10 of the most memorable Blackpool v Preston North End post-war derby games

The two sides have been kept apart in recent years, but the two West Lancashire outfits have a long history.

Blackpool FC historian Peter Gillatt, the man behind the It’s Not Orange, It’s Tangerine website, has provided his 10 most memorable post-war derbies.

February 15, 1947

Blackpool 4 (Dick 12, 14) (Mortensen 50,73) Preston North End 0

It is seldom that frost or other midwinter visitation causes the postponement of a match at Blackpool.

Even in wartime, when the cancellation of a fixture was of no particular consequence, only one game was postponed.

The last time a peacetime match had to be abandoned at Blackpool was on December 21, 1935 - a Newcastle United game in the Second Division. Fifty tons of sand were scattered on the frostbound pitch. Then a fog fell - and the match was off.

Half an hour before the teams took the field, which resembled an Arctic plain, there were 20,000 people waiting.

A record post-war attendance approaching 29,500 was present at the kick-off. Rattles and bells made a chorus as the teams appeared in the first gleams of sunshine which visited the Fylde for weeks.

This was an austerity Saturday. No paper supplies were permitted for the programmes, and the names of the players selected were shown on a chalked board.

When George Eastham reported sick before the Preston match, Joe Smith called George Dick into his office and told him “I’m giving you a chance to play. Shoot as you shoot in practice matches”.

The decision probably won Blackpool the game 24 hours before it was played.

Tom Finney had a penalty saved by Jock Wallace and Stan Mortensen’s first goal was Blackpool’s 50th of the season and his second made it 19 goals for the centre-forward.

May 1, 1948

Preston North End 0 Blackpool 7 (McIntosh 25, 50, 60, 80, 84, Rickett 56, Munro 70)

Blackpool at Deepdale should be one of the matches of the season. This afternoon it was merely a game which completed the fixture list.

The absence of Blackpool’s three England players, the aftermath of Blackpool’s FA Cup defeat by Manchester United at Wembley and a dull, cold afternoon took all the glamour out of the game.

A few of the Wembley rattles, with faded tangerine ribbons flying from them, were making a noise on the terraces, but otherwise everything was curiously unexcitable.

From the 25th minute, when a young reserve Preston goalkeeper stood as if bewitched as a bouncing ball rose high in front of him and allowed Jim McIntosh to head the first of his five goals, it was a one-horse race.

McIntosh was the first player to score five goals in a match against Preston North End in their 60 years’ Football League history.

It still remains as the biggest away win by the Seasiders.

Blackpool have twice previously been concerned in freak results at Preston. They were beaten there by 6-4 in 1925 and four years later Blackpool exactly reversed this result.

October 29, 1955

Blackpool 2 (Farm 37, Fenton 65min) Preston North End 6 (Hatsell 18, 55, Baxter 25, Thompson 44, Morrison 60, Finney 84)

In the days before subs were allowed, Blackpool were in dire straits during this game against Preston in front of 25,692.

George Farm, considered by many to be Pool’s finest keeper, injured his shoulder and spent most of the game at centre-forward.

Jimmy Armfield covered in goal, but unfortunately even he could not save Pool’s blushes.

He was beaten by the great Tom Finney as they lost out to their bitter rivals 6-2.

Farm though distinguished himself by playing on at centre-forward and scoring one of Pool’s goals with a header.

December 16, 1967

Blackpool 4 (Milne 62, Craven 68,75, Green 87) Preston North End 1 (Charnley 12)

Relentless ’Pool completed a derby double after a rousing second half revival by Blackpool brought the Seasiders their first win since November 18 at the expense of neighbours Preston North End.

After trailing by a goal at the interval, scored by former Blackpool centre forward Ray Charnley, Blackpool’s all-out attack after the interval brought its due reward.

Preston’s defence, never impressive, was taken apart as first Milne, Craven (twice), then Green scored to give Blackpool their biggest win of the season so far and complete the double over North End.

After Milne had equalised, Blackpool were always on top but it was Craven’s goal which made victory certain.

Charnley’s goal apart, the visitors seldom mounted a serious threat.

A bright note for Blackpool was that Tony Green was back to top form although he suffered from some over-keen tackling by the North End defence.

April 13, 1970

Preston North End 0 Blackpool 3 (Pickering 16, 40,58)

Blackpool required just two points to be sure of returning to the First Division while Preston North End were fighting grimly to hang on to their Second Division status.

The gates were closed with 34,000 present and hundreds still outside 15 minutes before the kick-off and those within saw Preston give as good as they got in the opening 15 minutes when the game looked as though it would be an even contest.

But once Fred Pickering opened the scoring after 16 minutes, that idea was put to bed. Blackpool struck again on 40 minutes when Bill Bentley, whose cross was inch perfect for Pickering to head his second goal, one that sounded the death knell for Preston.

Blackpool added to their tally in the 58th minute when Hutchison raced past Bert Patrick for the umpteenth time and sent in a great shot that Alan Kelly could only parry.

Pickering was on hand to opportunely take his chance and make it 3-0 and score his first Blackpool hat-trick.

Blackpool did not celebrate their achievement with champagne in the dressing room at Deepdale but manager Les Shannon treated the players, officials and their wives to a celebration dinner on their return to Blackpool.

December 16, 1972

Preston North End 0 Blackpool 3 (Ainscow 54, 80, 86)

Alan Ainscow, Blackpool’s brilliant 19-year-old forward, destroyed Preston North End almost single handed in the big local derby at Deepdale which kept Blackpool right in the running for promotion.

A sparkling second half hat trick by young Ainscow, who has been called the second Alan Ball, smashed Preston after a hard fought and goalless first half when Blackpool could not translate their all round supremacy into goals.

This was Ainscow’s first senior hat trick and his most fantastic game yet for Blackpool in a season where he has come steadily to the forefront.

Even in the first half he was the Blackpool player who looked most likely to break the goals deadlock and was easily the man of the match as he tormented North End with sharp running and shooting.

Once Blackpool had gone ahead in the 55th minute they were always in command and they also had useful contributions from Burns and Rafferty before Ainscow’s two goals in the closing minutes set the seal on their win.

September 26, 1987

Blackpool 3 (Walwyn 2, Madden 55) Preston North End 0

It was all too straightforward for Blackpool or as Gazette scribe Tony Quested said in his match report: “Even with 10 men after Tony Cunningham’s ridiculous sending-off Blackpool were so utterly in command that Preston would have needed plumber-director Tom Finney to plug the leaks.”

Madden scored from the penalty spot while his strike partner Keith Walwyn grabbed two.

Madden’s goal against Preston came on 55 minutes after he himself had been bundled over the box by none other than Sam Allardyce, who was in a Preston side that also included Frank Worthington.

Blackpool still won despite the fact that they had Tony Cunningham sent off.

April 17, 1999

Preston North End 1 (Nogan) Blackpool 2 (Nowland 45, Ormerod 89)

Preston’s hopes of automatic promotion were destroyed by Blackpool in the Deepdale sunshine.

In added time in the first half, Blackpool took the lead when Ormerod floated in the corner-kick and Preston were in a panic in trying to clear.

They didn’t succeed and young Adam Nowland hit the ball high into the net for a real striker’s goal.

After Kurt Nogan had equalised, the game looked to be running towards a stalemate until the Seasiders pinched it in style in the 89th minute through Brett Ormerod.

There was no time for Preston to recover and the final whistle brought scenes of delight from the Bloomfield Road supporters.

“It was a good occasion, the atmosphere was superb, both sets of fans were brilliant and it turned out well for me on the day,” Ormerod said, the goal winner plucked from non-league Accrington Stanley.

The 2-1 triumph guaranteed Second Division football the following season.

December 8, 2007

Preston North End 0 Blackpool 1 (Hoolahan 68)

Singing and dancing in the rain, 2,800 Tangerine-clad fans chanted throughout at Deepdale.

They were rewarded with a scoreline which enabled them to smile, even during the 20 minutes spent in the freezing rain locked inside the ground.

Hoolahan’s penalty was the reason they and thousands of others throughout the town were in raptures.

The Irishman stepped up in the 67th minute after Ben Burgess was chopped down by Youl Mawene as he ran into the area.

Hoolahan should have been nervous. He had missed his previous pen at Norwich and now had to take one against the club’s biggest rivals in front of massed Blackpool fans.

He converted in the cheekiest of styles, dinking the ball into the middle of the net with Lonergan sprawling and fingering thin air.

It was typical, classic Hoolahan, a player on his own when it comes to providing magic moments that few others would dare even to attempt.

It wasn’t a classic but given the conditions it was never going to be.

April 11, 2009

Preston North End 0 Blackpool 1 (Adam 43)

What a day it was, up there with the Pickerings, the last minute Ormerod heroics or the Wes penalty chip.

In front of Preston’s biggest league crowd in 38 years – 5,000 donned in Tangerine, crammed behind the goal and easily drowning out the home support with their non-stop backing.

North End might have had the best home record in the division and unbeaten in their last 12 games at Deepdale but lofty league positions and highly-paid players do not matter a jot when this Blackpool team have their heads on and are in this mood.

The crucial moment came in the 43rd minute Shaun Barker, who had another classy game, surged over the halfway line but lost the ball.

Loan midfielder Charlie Adam won it back and, like he always does, got his head down and ran towards the opposition penalty area.

He moved the ball onto his left foot, looked up, and from 20 yards shot low, powerfully and accurately. The ball beat Lonergan all ends up and hit the net via the inside of the post and secure a second successive win at Preston.

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