Blackpool turn towards two lower-table league games after cup progress
Wednesday 11 November 2026 · By Quentin Hathersage
Blackpool have had no midweek first-team fixture since Saturday’s 2–1 extra-time FA Cup first-round win at National League Hornchurch. Henry Hearn put the hosts ahead, Jordan Brown equalised and Josh Bowler scored the late winner, ensuring the tie ended without a penalty shootout. The FA roundup and the Gazette/PA reporting establish the 2–1 score. The Gazette’s Ivan Speck copy may share a wire chain with PA and is not counted twice. Bowler’s winning minute is omitted rather than repeated without the independent clearance requested for that detail. The incorrect 2–3 score from SportScore-style roundups is not used.
Ian Evatt, quoted by the Gazette on 7 November, said: “I’m pleased with the character we showed.” He also said: “In the second half and extra time, I thought it was much more like it.” He felt fear of being on the wrong side of an upset had affected the first-half display and explained why he waited until half-time to introduce Bowler. Those comments remain his reaction to the cup tie, not to a later match that has not been played.
On Monday Blackpool were drawn away to sixth-tier Salisbury in the FA Cup second round, to be played on the weekend of 4–5 December. The date and kick-off have not been announced. No new midweek Jersey Mike’s Trophy fixture was listed.
The league table is unchanged, because no League One match has been played since Oxford United’s 2–0 win over Reading on 4 November. Blackpool remain nineteenth on 12 points from 12 games, level with Doncaster Rovers and one point above 21st-placed Wigan Athletic. Their last league result remains the 1–1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.
The next two league fixtures are particularly relevant. Blackpool visit AFC Wimbledon on Saturday 14 November at 15:00 GMT, one of only five League One matches still scheduled that afternoon, then host Wigan on Saturday 21 November at 12:30 GMT. Those meetings, against sides on 13 and 11 points, are the immediate league test. Saturday’s cup comeback is encouragement, not proof that the last-six league sequence of one win, one draw and four defeats has been repaired. No fresh medical diagnosis has been established.
The BBC league table, last updated on 10 November at 07:52 GMT, records Blackpool in 19th place on 12 points from 12 games: 3 wins, 3 draws and 6 defeats, with a goal difference of minus four. The last-six league form, oldest first, is L–L–L–W–L–D. Those figures cover League One only. No League One match has been played since Oxford United beat Reading 2–0 on 4 November, and cup or Trophy results do not change the table. League One’s top two go up automatically, third to sixth enter the play-offs and the bottom four are relegated.
The visit to Wimbledon is one of the five League One fixtures still scheduled for 14 November. Seven other league games due that afternoon are postponed for international call-ups.
Bloomfield Road is a compact, all-seater ground of just under 16,500 on Seasiders Way, FY1 6JJ, a short walk from Blackpool’s south promenade. Visiting supporters are almost always placed in the temporary East Stand, along the side of the pitch rather than behind a goal. A typical allocation is around 2,500. Enter through turnstiles 18–21 or 22–25 on the Bloomfield Road / east side; the number on your ticket is the one you must use. Most turnstiles close 15 minutes after kick-off, with one in each block kept open a little longer. There is no re-entry once you are inside.
The East Stand is lower and shallower than the three permanent sides, so you sit close to the touchline but some seats have roof supports in the sightline. The front rows have at times been closed. Facilities for away fans are basic; food and toilets for visitors are often reached via the more solid Jimmy Armfield South Stand. Expect card-only kiosks. The South Stand faces the north goal in front of the Mortensen Kop; the West Stand (Sir Stanley Matthews) holds the tunnel, dugouts, boxes and home hospitality. The Kop is the noisy home end and now includes rail seating for safe standing.
Blackpool South station is the closest rail stop, about ten minutes on foot. Blackpool North has more frequent trains and is a 25–30 minute walk or a short tram or taxi hop. Drivers should use FY1 6JJ and aim for council pay-and-display at Lonsdale Road or Bloomfield Road Car Park rather than the tiny on-site official spaces. Machines and the PayByPhone app are the usual payment methods; street parking immediately around the ground is restricted. Coaches generally drop on Central Drive. Allow extra time on a Saturday when the town is busy with day-trippers.
Away-friendly pubs within a short walk include The Castle on Central Drive, The Manchester on the Promenade, the Happy Scots Bar on Rigby Road and The New Philly on Foxhall Road. The Old Bridge House on Lytham Road is another regular for travelling support. Drink responsibly and leave time to find your turnstile; segregation is straightforward but stewards will not let you wander the home concourses. After the match, exits can differ from the way you came in — follow steward instructions rather than doubling back onto the pitch-side walkways.
Ticket prices for visitors commonly sit in the mid-to-high twenties for adults, with concessions for seniors, 18–21s and juniors, and very cheap or token prices for young children on many league fixtures. Under-14s usually need an accompanying adult. Check your club’s allocation for whether you are in padded East Stand seats or standard blocks, and whether any corner rail-seating is in the mix. The ground is tight to the streets, so the walk from the seafront, Pleasure Beach or South station is simple once you pick up Seasiders Way. Arrive early if you want a programme, a look at the Jimmy Armfield statue area, or a seat before the Kop starts on “Sea, sea, Seasiders.”