“BLACKPOOL LOOKED A TRAVEL-WEARY SIDE AFTER THREE DAYS OF LAND AND SEA JOURNEYING.”
THIS is the comment of Mr. George Sheard, Blackpool F.C. Press steward, writing to “The Evening Gazette” of Blackpool’s first game in their Swedish tour, when they drew 1-1 with Malmo.
Ten thousand Swedish football enthusiasts watched the game and were greatly impressed, says Mr. Sheard, by Munro’s trickery on the Blackpool right wing.
In a goalless first half the Bloomfield-road side were often baffled by the fast-moving Swedes who controlled the ball with great skill on the hard turf.
Malmo went ahead after 70 minutes when Nilsson shot through from close range. Blackpool’s equaliser was scored 15 minutes later by Dick.
"Sweden’s international centre-half. Martensen, was a big stumbling block to the Blackpool forwards, and two other Malmo players of note were wingers Nilsson and Johnsonn,” adds Mr. Sheard.
They nearly sang the Danish version of “Will ye no’ come back again?” when the Blackpool F.C. tourists left Denmark.
THEIR praise of the team was almost embarrassing,” comments Manager Joe Smith, back in Blackpool today with the 16 men whose football sent the Denmark public into raptures.
“Everybody said - and I don’t think anybody was being merely polite - that we had the best team Britain has ever sent to the country.” said the Blackpool manager.
“Twice inside a week in Copenhagen we defeated the strongest team Denmark can field. No touring team from this country has ever before completed such a double.
MAY GO BACK
“They want us back again at the end of next season. Shall we go ? Well, if circumstances permit, we may if only in acknowledgement of all the kindness shown us everywhere.”
It will take all the tourists a week or two I suspect, to resign themselves to British rations again. Eggs-eggs in the plural - and bacon for breakfast became a commonplace The banquets following each match were on the prewar scale in luxury and variety.
The team’s ship berthed at Harwich on Thursday evening. The players came by train from London yesterday and reached the town in the late afternoon.
JUST LIKE HOME
They soon knew they were home again. It was raining. And there were no eggs and bacon this morning.
Today begins for these players the shortest holiday ever - unless a fortnight in Denmark counts as a holiday, as most folk would be prepared to count it.
Towards the end of next month they will report for training Eleven weeks today it all begins again.
Only two refuse F.C. terms - 18 June 1947
IT WILL BE THE SHORTEST, AND SHOULD BE ONE OF THE QUIETEST, CLOSE SEASONS ON RECORD IN BLACKPOOL FOOTBALL.
Two players only have refused the terms offered by the club. One player only is on the transfer list.
The rest of the 1946-47 staff have signed again.
The man on the transfer list - and the fee, I am told, is small - is the Irish international full-back, Malcolm Butler. At the League meeting in a few days a club may make a bid for him.
The two players who have declined to sign new contracts are Jim and Douglas Blair.
Jim Blair, who played for Scotland last season, is working in the South. His brother, the wing-half, Douglas has not played for Blackpool since the war.
The men signed for next season, which opens nine weeks on Saturday, are:
Goalkeepers: J. Wallace, J. Robinson, W. Thorpe.
Full-backs: T. Garrett, G.Kennedy, W. Lewis, E. Shimwell, E. Sibley, R. Suart.
Half-backs: T. Buchan, J. Crosland, G. Farrow, A. Fenton, E. Hayward, H. Johnston, H. Kelly, F. Tapping, J. Wright.
Forwards: W. Buchan, D. Craig, G. Dick, G. Eastham, R. Finan, S. Matthews, A. McCall, J. McIntosh, G. McKnight, S. Mortensen, J. Mudie, A. Smith, A. Munro, S. Nelson, P. Sowden, M. Ferguson.
IN THE SERVICES
Two forwards, A. Hobson and L. Larner, who are still in the Services, have also been resigned, and H. Doherty, the wing forward, who played for Glasgow Celtic last season and went on the recent tour of Denmark, is on the books as an amateur.
K. Harper, the “A” team centre-half, has been given a free transfer.
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