November
Newsfile

Newsfile Archive

After the final whistle at Griffin Park at 1.50pm on New Years Day then City can go in full FA Cup mode. Until then there are 15 points on offer, a fair return could set the club on the way to at least a play off place and on current form one step further.

Bloomfield Rd, Blackpool, on a cold and windy Saturday afternoon in December is not the most appealing place to go. No dispespect to the warm natured Lancastrians but I'd rather be there in he summer. The pitch at Bloomfield Rd is poor, Steve McMahon saying its the worst in the league, but the club are making a fantastic effort in Blackpool with the ground being totally rebuilt. Large sections have been completed and because of the rebuiling work City's allocation is only 1,000. All the tickets have been sold so there will be a great noise from the City travellers.

Blackpool themselves are in round 3 of the Cup they travel to Charlton. The Tangerines are 7 points and 7 places behind City in 13th. They are now less Brett Ormerod, the prolific scorer this season has moved upto the Premiership to join Southampton for £1.75m. Blackpool have tried to bring in Luke Beckett from Chesterfield but allegedly their brown envelopes wern't enough for Beckett and he's moved to Edgely Park to play for Stockport.

City's form in Blackpool has been poor, 27 visits with only 3 wins and 3 draws to show for it. The last win came in 1968, a 2 - 1 success. City are favourites though for tomorrows game. The feeling in Blackpool is that a draw would be a good result for them, lets not be fooled though, they won promotion through the play offs last season and are holding their own in this division. City will do well to overcome the conditions and get all three points. It will be a real test of how well this team has "gelled". Recent form says thing are coming together, only 1 defeat in the last 13 league games.

Mark Bonner returns to the club where he played for many seasons after being signed by Billy Ayre. Bonner is still well liked at Blackpool and will get a good reception fron the Tangerine fans and from his family who all still live in Lancashire. Bonner was born in Ormskirk just down the Rd from Blackpool.

City expect to make only one change. On loan Dean Gordon coming in for Andy Legg who will drop to the bench. None of the first team starters had any involvement in the midweek reserve game but a noticable display from Josh Low will ensure his place on the bench.

City expect to line up

                                    Neil Alexander
Daniel Gabbidon   Spencer Prior   Scott Young   Dean Gordon
                          Mark Bonner    Willie Boland
                 Graham Kavanagh                 Jason Bowen
                           Gavin Gordon      Rob Earnshaw

Subs Andy Legg, Leo FW, Layton Maxwell, Rhys Weston, Josh Low.