Sixty years ago today: Blackpool play host to the first ever Football League match to be televised live against Bolton Wanderers

Once upon a time, both Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers were heavyweights of the English game.
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The two sides played out perhaps the most iconic FA Cup final of all time in 1953, when the Seasiders fought back from 3-1 down to win 4-3 thanks to Stan Mortensen’s hat-trick and Stanley Matthews’ brilliance.

But did you also know that just seven years later, the two sides - now fading forces in the English game - competed in the first ever Football League match to be televised live? Well today marks the 60th anniversary of that historic occasion.

Blackpool goalkeeper Tony WaitersBlackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters
Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters
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Bloomfield Road had the distinction of hosting the inaugural live fixture, as they took on the Trotters on the evening of Saturday, September 10, 1960, in what was the old Division One.

A more gentle wind of change was going through the sport of football, with the old ABC TV network bringing Blackpool's games into millions of homes.

The TV company had an unorthodox way of going about televising it, with cameras positioned at the back of the Spion Kop, a decision which according to the Daily Mirror made the pitch look, “200 yards wide and only 50 yards long!"

By the finish, most people were wondering why ITV were making so much of a fuss.

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It was by all accounts a moderate sort of game to set before the viewing public.

Blackpool's forwards seemed to be afflicted by stage-fright - by contrast, Bolton were much more lively, with the likes of Billy McAdams and Ray Parry to the fore.

Tony Waiters had to be at his athletic best in the Blackpool goal, while another England international at the other end - Eddie Hopkinson - was much less active.

Incidentally, Blackpool's man-of-the-match was Sammy Salt. His enterprise and willingness to work was exemplary.

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But it was Bolton who had the edge, with the ultra-creative Freddie Hill getting the only goal to allow Bolton to trot off with the points.

A crowd of 17,166 turned up to see the game, which was markedly down on the norm for Blackpool and led to many people predicting that football on live TV only had a limited shelf-life.

Those involved in that match six decades ago didn't know what a trend they would set and how televised soccer would take off in such a money-making way.

It didn’t help that Blackpool’s star player, Stanley Mathews, was injured.

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The following week, Arsenal were due to host the cameras but, unimpressed with the start of the televised football experiment, they withdrew permission for the cameras to cover their game against Newcastle United.

Tottenham quickly followed suit, stopping the cameras from showing their home game against Aston Villa, leading ITV to abandon the project altogether.

Indeed, live football would not return to TV for almost 25 years, when the Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest game on October 2, 1983 was televised.