On Me ‘ead, Son!

The history books state that Bristol City have been the winning side more often than the ‘Pool, but only just;

League:
Blackpool wins – 29
Draws – 21
Bristol City wins – 32

Cup:
Blackpool wins – 1
Draws – 1
Bristol City wins – 1

Overall:
Blackpool wins – 30
Draws – 22
Bristol City – 33

The very first fixture between the sides came on September 7th, 1901 in the Second Division of old where ‘Pool ended up on the losing side, 2-0.

In the years before WWI, the sides exchanged victories and losses each season with not much separating the two teams – excluding the 5-0 hammering of the Seasiders by City in December 1903!

When football eventually restarted at the end of the war, two nil-nil draws (a rarity in the fixture until that time) followed while in the season after, ‘Pool failed to register a win against City with one draw and a defeat to their name.

Blackpool returned to winning ways and in the ’29/’30 season registered a 7-1 win – to date still the biggest scoreline in the fixture.

Following the ’29/’30 season, the clubs didn’t meet again until January 1958 where they battled to a 1-1 draw at Bristol in the FA Cup, resulting in a replay at Bloomfield Road in which ‘Pool ran out victorious 2-1, a matter of 4 days later.

It would be a further 8 years until the two teams met in the league again with ‘Pool winning away from home and drawing the reverse fixture later in the ’67/’68 season.

A 1-0 league cup defeat in 1970 came later and the sides would play each other regularly up until the 80’s when ‘Pool slumped into the 4th Division – during which the sides faced off 4 times, with a win a-piece and 2 draws.

Throughout the 90’s the results were once again back and forth in the 2nd Division (Now League One) including the 5-2 victory in April of 2002 – my first ‘Pool game – where the Bristol fans were laughed at as they left the ground and walked across Bloomfield Road Bridge 10 minutes before the end of the game.

Last season, Blackpool’s first victory of the season came away at Bristol City and, after not scoring a goal for more than 5 hours of football, won the game 4-2 thanks to Danny Graham, Scott Vernon, Keigan Parker and skipper Michael Jackson. Showunmi scored the 2 goals for City in what was a shock defeat for the club.

The teams met again in ‘Frightning’ February where ‘Pool endured a dip in form that saw them lose 1-0 to City and eventually drop out of the playoffs.

Looking at the history between the two clubs, this Saturday could well go either way and with the addition of Blackpool fans’ nemesis Lee Trundle to their attack, City could well force a score draw at Fortress Bloomfield Road.