Postponement of top flight game due to rail strike sets interesting precedent ahead of Blackpool's trip to Millwall

Michael Appleton’s side make the trip to The Den next week to face Millwall on Saturday, September 17, a date that coincides with the latest rail strike.

In terms of timing, you couldn't have picked a worse venue for the strike to coincide with.

The Den is one of those grounds that is bordering on impossible to get to via your car – and good luck trying to park anywhere in the vicinity.

It’s a ground you get the train to, that’s just how it is. But Blackpool don’t have that option on this occasion.

Thankfully extra supporter buses are being laid on, but even with that provision I expect Blackpool’s numbers to be severely affected.

For those still wanting to drive, it will be a case of somehow finding your way into London and getting the tube – which is still running, as far as I’m aware – to either Bermondsey or Canada Water, which leaves you with a 25-minute walk to the ground, which is far from ideal, but I can’t think of many alternatives.

It was interesting, then, to see Brighton & Hove Albion’s game against Crystal Palace on the same date postponed as a result of the rail chaos.

I’m aware the Amex Stadium isn’t the kindest of stadia to access via a car either and on this occasion there’s also a rivalry to take into account – and safety was one of the reasons cited in the official statements.

It’s also a fairly unique situation where a lot of the home supporters tend to use public transport to get to the ground as well.

But still, it sets an interesting precedent. If we’re postponing a game between two sides separated by 41 miles, then surely other clubs travelling far greater distances will now be making similar requests?

Remember the furore last season when Liverpool and Manchester City fans were forced to find their own way down to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final, which again coincided with a rail strike?

There was no postponement on that occasion, or very little help or provision provided. Supporters were forced to fend for themselves and simply get on with it.

The attendance on the day was just over 73,000, well below what you’d normally expect from a last-four clash between the best two sides in the country at the time.

I don’t have an issue with the postponement of Brighton’s game against Palace, per se. The clubs in question alongside the authorities are actually taking supporters into consideration for once, which is clearly not always the case, so it makes for a refreshing change.

But, unless there’s further postponements between now and next week, it appears to be a case of one rule for two top (southern) flight sides and one rule for the rest of us.

I can’t say I’m particularly on top of the issue but it doesn’t seem like much progress is being made on the talks between rail bosses and the government, so surely this won’t be the last industrial action we see in the coming weeks and months.

It’s no coincidence either that the preferred dates for these strikes coincides with busy weekends with football fans planning to travel all over the country to wreak the most havoc.

Again, I don’t have a problem with that, that’s how industrial action works. Yes it causes problems for the rest of us but perhaps that’s something those in power should have thought about long before it got to this point.

Besides, anyone taking the fight to the current shambles of a government at this moment in time gets my support.

Anyway, that’s enough talk about politics, so let’s get back to the football.

Blackpool face a really difficult game this weekend against a rejuvenated Middlesbrough side.

Yes, Chris Wilder’s side got off to a slow start to the season but they’ve since bounced back with two wins from their last three games, including a morale-boosting victory against their local rivals Sunderland in their last outing.

We all remember the late heartbreak against Boro last season when it looked like Shayne Lavery had just salvaged a point, so we won’t go over that one again.

But Blackpool have already shown they can go toe-to-toe with one of the fancied sides in Burnley, so why can’t they do it again against Boro?

It should be another lively atmosphere at Bloomfield Road with just under 4,000 away fans making the trip down from Teesside.

If the Seasiders can get anything from the game, even if it’s ‘just’ a point, I’m sure most of us will go home happy.

Despite last week’s win at Huddersfield, Appleton is still worryingly light on options, albeit Sonny Carey comes back into the fold now after serving his three-match suspension.

But Gary Madine is still banned, while Kevin Stewart, Charlie Patino, Lewis Fiorini, Keshi Anderson and Jake Beesley remain sidelined through injury.

As Appleton recently admitted, it’s a case of getting through the next week unscathed before the two-week international break. The squad should look a lot healthier come the start of October when the likes of Patino, Anderson and Madine should all be back involved.

With three games in a week to come first, Blackpool’s squad will be stretched even more. But if Blackpool can pick up three or four points minimum from Middlesbrough, Rotherham and Millwall, that should leave Appleton’s side in a pretty good place.