport Central | Unknown | |
1897 | Bill Keech | Unknown | Unknown | |
1897 | Jack Leadbetter | Unknown | Unknown | |
1897 | D. McHardie | Unknown | Unknown | |
1897 | Frank Wilson | Unknown | Unknown |
Out
The following players left after the final game of the previous season:
Date | Player | To | Fee |
---|---|---|---|
1897 | Fred Thompson | Unknown | Unknown |
1897 | Tom Bradshaw | Unknown | Unknown |
1897 | John Clarke | Unknown | Unknown |
Notes
References
- Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
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