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Bob 70-71
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"I
feel very proud of the effort that the Blackpool players
put into the 1969-70 season. In my first year withthe
club I asked a lot of them they gave me 100% response.
What made the effort even more creditable was the fact
that everyone fought back from an early season run of bad
luck that could well have ruined our chances.
There was
the injury to Tony Green, whom we looked on as the
hinge-pin to our promotion effort. He didn't kick a ball
all season ! There was the injury, in that same
pre-season training, to our one experienced keeper. There
was the serious backroom loss of club physiotherapist
Jack Duckworth who died while on holiday. And then, after
only a few games, Fred Pickering, newly signed from
Birmingham, went down with pneumonia. Fred, however,
returned after six weeks and had to be pushed into our
side as a matter of expediency. At one stage early in the
season we had 17 of our staff of 22 undergoing
treatment.!
We were,
perhaps, just a bit lucky that Harry Thomson, of Burnley,
happened to be available for that vital goalkeeping
position. His confidence quickly spread to those in front
of him - and through the whole team. Dave Hatton from
Bolton, proved to be a first class buy, quickly fitting
into partnership with Glyn James; skipper Jimmy Armfield
had one of his best ever seasons and all the new boys
blended well with the established players. The point that
pleased me most was that the total spent on all my
signings cost the club less than £100,000. And I was
especially pleased at the progress made by my young
players. "
Les
Shannon (Blackpool manager).
From
'Charles Buchan's Soccer Gift Book' (1970-71) IPC
Specialist and Professional Press Ltd : London.
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