'Always...' - Blackpool boss makes promotion prediction on Stockport County and Wrexham


Steve Bruce believes that Birmingham City will ‘probably’ win League One by 20 points ahead of their meeting with Blackpool this weekend.
Bruce was a player at Birmingham City towards the end of the 1990s. He later returned to become the manager at St Andrew’s in 2001. During a six-year spell in charge, he twice led them to promotion.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThis weekend, he’ll take them on in the second round of the FA Cup on Sunday at Bloomfield Road. Both side’s have League One action to think about first though with the Seasiders down at Bristol Rovers and Birmingham City facing Exeter City.
League favourites Birmingham suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to bottom side Shrewsbury Town at the weekend. Despite their setback, their former manager who is now in situ at Blackpool believes that they will ‘probably’ win it by 20 minutes, but did stress that there were teams competing with them.
Asked about the competitiveness of the division prior to the 2-1 defeat against Bolton Wanderers, Bruce said: “It certainly is. Especially with what we’re finding this year.
“I mean Birmingham of course will probably win it by 20 points or so I would have thought. They’re the standout team in the division but there are a lot that are chasing them. Very good sides like Wrexham, and Stockport, and there’s always one or two who give you a bit of a shock.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It’s very competitive really, and I’ve enjoyed the honesty of it. I’ll not change it, I think. It’s a long slog all season because there’s some very good teams in the division.”
Blackpool will be hoping that they will be of the teams in the mix at the end of the season. They’re currently on an eight game winless run and on Saturday conceded a stoppage time goal to Bolton.
When Bruce arrived, the former Manchester United defender spoke about trying to get Blackpool into the play-offs. Blackpool are currently nine points off of Barnsley in sixth, and are just two points above the relegation zone but a win at the Memorial Stadium could move them up to 14th.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.