These archive pictures look back to the demolition of the East and South Stands, their reconstruction and official openings – including Blackpool’s most famous player, the late Jimmy Armfield who opened the stand which is named after him. The momentous occasion was reported in The Gazette with these words: “HIS name was sung from the terraces – now it is being chanted from his own stand. Seasiders’ great Jimmy Armfield was all smiles as he was given the honour of opening Blackpool FC’s new South Stand – the Armfield Stand. The 74-year-old former Seasiders’ and England captain unveiled a plaque at a special ceremony before Saturday’s highly charged Championship clash with Crystal Palace. Mr Armfield, who was visibly moved, said it was a special day for him and his family. “It’s quite emotional, ” he said. “It seems a long time since I started to play for Blackpool back in the 1950s.”
Bloomfield Road Stadium: 20 scenes which show the building of Blackpool FC's new stands and the emotional day when the Armfield Stand finally opened
By Claire Lark
Published 30th Nov 2022, 11:02 BST
Updated 30th Nov 2022, 11:52 BST
Away from action on the pitch, the decade of the noughties was about the reconstruction of Blackpool FC’s Bloomfield Road Stadium.
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