The last time The Imps face today’s opponents Blackpool (now managed by Neil Critchley) at Bloomfield Road was on Friday 27th September 2019, in front of a crowd of 9,203 (including 1,296 Imps). The hosts won 2-1 that night, thanks to goals from Sean Scannell (11′) and Jordan Thompson (21′), with Jack Payne scoring for The Imps 3 minutes later.
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Ahead of today’s match against Blackpool, we have done a Q&A with Jane Stuart, better known as “Blackpool Jane”, and one of our members, hulloutpost, has done a piece for her website. Jane was incredibly complimentary about her trip to Lincoln last season.
How long have you supported Blackpool?
30 years.
Where did you finish last season?
13th, which was higher than we deserved, because we were rubbish…
What do you think of your Manager?
Neil Critchley has come from Liverpool U23s, where he was very well-respected. It’s refreshing to have a young manager who is hungry and keen to learn and improve. If something isn’t right, he reflects on what happened and resolves to fix it. I’m impressed with him so far. We’ve been playing some great football. We went 3-0 up against Everton in ten minutes.
Who Are The League One Managers? No.3: Neil Critchley (Blackpool)
What are your hopes and expectations for the 2020/21 season?
I actually put money on us to win the league this year. If you can’t be over-optimistic at the start of the season, when can you be? We’ve been strong in recruitment throughout the summer and I think we are well-positioned compared to a lot of other clubs.
One(s) to watch?
CJ Hamilton is lightning up front. Chris Maxwell is the best keeper I’ve ever seen at Blackpool. I’m even starting to feel less terrified when he comes out of his box these days.
Which teams you think will finish in the top six in League One?
Oh blimey, that’s a tough one! Us, you, Wigan, Hull, Ipswich, Sunderland?
Which teams do you think will finish in the bottom four in League One?
No idea! Rochdale, Accy, Crewe, MK Dons?
What are your thoughts on Lincoln City?
You’re my second favourite team in League One! I fell in love with the city when I visited last season. This was in stark contrast to my first visit in 1992 when you stopped us getting automatic promotion on the last day of the season. That said, I cried at the end of both matches! Now we’re sister clubs, having both lost 7-2 to Liverpool this season. That was too cruel of them.
What do you think the score will be?
3-0 to Blackpool. Someone is due a battering!
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Random fact about your Club?
We won the Anglo Italian Cup in 1971.
If you could steal one Lincoln City player for your own team, who would it be and why?
I don’t know any of them! Ask me on Saturday night!
What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Blackpool Supporter?
There have been so many proud moments! Reaching the Premier League and becoming the nation’s darlings for a season was pretty amazing. Most embarrassing? We lost 7-0 at Barnet the year they got relegated out of the league. That was pretty bad. We got promoted that season though…
Who would you say is your most underrated player?
They’re all new so that’s quite hard! Maybe Maxwell again because I’m not sure everyone realises just how good he is. His awareness and reflexes are amazing. He is super sharp. I’m setting him up for a right fall here, aren’t I…?
Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?
We have THE Supporters Trust! They fought relentlessly for years for a change of ownership at the club. They’re now working to help other clubs in similar positions, as sadly rogue owners are becoming commonplace.
Which was your favourite match involving Blackpool?
Again, there have been so many! Winning against Cardiff at Wembley to reach the Premier League has to be the best, though. It was such an amazing feeling. It took five months for that to sink in!
Which was your least favourite match involving Blackpool?
Most awaydays last season. We were bloody awful. We haven’t won away for over a year now and it’s becoming tiresome. Rotherham, if I have to pick one, because they were a miserable bunch and I lost my designer sunglasses.
Do you have a Former Players Association at Blackpool?
Yes, it’s actively run by a fan called John Cross, who does a great job. They have regular events, golf days, dinners and the like.
What is the best thing about Blackpool?
It’s BLACKPOOL!!! There’s nowhere in the world like it. It’s visually stunning. The Tower is lit up beautifully this year as it’s had all new LEDs. It’s gorgeous. I love the weather, too! The wind on the end of the piers is something else; it really clears your head. And it’s such a fun place, full of smiles and laughter. The hot doughnuts are amazing. The illuminations are ace. The Pleasure Beach transports you to a magical world. Blackpool is my happy place.
You have had an indifferent start to the season, did you think you would be doing a lot better after getting rid of the Oystons?
We’re just thrilled to have our club back. Well, we were, until we were stopped from going a year later! There was definitely a feelgood factor when we all came back, but Simon Grayson killed that pretty much single-handedly, which was some effort! The squad (and hope) is being rebuilt now and we know this season has to be better. I was actually glad to see the back of last season. They could have finished it in January for me…
Appreciating it’s very early in his managerial career, but Neil Critchley’s appointment is his first first-team managerial job. I think it’s great when clubs look beyond the usual suspects as managers but what are your initial thoughts on him and his style of play?
We’re passing and pressing very well but are still lacking that killer instinct up front. I love that we can keep the ball, though, which will always limit the opposition’s chances. I have high hopes for Critch. I love that he’s different. At least he’s interested and enthusiastic, which is the opposite of what we had last season.
Which player of yours has the most potential to move up the leagues?
If Critch can develop players like he has promised to, then CJ Hamilton. He’s super quick and knows where the goal is. I can’t believe we’ve got him.
If you haven’t already had a go at our quizzes, this is a great way to learn some random information about the Football Club, as well as helping us generate much-needed page views: Quiz No.1, Quiz No.2, Quiz No.3, Quiz No.4, Quiz No.5, Quiz No.6, Quiz No.7, Quiz No.8, Quiz No.9, Quiz No.10, Quiz No.11, Quiz No.12, Quiz No.13, Quiz No.14, Quiz No.15, Quiz No.16, Quiz No.17, Quiz No.18, Quiz No.19, Quiz No.20, Quiz No.21, Quiz No.22, Quiz No.23, Quiz No.24, Quiz No.25, Quiz No.26, Quiz No.27, Quiz No.28, Quiz No.29 and Quiz No.30.
"We've been playing some great football. We went 3-0 up against Everton in ten minutes."
Q&A with @BlackpoolJane:https://t.co/R6KH2QFXcs#UTMP #ImpsAsOne #ProudToBeImps pic.twitter.com/TQjAz54YCJ
— Vital Lincoln City (@VitalLincoln1) October 3, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/VitalLincolnCity/posts/3340439102658978
