Portsmouth FC History, Players, Team, Information Portsmouth FC History Founded in 1898, Portsmouth Football Club are an English association football club, based in the south coast city port of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey, and is currently playing in the Premier League. The club is owned by Serbian-American businessman Milan Mandaric. The best known chant from the Pompey supporters is the "Pompey Chimes" ("Play up Pompey, Pompey play up" sung to the tune of a striking clock). Former Olympique de Marseille coach Alain Perrin was appointed team manager on April 7, 2005 with a two-year contract. Portsmouth enjoy a fierce rivalry with Southampton F.C.; despite Southampton being in a superior division for much of the 1980s and 90s, this derby was recently reignited by Portsmouth's promotion to the Premiership in 2003. The club's biggest recent achievement came on 27 April 2003 when Pompey beat Rotherham 3-2 to clinch the First Division championship with a game in hand, giving the club promotion to the Premier League for the first time in its history.

The 2004/05 season sees Portsmouth playing in the Premier League for the second successive season. The club was founded in 1898, with John Brickwood as chairman. Frank Brettell was appointed as the club's first manager. The club's first league match was played at Chatham Town F.C. on 2nd September 1899 (a 1-0 victory), followed three days later by the first match at Fratton Park against local rivals Southampton. That first season was hugely successful, with the club winning 20 out of 28 league matches, earning them runners-up spot in the Southern League. The league was won for the first time in the 1901/1902 season, by which time Brettell had been replaced by club captain Bob Blyth as manager. The 1906/07 season was highlighted by the visit of giants Manchester United F.C. to Fratton Park in the English Cup, which generated a record attendance of 24,329. A 2-2 draw meant a replay in Manchester, and Portsmouth recorded a famous 2-1 win.

However, this record attendance was surpassed two seasons later when Sheffield Wednesday F.C. visited Fratton for the second round of the new FA Cup. 1910/11 saw Portsmouth relegated, but with the recruitment of Bob Brown as manager the team were promted the next season. Football was suspended during World War I, but following the resumption of matches Portsmouth won the Southern League for the second time. Continuing success saw them in the Third Division for the 1920/21 season. They finished 12th that year, but won the league in the 1923/24 season. The club continued to perform well in the Second Division, winning promotion by finishing 2nd in the 1926/27 season, gaining a record 9-1 win over Notts County F.C. along the way. Portsmouth's debut season in the First Division was a struggle. The next season they continued to falter, losing 10-0 to Leicester City F.C., still a club record defeat. However, despite their failings in the league that season also saw Portsmouth reach the FA Cup final for the first time, which they lost to Bolton Wanderers F.C..

Portsmouth managed to survive relegation, and their fortunes began to change. In the 1930/31 season the club finished 4th. The 1933/34 season saw Portsmouth again reach the FA Cup final, beating Manchester United, Bolton Wanderers, Leicester and Birmingham City F.C. on the way. Unfortunatly the club was again defeated in the final, this time to Manchester City F.C. Having established themselves in the top flight, the 1938/39 season saw Portsmouth reach their third FA Cup final. This time the club managed to defeat the favourites, Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., convincingly. Football was again suspended due to World War II, meaning Pompey hold the dubious distinction of holding the FA Cup for the longest period as the trophy wasn't contested again until the 1945/46 season! League football resumed for the 1946/47 campaign. In Pompey's Golden Jubilee season of 1948/49, the club were tipped to be the first team of the 20th Century to win the League and Cup double.

However, Pompey crashed out of the FA Cup in the semi final against Leicester, but made up for it by claiming the league title in spectacular fashion. That season also saw a record attendance of 51,385, a record which still stands to this day. The club retained the title the following year, beating Aston Villa F.C. 5-1 on the last day of the season. Pompey enjoyed a fourth-place finish in 1951/52, but in the summer of 1952 championship-winning manager Bob Jackson left for Hull City F.C. The players who had featured in the club's recent successes were now ageing and the young players coming into the side were not of comparable quality. Although the team finished third in 1954/55, subsequent seasons saw Pompey struggle and they were relegated to the Second Division in 1959. 1961 saw the now cash-strapped club relegated to the Third Division, but Pompey bounced straight back as champions the following year. A decade of mediocre performances in the Second Division followed, and despite the cash injection that accompanied the arrival of John Deacon as chairman in 1972 Pompey's fortunes failed to improve.

With Deacon unable to continue bankrolling the club on the same scale, Pompey were relegated to the Third Division in 1976. In November 1976 the club found itself needing to raise GBP 25,000 to pay off debts and so avoid bankruptcy. The money was raised from supporter contributions after a campaign led by the local newspaper The News. With players having to be sold to ease the club's financial situation, and no money available for replacements, Pompey were forced to rely on inexperienced young players and were relegated to the Fourth Division in 1978. Pompey were promoted two years later, and in the 1982/83 season they won the Third Division championship, gaining promotion back to the Second Division. Under Alan Ball's management, Pompey narrowly missed winning promotion to the First Division twice before finally succeeding in 1986/87. Unfortunately, by the middle of the 1987/88 season the club was again in grave financial trouble, and Pompey were relegated straight back to the Second Division. The summer of 1988 saw Deacon sell the club to London based businessman Jim Gregory.

Jim Smith's arrival as manager at the start of the 1991/92 season, combined with the emergence of some good young players, sparked a revival in the team's fortunes and that year Pompey reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing on penalties to Liverpool F.C. after a replay. The following season, Pompey missed out on promotion to the FA Premier League only by virtue of having scored one less goal than West Ham United F.C. Chairman Gregory now called in the money he had lent the club over preceding seasons, and so players were sold with little funds available to buy replacements. The team's form declined, and Smith was controversially sacked in 1995 and replaced by Terry Fenwick. Relegation to the Second Division was avoided on the last day of the 1995/96 season when Pompey won away to Huddersfield Town F.C. while other results went the club's way. In the summer of 1996 Terry Venables arrived at Pompey as a consultant, later taking over as chairman after buying the club for GBP 1.

The team enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 1996/97, beating FA Premier League side Leeds United F.C. en route, but finished just short of the qualifying places for the play-offs for promotion to the Premier League. The 1997/98 season saw Venables lose his popularity with the club's supporters, as he signed several Australian players, most of whom failed to perform with much distinction, while his role as coach of the Australian national team meant he was frequently absent from Portsmouth; meanwhile, the team's results were poor. Two-thirds of the way through the season he and unpopular manager Fenwick left the club, Venables selling his shareholding back to Martin Gregory, son of former chairman Jim, while Alan Ball returned as manager. Relegation was again avoided on the last day of the season. The following season saw the club again dogged by financial trouble, and in December 1998 Pompey went into administration. The club was saved by Mandaric buying it in May 1999, and the new chairman immediately started investing.

However, it wasn't until the appointment of Harry Redknapp as manager, with former Pompey manager Jim Smith as his assistant, in early 2002 that the club's fortunes really turned around. In Redknapp's first full season in charge, (2002/03), he brought in experienced Premiership players such as Steve Stone and Paul Merson. Pompey stormed the league, and the club tipped for relegation surprised many by comfortably winning the title. The following season Pompey were favourites for relegation from the top-flight, but following some inspired signings such as veteran Teddy Sheringham, the club embarked on an impressive run, finally finishing in 13th place in their debut Premiership season. Throughout the season Portsmouth's home form, at Fortress Fratton, was on a par with the top 3 teams, but their poor away form, winning only twice all season, was responsible for their mid-table finish. This theme continued into the 2004/05 season, with Portsmouth's home form not being matched on their travels. That season also saw the start of construction both on the new stadium, and on the club's first ever youth academy.

However, Mandaric and Redknapp clashed several times during their time together. At the start of the 2004/05 season, it was rumoured that Mandaric was considering replacing some of the club's coaching staff, including Redknapp's assistant Jim Smith. Although no changes took place, the two clashed again more seriously when Mandaric proposed appointing another director in November, with responsibility for the youth set-up at the club. Redknapp made comments to the media showing his disapproval of the proposal, but Mandaric pressed ahead and appointed Velimir Zajec. Redknapp, along with his assistant Jim Smith, subsequently resigned with immediate effect on 23rd November. Zajec took over as manager, initially as caretaker, then on 20th December the club announced that he would manage the team for the remainder of the season. However, after a poor run of results Alain Perrin was appointed team manager on 7 April 2005, with Zajec reverting to his director's role.

Portsmouth FC Honours, Trophies & Awards Football League Alan Ball - Telegraph Alan Ball Hero: Ball was youngest member of World Cup winning side 12:01AM BST 25 Apr 2007 World Cup winner Ball dies aged 61 Alan Ball, who died on Tuesday aged 61, was the youngest member of the England team which won the World Cup in 1966. Like the majority of the midfield and forward players in the side, Ball came relatively late into Alf Ramsey’s thinking, winning his first cap little more than a year before the tournament (and three days shy of his 20th birthday). He would prove, however, to be the epitome of the type of player Ramsey favoured, one who fashioned victory more through hard work and resilience of spirit than by languid acts of brilliance. Yet it was not until half way through the competition that Ball came into his own, when Ramsey finally yielded to his head rather than to his heart, and decided to dispense with wingers in favour of a more tightly organised, essentially defensive unit.

Ball, who had been replaced after England’s opening game against Uruguay by a succession of ineffectual wide players, was thus recalled for the quarter-final against Argentina. It was now that Ball’s formidable stamina became one of the side’s great assets, most notably in the Final itself against West Germany, in which he gave perhaps the best performance of any player. Matched against the experienced but ponderous Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Ball first exhausted his opponent as an attacking threat by pulling him all over the pitch and then, as the second half wore on, increasingly began to beat him for pace down the line. With the score level at 2-2 after 90 minutes, extra time was needed. One consequence was that Ball’s father, watching in the stands, could wait no longer and had to leave Wembley to catch a flight, so missing his son’s finest moment in the match. With 10 more minutes played, Nobby Stiles hit a long pass for Ball to chase along the wing. Ball’s first reaction was that he lacked the energy to gather it, but seeing Schnellinger running after it revivified his competitive edge.

He reached the ball first, and sent over a cross which Geoff Hurst, on the turn, hammered against the underside of the bar. It bounced down on the line, but was given as a goal, and England were ahead. Little more than 15 minutes later they had won the World Cup 4-2. Ball was prominent in the joyous celebrations although, as he wistfully recalled in later years, he wished he had savoured them more as, at 21, he assumed that England won the World Cup every time it was held. Alan James Ball was born at Farnworth, near Bolton, Lancashire, on May 12 1945, and educated at the town’s grammar school. His father, who worked as a joiner and publican, had been a professional footballer and later managed Preston North End. It was he who guided his son’s early career and who persuaded Blackpool (then a First Division side) to sign him after he had been rejected by Wolves and Bolton as being, at 5ft 6ins, too short to be a footballer.

He made his debut for the Seasiders at 17, and quickly demonstrated his qualities as a player, notably remarkable fitness, aggression and, above all, a desire to win. This last attribute, combined with a shortness of temper, often led him, when frustrated, into quarrels with teammates and referees alike, and in 1973 he became only the second England player to be sent off after he berated an official in a match against Poland. He won his first international cap against Yugoslavia in 1965. Following his success in the World Cup, Ball was transferred from Blackpool to Everton for £110,000, then a record between English clubs. His arrival galvanised Harry Catterick’s already promising young side. Running tirelessly from midfield, Ball was the team’s top scorer in his first two seasons at Goodison, and netted nearly 60 goals in his first three years there. In 1968 the team lost the FA Cup Final to West Bromwich Albion, but two years later they claimed the League Championship.

Catterick put a putative value on Ball of £1 million, but in 1971 Everton agreed to sell him to the Double winners, Arsenal, for £220,000, another transfer record. He had played 249 matches for the club and scored 78 goals. He was, however, beginning to wane as an attacking force, and in his five years at Highbury he largely failed to recapture the goal-scoring touch he had had on Merseyside. Nonetheless, he remained a dynamic tackler and a volubly inspirational presence in the dressing room (he was the young Liam Brady’s principal mentor), although he lost the only final that he contested with Arsenal, against Leeds in the FA Cup in 1972. It was also while at Arsenal that his international career came to an end. He had played in all four of England’s matches in the 1970 World Cup and had been one of the side’s few successes in the tournament. Characteristically, following their defeat by West Germany in the quarter-final, Ball hurled his tournament medal from his hotel window in disappointment.

He was subsequently appointed captain of the side by Ramsey’s successor Don Revie, but after falling out with the manager over discipline he was dropped from the team in 1975, having won 72 caps and scored eight goals. In 1976, after 177 games and 45 goals for Arsenal, he moved to Southampton, then in the Second Division. As captain, he pushed them to promotion in 1978, and a year later took them to a League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, although he again finished on the losing side. Ball then embarked on a somewhat peripatetic progress between clubs, signalling that his playing days were drawing to a close. He spent part of 1978 in America as player-manager of Philadelphia Fury; then, in 1980, took on the same role with Vancouver Whitecaps. From there he returned to Blackpool as player-coach, only for the side to be relegated, the first of all too many such failures for him as a manager. He then had another season as a player with Southampton before, after a spell in Hong Kong, he finally retired in 1984 when on the books of Bristol Rovers.

He had made 745 league appearances in total, scoring 168 goals . Ball was the last of the World Cup-winning side to hang up his boots, and, with Jack Charlton, the only one to have had a lengthy career as a manager. His work as a coach over a period of some 15 years was, however, less successful than he would have hoped, since most of the clubs which he managed were subsequently relegated. Following his first taste of this at Blackpool, his next appointment, at Portsmouth in 1984, started well enough. After twice narrowly missing promotion to the First Division, the club did go up in 1987, only to come straight back down the next year. Having parted company with Pompey, Ball moved to Colchester, who were promptly relegated, as were his next team, Stoke City, although only after he had been there for two years. Understandably disillusioned by this run of fortune, Ball renounced management in 1991 and opened a pub at Maidenhead. Six months later he was tempted back into the game by Exeter, but after three unsuccessful years there they too were relegated, to Division Three.

Ball was, however, invited by Graham Taylor to help him coach England. In fairness to Ball, many of the teams of which he had been in charge were already struggling when he arrived, and in 1994 he made a decent fist of managing a big club when appointed, with Lawrie McMenemy, joint coach of Southampton. The side finished 10th in the Premiership, and Ball agreed a three-year contract. Two months later he jumped ship to Manchester City, who were relegated on goal difference on the last day of the next season. Having been sacked by them, he went to Portsmouth before retiring from management in 1999. He subsequently became a popular after-dinner speaker. After his career as a manager the ginger-haired, squeaky-voiced Ball was occasionally viewed as a somewhat embattled figure of fun; and perhaps he could mention too readily his triumphs of 1966. But he was a man who never seemed to know when he was beaten; England’s victory had been born of his hatred of defeat, and the story of English football since might have been rather different if subsequent generations of internationals had been blessed with the spirit expressed in his customary autograph: “Alan J Ball — WIN”.

Alan Ball was appointed MBE in 2000. His wife Lesley died three years ago. They had a son and two daughters. Everton's 5 Most Iconic Players Past and Present | Bleacher Report Everton's 5 Most Iconic Players Past and Present By Ian Rodgers , World Football Staff Writer Feb 19, 2013 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse the slideshow Getty Images/Getty Images Everton fan Wayne Rooney began his career at Goodison Park but he could never emulate the legendary William Ralph Dean. 3.1K 0 Comments Everton boast a rich seam of history since their foundation in 1878 and have produced some of the biggest names in football. Players such as Tommy Lawton, Alex Young, Bob Latchford, Ted Sagar, Brian Labone, Colin Harvey and Graeme Sharp have all donned the royal blue jersey with distinction through the years. Every team has its icons of history and here we look at the top five in Goodison Park history. David Cannon/Getty Images Howard Kendall guided Everton to their first league title in 15 years in 1985.

Howard Kendall was a magnificent servant to Everton in his playing career, most notably as part of the famed Kendall-Harvey-Ball midfield trinity in the late 1960's and early 1970's. But it is his additional time as a manager with the Goodison Park club which edges him into this list, particularly for his first spell in charge between 1981 and 1987. Kendall made 229 appearances for the Toffees and scored 21 goals before joining Birmingham City in 1974 as part of the deal which brought Bob Latchford to Everton. Kendall began his managerial career with Blackburn Rovers in June 1979 and guided the club out of the old Division Three before just missing out on promotion to the top flight on goal difference in 1981. The lure of his former club was too strong to resist when Gordon Lee left Everton, and Kendall rejoined the club as player-manager and made a further four appearances for the team. After two seasons of steady progress and a campaign by some disillusioned supporters to get rid of him, Kendall won his first trophy with the 1984 FA Cup win over Watford.

The league title was twice won in 1985 and 1987 along with the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1985, the same season in which only a Norman Whiteside goal for Manchester United denied him the domestic Double. Kendall left for Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 1987, but returned twice for less successful stints in charge of the team between 1990-1993 and 1997-1998. Getty Images/Getty Images Brian Labone was inspirational captain for Everton. Labone joined Everton in July 1957 instead of going to university, and went on to become one of the club's greatest legends. Labone's record of 534 appearances for the Blues remains a club record for an outfield player, and he captained the team in the 1966 FA Cup Final win over Sheffield Wednesday and during the title-winning season of 1969-70. He was also a member of the Everton team which won the First Division championship in 1963.

He withdrew from the England squad for the 1966 World Cup Finals due to his impending marriage, but played in three of the four matches for his country at Mexico 1970. The defender won 26 caps in total. Labone retired from playing in 1971 after suffering a serious Achilles injury, but maintained a long-standing association with the club until his death in April 2006. When Labone passed away after an appearance at a supporters' awards evening at the Winslow pub opposite Goodison Park, a piece of Everton went with him. David Cannon/Getty Images Neville Southall celebrates the 1985 European Cup Winners' Cup win with striker Andy Gray. Neville Southall arrived at Everton in 1981 as the least-famous member of a group of signings bought by new manager Kendall , dubbed the "Magnificent Seven." The goalkeeper left Goodison Park in 1998 as the club's record appearance holder (751 games), a host of medals and a mine full of memories for Everton supporters.

Southall joined from Bury for £150,000 at the same time as another goalkeeper Jim Arnold from Blackburn, who was considered to be Kendall's No.1 at the time. But it was the Wales international who would go on to surpass all records at Goodison Park, and was the only member of the 1985 squad to still be on the team when Everton won the FA Cup against Manchester United 10 years later. Southall also got on the score sheet during his time at Goodison Park when he took a spot-kick in a penalty shootout against Charlton Athletic in the Full Members' Cup. Alex Livesey/Getty Images Everton players and supporters pay tribute to Alan Ball after his death in 2007. Alan Ball signed for Everton in a British record £110,000 deal from Blackpool just a month after winning the World Cup with England. The midfielder with the white boots would go on to become an Everton legend within weeks of his first season at the club when he netted twice in a 3-1 win over arch-rival Liverpool .

Ball had skills and talents which have rarely been matched at Goodison Park, and he won his only major honour at club level as part of the 1970 First Division title-winning side. When Ball left the for Arsenal in 1971 for £220,000, he was just 26 years old and at the peak of his ability. The outpouring of grief was tangible among the Everton supporters. Ball once said, "Once Everton has touched you nothing will be the same," and his mutual love for the club and the supporters never wavered as he furthered his career beyond Highbury with Southampton before moving into management with Portsmouth , Southampton and Manchester City . When Ball died in April 2007, almost a year to the day after former teammate Labone, there was no greater grief in football than at Goodison Park. William Ralph Dean is Everton's greatest icon. William Ralph Dean is, arguably, the greatest striker England has produced, let alone Everton. The Birkenhead-born player joined the Goodison Park side from Tranmere Rovers in 1925 for £3,000 and went on to set record after record for the team he supported as a boy.

Dean scored 32 goals in his first season at Everton before a motorcycle accident in 1926 saw him suffer a fractured skull and jaw. But Dean was teak-tough and he bounced back in style, and his 60 goals in 39 league appearances is a record which is unlikely to be broken as Everton cruised to the title. Everton were relegated in 1930, but Dean refused to leave the club and he helped the Blues back into the top flight in 1931 before capturing the league title the following season. Dean scored in the 1933 FA Cup Final as Everton beat Manchester City 3-0 at Wembley. Dean left Everton in 1937 and signed for Notts County the following year and the outbreak of World War II saw his playing career end. Dean had not visited Goodison for several years due to ill health when he visited the ground to see Everton take on Liverpool in March 1980. He passed away moments after the final whistle.

Blackpool FC History Blackpool FC History Posted: Thu 16 Feb 2012 Author: Winners: 1971 The Beginnings: Blackpool Football Club was founded on 26 July 1887 following a meeting at the Stanley Arms Hotel to resolve a dispute surrounding Blackpool St. John's. The club became founder founder members of the Lancashire League and enjoyed eight successful seasons, culminating in the winning of the championship in 1893-94, after being pipped on goal average by Liverpool in the previous season. In May 1896 Blackpool FC became a Limited Company with a capital of £2,000 in £1 shares and a few months later made a successful application to join the Football League. Blackpool's first league match was played at Lincoln City on 5 September 1896 in front of a crowd of around 2,000 spectators but resulted in a 3-1 defeat. Blackpool's first ever league goal was scored by Charles Mount. League status was lost in 1899 and the club spent another season in the Lancashire League.

The demise, however, was short-lived and the club was re-elected in 1900 and has maintained its league status up to the present day. For the next thirty years Blackpool remained in the Second Division with varying degrees of success. The seasons after the end of World War One saw the club striving for promotion to the First Division. This period saw the emergence of George Mee, who gained his place in the team in 1920 and remained in the side for five seasons, never missing a match and creating a record sequence of 195 consecutive appearances, which still stands to this day. A period of centre forward supremacy followed for Blackpool. Harry Bedford was signed in 1921 and was leading the goalscorer for several seasons. He was also the leading Second Division goalscorer for two seasons. Bedford also featured internationally for England on two occasions, and on three occasions appeared in the Inter-League matches. In 1927 Jimmy Hampson came to the club from Nelson. He was a brilliant centre-forward who gained both international and Inter-League honours. In the 1927-28 season he scored 31 goals in 32 games.

The following season he scored 40 goals, heading the list of scorers in the Second Division. Season 1929-30 saw him even more successful, finishing with 45 goals - the highest total in the country. In season 1930-31 he scored 32 goals, and this was in the First Division. Hampson cost the club just £2,000 and scored a total of 247 goals in 360 games. He was the main player responsible for Blackpool's promotion to the first division and remains the club's all-time top goalscorer. Behind the Scenes In the 1922-23 season, Blackpool directors made a most astute move. The great Major Frank Buckley was appointed to the managerial chair. He had revolutionary training ideas and his scouting system was first class. He stayed at Blackpool for a period of four years and his shrewd management greatly assisted the advancement of the club.

Seasons 1923-24 and 1924-25 were a testing time for Blackpool, for they were beset by a series of misfortunes which at first appeared insurmountable, but which subsequently led to a great show of support from the townspeople and the advent of that great band of sportsmen - members of The Supporters' Club. Mr C. Wells resigned during this period as Director and Sir Lindsay Parkinson withdrew in November 1924. Then followed the service writ for the sum of £3,618. This writ referred to moneys owing for a new concrete wall which had been erected on the Bloomfield Ground, £1,000 of the total cost had been paid, but the claimants were now demanding the residue. A special meeting was called at the Lecture Hall of the Free Library in Blackpool and a decision was reached to increase the share capital from £5,000 to £10,000. Money was forthcoming from within the town and in a matter of weeks the account was settled. It was at this same meeting that the Blackpool Supporters' Club came into being.

It was one of the first Supporters' Clubs to be formed for a Football League Club and it continued to flourish until its demise at the end of the 1995-96 season. At the latter part of the 1924-25 season, the Board of Directors put in hand a scheme for ground improvement. This included the erection of a new stand, on the south side of the ground, to accommodate 2,000 people. Included in the new stand was to be a new Boardroom, offices, dressing-rooms, baths and a gymnasium. The work was completed during the 1925-26 season at a cost of £13,146 11s 0d. - a modest sum for such an imposing structure. The Thirties Blackpool remained in the First Division for only three years and each of these proved a hard struggle for survival. Finally in the 1932-33 season, the inevitable happened and the club was relegated to the Second Division. Less than 48 hours before relegation, the directors were served with a requisition, which they presumed was a vote of no confidence.

A battle was then waged for seats on the board and eventually six of the then directors were unseated and an almost new Board of Directors formed. The surviving Directors were Mr Sam Butterworth, who subsequently became the Club's Life President and Mr Harry Evans, who later became Chairman. Major Frank Buckley had by now left Blackpool and Mr Alec MacFarlane was appointed manager. Several new players were obtained, including Bert Thomson from Glasgow Celtic, Tom Jones from Burnley and Bob Dougall from Hamilton. Scouts were also sent to Ireland and Sam Jones, Irish International wing-half and a young man named Peter Doherty, later to develop into an outstanding player, were signed from Irish League clubs. The club pushed for a return to the First Division, though the team was only moderately successful and promotion remained as elusive as it had been in the past. The year 1935 saw the appointment of Mr Joe Smith as manager. His approach was a 'down to earth' one, his interest centred not on the background of his players but on their actual playing ability. It was Mr Smith who realised the ability of Bob Finan, a youngster who had come to Blackpool from a Scottish junior club.

Finan scored 34 goals in his first season with the club. Blackpool successful 1936-37 season, when Promotion was finally achieved following a successful 1936-37 season. The Golden Years The start of the Second World War brought about the abandonment of league Football. Few would disagree that the takeover of the town by The RAF enhanced the fortunes of the club, though when war was declared on 3 September 1939, The Seasiders were sitting top of Division One, having won all three games played. Blackpool became one of the chief training centres for the Royal Air Force during the war years, and many famous players were drafted to the town. They all played for the Blackpool club when war-time football was gradually introduced. In the 1941-42 season, Blackpool won the Northern League championship and the following year the War Cup, beating Sheffield Wednesday in a replay 2-1. A match of outstanding merit was played at Stamford Bridge in 1943, between Arsenal and Blackpool, for the championship of England. Blackpool won 4-2 and the side featured Stanley Matthews, although he was still on Stoke City's books at the time.

With the end of the war the club had an excellent nucleus of players on its books and the £30,000 overdraft had almost disappeared. It was at this time that Stanley Mortenson came to the fore, developing into an extremely fast and skilful player who made the centre forward berth his own for many years. In season 1946-47 he scored 28 goals and 31 the following season. He became first choice for England, appearing in numerous international and Inter-League games. Two players bought in the mid-1940s were to prove of inestimable value. The first was Eddie Shimwell, who came from Sheffield United for £7,000 and became a great full-back. The second was Stanley Matthews, who was transferred from Stoke City for £11,000. The club has never won the First Division championship, but came very close in 1956-57 when finishing fourth, 1950-51 when third, and in 1955-56 when runners-up to Manchester United.

Blackpool's record up to 1947 could only be regarded as mediocre, for since 1925 they never reached the last eight and it appeared that the Tangerines would never have the good fortune to battle through to a Cup Final and play at Wembley Stadium. However, in 1948 that changed, Blackpool succeeded in reaching the final. Losing out to Manchester United, the club returned to the final in 1951 but lost again, this time to Newcastle United. Back again came the Blackpool team in 1953, in a final which became to be known as 'The Matthews Final'. The maestro had won every honour in the game except a cup winner's medal, and this was possibly the last opportunity he would have of winning the honour. The game proved to be a thriller, with Matthews inspiring the team to 4-3 victory over Bolton Wanderers. Stan Mortensen, to this day, remains the only player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup final, while the other goal was scored by Bill Perry. Matthews remained in Blackpool until October 1961 when he moved back to Stoke City. He was awarded an O.B.E.

in 1957, and knighted in the New Year's Honours List. Another key figure from the 1953 FA Cup winning side was Harry Johnston, the club's longest serving player. His playing career covered the 20 years and five months between May 1935 and November 1955. He would later return to the club as assistant manager to Stan Mortenson in 1967. The Sixties The team which won the FA Cup in 1953 and had come so close to carrying off the Division One Championship had now broken up. The early part of the decade was spent rebuilding a team to consolidate the club's position in the top-flight, but this was not to prove easy. In 1960/61 the team narrowly avoided relegation, finishing in 20th position. The club could finish no higher than 13th position in the next five seasons and was eventually relegated in 1966/67. It was during this period that Jimmy Armfield completed most of his record 627 appearances for the club, at the same time appearing for England in 43 Internationals.

He captained his country on 15 occasions, the only Blackpool player ever to captain an international team. Alan Ball joined the club as a 17-year-old in 1962 and became the only Blackpool player to appear in a World Cup final, before being transferred to Everton for £112,000 - a figure which at the time was a record fee for two British clubs. Much talent was unearthed through the club's scouting system only to be lost, mostly for financial reasons. Emlyn Hughes and Tony Green were two players in this category who went on to gain international honours with their new clubs. Other players who represented the club during the decade were Ray Charnley, one of the club's most prolific goalscorers, Tommy Hutchinson, John McPhee, Tom White, Ray Parry and Alan Suddick. Alan joined Blackpool in 1966 from Newcastle United for a then club record fee of £60,000. The Seventies After three years in Division Two, Blackpool regained promotion so the 70s decade began on a bright note.

Unfortunately the euphoria was short lived and, after a season during which only four victories were recorded, the club was once again relegated. Disappointing league finishes saw manager Harry Potts recruit a goalscorer in on Middlesbrough forward Malcom Smith on loan from Middlesbrough in 1976, and he scored six goals in eight matches. However, Smith returned to Middlesbrough and and the club was unable to raise the money to secure his permanent transfer. The public outcry resulted in the resignation of Mr Frank Dickinson and his fellow directors, who were replaced by a board chaired by Mr Bill Cartmell. Harry Potts departed to be replaced in the managerial chair by one of the heroes of the golden post-war period, Allan Brown. A successful start to the 1978/79 campaign was followed by a mid-season slump, but the turn of the year seemed to herald a change in fortune. Bob Hatton, a striker signed in the previous season from Birmingham City, was heading the country's goal scoring charts. A mistimed press release in a Sunday newspaper led to the departure of Allan Brown and the appointment of Jimmy Meadows as a caretaker/manager.

While these events were taking place, Bob Hatton suffered a serious injury in training and was absent for most of the remaining matches. What followed in the closing few weeks of the 1978/79 season could not have been predicted, tt had been a hard winter with many postponements but Blackpool had, as usual, escaped the worst of the elements and completed fixtures before most other clubs. Towards the end of April there remained a dozen or so matches to be played in Division Two, each one involving clubs in the relegation zone. Each one had to result in a certain way for Blackpool to be relegated, and despite the astronomical odds against such an occurrence, each result went the wrong way. The team and officials were on an end-of-season tour in the United States when the final result of an infamous match at Ninian Park came through. The visitors, Orient, had to beat Cardiff City to avoid the third relegation spot and did so by the only goal of the match, thus ensuring Blackpool's relegation to Division Three for the first time in its history. Then began the break-up of the team which, only weeks before, had looked capable of challenging for promotion.

Goalkeeper George Wood had already left for Everton and was followed to Goodison by Mickey Walsh, who was the Second Division's highest goalscorer only two seasons earlier. The latter brought a record transfer fee of £350,000. Paul Hart joined Leeds United for another sizeable fee, and Bob Hatton left for Luton Town. The return of Bob Stokoe for a second term as manager failed to stem the slide and the team finished the 1979/80 season uncomfortably close to relegation. The Eighties The appointment of Alan Ball as player/manager could not prevent the descent to Division Four. The reinstatement of Allan Brown proved no more successful and the team finished in mid-table in its first season in the lower division. Sam Ellis came to Bloomfield Road in 1982 and succeeded in getting Blackpool promoted within three years. But in 1989 he left and was replaced by Jimmy Mullen who lasted just one year. In the meantime, current Blackpool FC owner Owen Oyston began funding the club in 1987, which at the time was bankrupt and had negative net assets of £42,000.

The business had just £28,000 in share capital and had accumulated losses of £77,000 on the balance sheet. The most likely buyer for the club had been a builder who wanted to develop the football ground for housing and retail, leading to the demolition of the club. Owen acquired shares in October 1987 to hold 49% of equity and despite not holding control, made immediate loans to the club, unsecured and interest free, to the value of £160,000. He purchased further shares a year later to take control of the club, while also increasing loan funding. The Nineties In 1990, after a rights issue, Owen Oyston provided additional permanent capital to the club of £1.3m. This increased his ownership of Segesta, formely Blackpool Football Club (Properties) Limited, to 97%. The 1990/91 season was both exciting and disappointing, Graham Carr started the season as manager but left at the end of November, leaving his assistant Bill Ayre in charge. One of Carr's last duties was to obtain former star Dave Bamber on loan (he was later signed).

From Ayre's appointment only five out of 30 league games were lost and 13 consecutive home game wins created - a club record. The side failed to gain automatic promotion but beat Scunthorpe United in the play-off semi-finals. Unfortunately the team lost out in the final against Torquay on penalties. The 1991/92 season ended firstly in disappointment, with automatic promotion again being missed at the final hurdle. The sadness turned to joy when after beating Barnet in the semi-final the club returned to Wembley. This time in another nail biting final Blackpool beat Scunthorpe United on penalties. With the reorganisation of the league, the club competed in Division Two in the 1992/93 campaign. Billy Ayre again performed miracles with the best home record in the Football League and Dave Bamber again top scorer. The 1993/94 season ended in joy on the final day when a 4-1 home victory over Leyton Orient ensured that Blackpool were saved from relegation after a terrible mid-season slump.

Billy Ayre ended his association with the Ccub in the summer and was eventually replaced by Sam Allardyce, in readiness for the 1994/95 campaign. The 1994/95 season ended in mid-table after being close to the play-off zone with three quarters of the season gone, but a disastrous spell ended any hope. The season was noted for the signings made, Tony Ellis from Preston North End for £165,000 and then the club record arrival of Andy Morrison from Blackburn Rovers for £245,000 in mid-season. During the 1995/96 season the fans had great hopes of promotion at the start of the season with the £205,000 signing of Andy Preece from Crystal Palace, Marvin Bryan from QPR for £20,000 and Andy Barlow from Oldham on a free transfer. Goalkeeper Steve Banks was also signed from Gillingham for £60,000 from Gillingham.

Blackpool went on a number of unbeaten runs throughout that season, taking them to the top of the division, but a disastrous run towards the end of the campaign left Blackpool needing six points from their last two games against Walsall and York City. A 2-0 defeat at home condemned The Seasiders to the play-offs. A superb performance away at Bradford City gave Pool a 2-0 advantage to take to Bloomfield Road, but Chris Kamara's side pulled off a 3-0 win against a disappointing Blackpool side. Manager Sam Allardyce paid the ultimate price and was replaced. Since that time Blackpool have had a number of managers, including Gary Megson, who left the club to take up the manager's position at Stockport County, and Nigel Worthington. Worthington resigned in January 2000 following a long spell of poor performance and was replaced by Ex-England international Steve McMahon. Between 1990 and May 2000 owner Owen Oyston provided £5.5m in new share capital. Some of Owen's cash was injected into the club in shares and interest-free loans, some of which he later converted into shares.

Owen's £5.5m remains in share capital today. The Noughties McMahon's arrival could not halt the Seasiders slide into the Third Division at the end of the 1999/2000 season so that's where the club began the 2000/2001 campaign. The players struggled to find their feet in the early part of the season and were soon languishing near the foot of the table, however a much improved performance in the second part of the season saw the side make it into the final play-off place on the last day of the season. Once they had made it into the play-offs, McMahon's men looked a completely different side to that which had struggled earlier in the season. They brushed Hartlepool United aside, winning 5-1 on aggregate over the two legs of the semi-final. Striker Brett Ormerod scored four of the goals before Blackpool went on to meet Leyton Orient in the final at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium. Blackpool duly secured promotion to the Second Division following a 4-2 victory, thanks to goals from Ian Hughes, Brian Reid, Paul Simpson and that man Brett Ormerod.

During the 2000-01 season owner Owen Oyston, in consultation with his son Karl and their professional advisers, sold his magazine company which owned Lancashire Life, Cheshire Life, Yorkshire Life and various other life magazines. The company, which was making millions, was sold to fund the football club. From the proceeds of this sale, Owen provided an interest-free equity investment of £6.8m to attract a further £2.5m grant from The Football Foundation. This money was used to build the North, North West and West Stands at Bloomfield Road. The revenue from this now flows directly into the club. Season 2001/02 had been one of consolidation for Pool in Division Two, with another trip to Cardiff as The Seasiders were crowned LDV Trophy Winners. It was two trips to the Millennium Stadium in eight months, with Blackpool beating Cambridge United 4-1. McMahon was to lead The Seasiders to another LDV Trophy win in 2004, this time against Southend. Pool won the game 2-0 thanks to goals from John Murphy and Danny Coid, meaning that Blackpool had won the trophy twice in three seasons.

Despite leading the team to victory, McMahon later left the club before the final game of the 2004 campaign and was to be replaced by former Blackburn Rovers defender Colin Hendry, who finished his career at Bloomfield Road by making 14 appearances in the 2002-2003 season. His tenure in charge was only to last 17 months, with Hendry sacked in November 2005 following a run of bad results. It meant that Simon Grayson, who had already taken a player-coaching role with the team was to become caretaker manager with the task of keeping the side out of relegation trouble. A successful spell meant that 'Larry' was awarded the job on a full-time basis and he hung up his playing boots at the end of the campaign to concentrate on his managerial duties. In 2006, after two years of negotiations with Owen, Valeri Belokon joined the Board of Blackpool Football Club and bought 20% of the share capital for £1.8m, all of which went into the club even though Owen's shareholding in Blackpool Football Club diluted from 95% to 75% as a result.

Owen Oyston and Valeri Belokon, through their respective companies and in a joint venture, funded a large part of the development of the South Stand and the South West Corner Stand at a cost of millions of pounds in cash and equity, but with the need for further borrowings to complete these stands. This money, 23.7m, was used to build the hotel, restaurant, gym, spa and complete the South, South East and South West Stands. The South Stand, named The Armfield Stand in honour of Jimmy Armfield, officially opened in March 2010. In Simon Grayson's first full summer of recruiting for the 06-07 campaign he signed the likes of Andy Morrell, Claus Jorgensen, Shaun Barker, Michael Jackson and a certain Wes Hoolahan on loan from Livingston, as the club embarked on a new era. It didn't start all too well, however, as the side took time to gel. The team only won one of their first 11 league games in League One, but the season got off and running following a victory over Leyton Orient on the 30 September.

It was the start of what was to prove a successful season for The Seasiders, as the season culminated in Blackpool going on a ten game unbeaten run that lead all the way to Wembley and promotion to The Championship. The team had finished third in the division. A 2-0 win over Yeovil in the play-off final came courtesy of goals from Robbie Williams and Keigan Parker. Promotion meant that Blackpool returned to what is now known as The Championship for the first time in 29 years. The manager decided to put his faith in the side that got The Seasiders into the division for the new season, but did add Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Stephen Crainey and two familiar faces in Michael Flynn and John Hills. Keeper Paul Rachubka signed permanently following his release from Huddersfield Town. The campaign opened up with an opening day visit to face Leicester City and the team came out at the Walker's Stadium to chants of 'Blackpool are back!' At the full-time whistle this was more than true as a goal from Keith Southern had given The Seasiders a 1-0 opening day win.

The first home game saw fellow promoted side Bristol City travel to Bloomfield Road in a game that ended 1-1. The club's first home win in the division came on 3 September in a 2-1 win over Hull City in front of the Sky Sports cameras. The season continued with a number of stand-out highlights, including a victory over Preston North End and a 3-0 New Year's Day victory over Burnley. Despite a number of highlights, the Seasiders went into the final game of the season with relegation still a slim mathmatical possibility, but a 1-1 draw with Watford put paid to that. The summer of '08 saw a number of key players over the last few seasons depart and a number of new arrivals to join. Captain Michael Jackson, Michael Flynn, John Hills, Keigan Parker and Andy Welsh left the club, while two of Pool's impressive performers, Wes Hoolahan and Kaspars Gorkss, joined Norwich and QPR respectively. Andy Morrell was later to leave for Bury. Change was afoot and the likes of Matt Gilks, Alex Baptiste and Rob Edwards joined the club.

The departure of Simon Grayson to Leeds United in December meant further change with half of the season gone - assistant Tony Parkes stepped in as caretaker manager. Aided by Steve Thompson, Parkes, with the likes of DJ Campbell and Charlie Adam arriving on loan, guided the club to 16th in the league, finishing 10 points clear of the relegation zone. The end of the campaign brought further change, as Ian Holloway was named as the permanent successor to Grayson to lead The Seasiders into their third season in The Championship. The mentality at the club suddenly changed as the manager made the players believe that they could achieve far more. He persuaded Charlie Adam to arrive permanently and brought DJ Campbell back on loan for the second-half of the season. A new 4-3-3 formation was working in The Seasiders' favour and the team achieved a sixth-placed finish in The Championship on the final day of the season against Bristol City, qualifying them for the play-offs. Two historic legs against Nottingham Forest and a 3-2 triumph over Cardiff City at Wembley ensured that Blackpool were promoted to the top-flight for the first time in 39 years.

Blackpool became the 44th team to play in the Premier League and made a dream start with a 4-0 victory at the DW Stadium over Wigan Athletic. Striker DJ Campbell returned to the club permanently for a club record transfer fee a few weeks later, on the back of Pool's first home game in the division finishing 2-2 with Fulham. Away victories at Newcastle United and Liverpool followed prior to the end of the year and The Seasiders finished the season with 10 league wins. Unfortunately, the players needed to win at Old Trafford against champions Manchester United to stay up and lost 4-2. The club was relegated with 39 points. Charlie Adam moved to Liverpool for a club record fee that summer and Ian Holloway started a rebuild, signing the likes of Tom Ince, Barry Ferguson and Kevin Phillips. The new arrivals helped the club reach the play-offs at the end of the season, as the club sought an immediate return to the Premier League. The Seasiders beat Birmingham City in the semi-finals of the play-offs but lost out at Wembley 2-1 in the final to West Ham United.

The team remained in The Championship for the 2012/13 season and started in fine fashion, with victories against Millwall, Leeds United and Ipswich Town seeing Blackpool sit top of the table. However, manager Ian Holloway departed the club for Crystal Palace in November 2012 to eventually be replaced by Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton. Appleton stayed at Blackpool for just 65 days after Blackburn Rovers made a move for his services. In February 2013 the club turned to former England international Paul Ince as manager, in an effort to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle. Ince kept the club in the division and started to plan for the following season. The summer of 2013 saw the likes of Stephen Crainey, Gary Taylor-Fletcher and Ludovic Sylvestre all depart Bloomfield Road, with Ricardo Fuller joining the club on a free transfer from Charlton. Blackpool made their best ever start to a season, however a 10-game run without a victory from December onwards led to Paul Ince’s departure.

Midfielder Barry Ferguson stepped up to take interim charge of the club until the end of the season and picked up three vital victories to just about secure The Seasiders’ place in The Championship. José Riga was then appointed Blackpool’s first ever foreign boss in June 2014, though his tenure did not last long. Late recruitment of players saw the club open the season with just 14 registered professionals at Nottingham Forest and by the end of October Riga had overseen just the one victory, coming against Cardiff City. He was replaced by Lee Clark in November 2014 and the ex-Newcastle United midfielder was tasked with trying to lift the club out of a difficult position at the bottom of the table. Despite victories over Birmingham, Millwall and Brighton, The Seasiders remained in 24th place and were relegated to League One. Related Articles Timeline - Football League 125 Timeline An overview of significant moments in The Football League's history. Professionalism legalised. 1888 2nd March – William McGregor sends a letter to organise a meeting in London, at which 10 clubs agree to form The Football League.

1888 17th April (Manchester) - Football League founded with 12 founder members. 1889 Preston North End (aka The Invincibles) become first club to win League Championship. John Goodall becomes football’s first superstar scoring 20 goals in 21 league games for the club. First professional black footballer in The Football League as Rotherham Town sign goalkeeper Arthur Wharton. 1890 First colour clash in English football after the admission of Sunderland led to a clash with Wolves as both had red and white stripes. From 1891 all clubs had to have a set of white shirts available if needed. 1891 The subject of crowd disorder first discussed by The Football League Management Committee. Throwing mud or stones at referee is commonest form of crowd trouble. 1891 Penalty kicks introduced and first one in The Football League was awarded to Wolves and scored by Billy Heath at Molyneux against Accrington on 14th September. 1891 The 'Lady' trophy first presented to winners of The Football League Championship (Everton).

1892 Walter Bowman, born and raised in Canada, of Swiss heritage, becomes the first foreign player in Football League history, for Accrington in January. 1892 Second Division formed as The Football League expands to 28 clubs. 1893 Accrington become the first club to resign from the Football League. 1893 Creation of the retain-and-transfer system that tied players to clubs. 1895 Former League treasurer, Preston North End manger and Chairman Major William Sudell sent to prison for embezzlement (with the monies used to fund the club). He was the manager of the PNE ‘Invincibles’ team and his name is on the Championship trophy. 1898 Automatic promotion and relegation introduced (two up and two down) after suggestions of wrong-doing using the previous format of Play-Off test matches. Bolton and The Wednesday were relegated from the First Division and Man City and Glossop North End came up. 1899 Darwen concede a record 141 league goals in one season.

1900 Loughborough set the record for fewest league wins in a season as they pick up just one victory, a 2-1 home win against Burton United. 1901 Maximum wage introduced at £4 per week. It was a comfortable living wage – twice the average wage of a skilled tradesman. 1904 The Football League becomes a Limited Company with clubs becoming shareholders. 1905 Alf Common becomes the first £1000 footballer when he is transferred from Sunderland to Newcastle United – only six months after having also set a new transfer record of £520 when he joined Sunderland from Sheffield United. League increased to 40 clubs. 1914 The Footballers’ Battalion formed. The 17th and 23rd Middlesex regiments would go on to see action on the Somme. In October 2010 The Football League unveiled a memorial in their honour in the French village of Longueval near where they fought. 1919 Following four year break during WWI, league restarts with 44 clubs on 30th August with packed grounds. 1920 Introduction of a Third Division with expansion to 66 clubs.

1921 Expansion to 86 clubs with introduction of regional Divisions (Division Three North and Division Three South). 1923 The first Football Pools coupons distributed to supporters outside Old Trafford. 1923 New offside law introduced that transforms goal scoring rates. 1926 Huddersfield Town become the first club to claim a hat-trick of League titles (1923/24, 1924/25 and 1925/26). The first two were under legendary manager Herbert Chapman. 1927 The BBC broadcast the first football match live on radio on January 22nd. Henry Wakelam provides the running commentary during the First Division match between Arsenal and Sheffield United. 1928 Dixie Dean takes advantage of offside rule change to plunder a record 60 goals for Everton in the 1927/28 season, beating the tally Middlesbrough’s George Camsell had got the season before by one. David Jack becomes the first £10,000+ player when he moved from Bolton Wanderers to Arsenal.

1928 Arsenal and Chelsea become the first teams to play games with shirt numbers on 25th August. 1930 The record for the lowest known attendance is set as 469 people watch Thames v. Luton Town in Division Three South on 6th December. 1935 Most goals ever scored in a game - 17 - as Tranmere Rovers thrash Oldham Athletic 13-4 on 26th December in a Division Three North match. 1936 Luton Town’s Joe Payne sets the record for the most number of goals scored by a player in a league game as het nets 10 times against Bristol Rovers on 13th April. That same season Bunny Bell had got nine for Tranmere Rovers and Ted Drake had got seven for Arsenal. 1936 The Pools war. The League goes into battle against the Pools Companies and cancels the fixture list with clubs being telephoned late on Fridays to be told who they would be playing. It ends in farcical circumstances with crowds dwindling. It takes a further 20 years for football League to achieve copyright in fixture lists.

1939 Compulsory numbering of player shirts in The Football League introduced. 1939 League suspended in September due to WWII after just three games of the 1939/40 season. 1944 Arthur Rowley turns professional at WBA. He retires 21 years later after amassing a record 433 league goals in 619 appearances. 1947 Doncaster Rovers set the record for the most number of wins in a season, winning 33 times as they win the Division Three North title. 1948 The record crowd for a Football League match (regular season) is set at Old Trafford as 83,260 watched Manchester United v Arsenal in Division One on 17th January 1948. 1949 Record season admissions of 41,244,295 achieved for season 1948/49. 1950 The Football League expands from 88 to 92 clubs. 1951 White ball used for the first time. 1956 First floodlit Football League game - Portsmouth v Newcastle United at Fratton Park.

1956 Manchester City’s Bert Trautmann crowned FWA Footballer of the Year - the first foreigner to win the award. Former Nazi POW turned hero whose story exemplified football's ability to integrate people and effect positive change in attitudes. 1957 Alan Hardaker is appointed Secretary of The Football League. He continued to work for The League through to his sudden death in 1980. 1958 Divisions Three North and South become Divisions Three and Four. 1958 Everton install the first undersoil heating system in English football. 1960 League Cup launched. Inaugural final won by Aston Villa over two legs. 1960 First ever live Football League match shown on TV - Blackpool v Bolton Wanderers. 1961 18th January: Abolition of football's maximum wage (£20 a week). 1961 ‘Retain and transfer’ system changed to just a transfer system after a case at the High Court brought by George Eastham over his transfer from Newcastle United to Arsenal. 1961 Division Four winners Peterborough United set a new record of 134 for the number of League goals scored in a season.

Striker Terry Bly remains the last player to score over 50 League goals in a season. 1961 First ever six-figure transfer of a player involving an English club after Man City sell Denis Law to Torino for £100,000. 1963 ‘The Big Freeze’ severely disrupts the fixture schedule. The Pools Panel meets for the first time because so many matches were postponed. 1964 Bradford Park Avenue’s Jim Fryatt scores the fastest ever league goal after just four seconds against Tranmere Rovers on 24th April. 1964 Match Of The Day makes its debut on BBC2 - Liverpool beat Arsenal 3-2 in the first match highlighted. 1965 ‘Football League Review’ magazine launched (initially titled ‘Soccer Review’). 1965 Substitutions introduced - one allowed per game for injuries. Keith Peacock of Charlton becomes the first Football League player to come on as a substitute on 21st August 1965 in a Division Two match against Bolton Wanderers. 1966 Substitution allowed for any reason.

1966 Alan Ball becomes the first £100,000 player to move between two English clubs when he joins Everton from Blackpool. 1969 The first game broadcast in colour is shown on Match of the Day as Liverpool play West Ham United at Anfield in Novemer. 1973 Three up and three down promotion and relegation introduced. 1974 The first Football League game on a Sunday is played – a Division Two match between Millwall and Fulham at The Den. It attracted 15,143 – their biggest home crowd of the season. Millwall’s Brian Clark scored the first ever league goal on a Sunday. Goal difference replaces goal average. 1978 Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest go 42 league games without defeat as they set a new Football League record. 1979 Trevor Francis becomes football’s first player to be transferred for one million pounds (Birmingham to Nottingham Forest) in February. 1979 Liverpool become first club in Football League to carry a sponsor on their shirts (Hitachi). 1981 Three points for a win introduced. 1981 QPR become the first side to install an artificial surface in June 1981.

Made by Omniturf , the first match to be played on the new surface was QPR v Luton Town on 1st September. Luton became the second team to install such a pitch (with Preston North End and Oldham Athletic being the only other clubs to have ever done so). 1982 League Cup becomes the first major competition to bear the name of a sponsor under an agreement with the Milk Marketing Board – renamed the ‘Milk Cup’. 1983 Football League announces a title sponsor for the first time – Canon. 1983 The Football League Trophy is launched (under its then title the Associate Members Club – reflecting the fact that clubs in divisions three and four were associate rather than full members of The Football League). 1984 York City become the first team to reach 100 points in a season as they win Division Four with 101 points. In the 32 years since three points for a win was introduced this has only been achieved 10 times. 1985 56 people die at Bradford’s Valley Parade in the worst fire disaster in English football history. The club had received the Football League Division Three Trophy prior to the match.

1986 The Football League and PFA launch ‘Football in the Community’, the first football community organisation in world football. 1986 Automatic promotion/relegation with Football Conference introduced. 1986 Play-Offs (promotion and relegation) introduced. 1987 Two substitutes per team permitted. 1988 Tony Cottee and Paul Gascoigne become England’s first £2m players. 1989 Arsenal deny Liverpool the title as Michael Thomas scores one of the most famous League goals ever with the last kick of the game at Anfield. 1990 Taylor Report published, including recommendations that all major stadia convert to an all-seater model. It is the catalyst for the transformation of the architecture of English football and the eventual decline of hooliganism. 1992 First Division breaks away to form Premier League - 70 clubs remain in The Football League. 1995 The Football league expanded to 72 clubs. 1996 Peter Shilton of Leyton Orient becomes first player in the world to play 1,000 league games in game against Brighton.

1998 The record for the most league defeats in a season is set as Doncaster Rovers lose 34 times in Division Three. Doncaster Rovers also hold the record for the most league wins in a season (33). 2000 Wycombe Wanderers score twice against Peterborough United without the opposition touching the ball as Jamie Bates and Jermaine McSporran score within nine seconds of each other either side of half time. 2002 Football League TV deal with ITV Digital collapses. 2003 Football League introduces ‘Sporting Sanctions’ – a mandatory deduction of 10 points for any club using any insolvency process to reduce debt. 2003 League 2 clubs introduce the Salary Cost Management Protocol, limiting expenditure on player salaries to 60% of turnover. 2004 AFC Bournemouth’s James Hayter scores the faster ever league hat-trick as he gets three goals in two minutes and 20 seconds against Wrexham. 2004 Football League rebranded - Divisions One, Two and Three renamed the Championship, League 1 and League 2.

2004 The Football League introduces football’s first Fit and Proper Persons Test for club shareholders and directors. 2006 Reading set a new record for the most points in a season (three points for a win) - 106 (Championship). 2008 Highest attendance for a promotion Play-Off match and for a League match recorded when 86,703 watch the Championship Final at Wembley between Bristol City and Hull City. The Football League launches social media accounts on Twitter to engage directly with fans. 2009 Football League reaches agreement with HMRC giving it access to clubs’ tax affairs to ensure that they are up to date. 2011 League agrees current broadcast deal with Sky Sports. 2012 Huddersfield Town set a new Football League record of 43 League game unbeaten. 2012

Question: Which team did Alan Ball manage and win promotion to the First Division in 1987?
Answer: PORTSMOUTH