Blackpool SLO column: First team should be able to emulate the youngsters in making FA Cup progress

The magic of the FA Cup is with us again this week.

First of all, congratulations to Matthew Blinkhorn and Blackpool’s academy players for winning their first round FA Youth Cup game against Accrington Stanley, 3-0, on Tuesday night at Bloomfield Road.

It earns them another home tie against Burton Albion in round two. Look out for details of that fixture and its super-low admission prices (just £3 for the Accrington game). Your support for our young Tangerines would be much appreciated.

Tomorrow, the senior squad takes a trip to Upminster in East London for their FA Cup first round proper tie against Hornchurch FC.

It’s a new ground for Seasiders fans and a potential banana skin as all such ‘minnows v giants’ games are - just look at Fleetwood v Arsenal last week - but it’s obviously a should-win game for Blackpool.

Hornchurch are an ambitious club on the rise. Founded 100 years ago as Upminster Wanderers, they moved to their current ground as Upminster & Hornchurch in the season Blackpool won the FA Cup.

Having dropped the Upminster part of their name, they have risen through the non-league ranks since the millennium.

FA Trophy winners in 2021, they currently play in the National League with eyes on reaching the EFL.

I’m supposing that Ian Evatt would have had observers at Mill Farm the other week to see AFC Fylde beat Hornchurch 3-1.

The home team and much of the media will make a play of this being the first time Hornchurch have faced a former winner of the FA Cup in a competitive game.

If our lads keep their collective heads in all the hype, stay strong at the back and take at least some of the chances they are sure to carve out, then our senior squad ought to be able to emulate the academy result, see off those southern Urchins and give us all something to smile about.

We then don’t have midweek matches until near the end of the month, so that’s more breathing space for recovery and remediation.

At least Fraser Horsfall’s most recent injury is not looking too serious and if CJ Hamilton continues to recover apace, we might soon be posing a bigger threat to the opposition as we head into games against Wigan, Leicester and Stevenage.

You may well have noticed that the majority of houses on the west side of Henry Street, behind the East Stand, have now been demolished and rubble clearance is in process.

Negotiations continue with the owner of the one property that is still an impediment to the club moving ahead with its planned development.

You may also have seen that this year is the 70th anniversary of Sir Stanley Matthews winning the first Ballon d’Or, ahead of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Raymond Kopa who won it respectively in the two years following.

Blackpool FC is rightly proud of having a Ballon d’Or winner in our ranks and will be celebrating that heritage in a few weeks’ time.

As a reminder, if you want to get in touch with me about anything at all, my email is: [email protected]

UTMP!