No Panic At The Mechanics
Wed 9th September 2009 | AFC Blackpool | By Ian Templeman
A quick glance at the Division One league table sees AFC Blackpool sitting at the bottom with no league wins so far this season.
As a result, you could be forgiven for thinking that there might be an air of disappointment or despair around Jepson Way at the moment - but nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, the mood is decidedly upbeat with developments on and off the field in the past few months now beginning to bear fruit. New training facilities and an extensive youth set up are fully in place, relationships have been established with AFC Fylde and Fleetwood Town, new players have been added to the playing squad in the past few weeks, and the team notched up its first win of the season with an impressive 1-0 win over Premier Division Maine Road in the FA Vase.
The club committee made a conscious decision about 18 months ago to focus on developing the facilities at The Mechanics, and Vice-Chairman John Sanderson believes that the club will benefit long term from the strategy.
"We now have the two training pitches with floodlights behind the main pitch, both of which are very heavily used seven days a week. We have teams from under 6's right up to open age and we are very pleased with the way that the youth team structure has developed.Â
"With more people coming down to the ground, revenue from sales at the clubhouse has increased, and in addition a number of parents and coaches involved with the junior teams now come down on Saturdays to help out the committee on match days. That has been a huge help to us, and means that it's not just down to a handful of people to do all the jobs that need doing.
"It's not just our teams that use the facilities, and we have set up an arrangement with AFC Fylde, who now use the facility for their training sessions in midweek.
"The benefits are two fold - it gives us a basis to develop an academy at the club to move players through the various age groups, and it's also an excellent way of generating additional revenue into the club, both from our teams and those from outside who use the facilities."
Manager Stuart Parker is equally supportive of the committee's strategy and feels the club is now ready to take to full advantage of the work that has been done.
"Concentrating on the facilities over the past year or two left no real budget for the first team, but we were comfortable with that because we knew what we wanted to achieve long term. Now we have facilities that I think now are first class for a club at this level, our youth set up is excellent, everyone is pulling together and it's a happy club."
After a bottom four finish last season, Stuart has been busy strengthening the squad in the past few months with a mixture of familiar and new faces arriving.
"We've done a bit of recruiting in the summer. Marc Beattie has come back to us again and he has showed his quality in the games he has played so far. We've also brought in Simon Davies and Steve Betteridge has come from AFC Fylde, and we've got an exciting young find in Martin Bird.Â
"We've also got Neil Beesley in goal who won the West Lancashire League with Garstang last season, and also played 20 odd games for Lancaster. So there's lots to be positive about and the side is coming together, although it's taken a bit of time."
Another string to Stuart's bow in strengthening the squad is an association with the two senior non-league teams in the Fylde area.
"We started building a relationship with AFC Fylde last year, as we've always got on well with everyone there. Â I felt there would be a chance both clubs could benefit and we are very happy with the way the relationship is going.
"Mick Fuller and Andy Clarkson there are great, and always very helpful. They can't just run a team with 16 players, they are going to need 20-22 players that can play in the first team, but they won't all get a game. If they are considered good enough for the Unibond League they will be good enough for our team.
"Also, Fylde have a youth team and they will obviously have players at times who can't get in their youth team and want a higher level than reserve team football. If I need a player in a particular position then there could be a chance Fylde have someone who can play a game for us and that's how we see it progressing.Â
"You can't force the lads to play but we have spoken about a number of players who would be happy to come and play for us so we'll see how that goes. I've got to say that so far, not one of the players that has come to us has had a poor attitude and they have been a credit to themselves.
"We're also in touch with Fleetwood, as there are a couple of their players we are interested in too. All the young players at Fylde or Fleetwood can't all make it in to the first team, so I want us to be the next port of call.Â
"In Fylde's game last week, Mick was able to put Richie Allen on the bench and bring him on with half an hour to go, and when a team has that sort of strength in depth, you know there are going to be good players not getting a game. So I want us to be the next choice for all the best young players in the Fylde coast area.Â
"It's been a great time for non-league football recently in this area, when you look at what Fleetwood and Fylde have achieved in recent years. But it was obvious that once they got out of our league, which they have done now, things at our level would start to be on a more even keel. We can compete a lot more easily with Squires Gate than we could with Fleetwood and Fylde when they were in the league."
Stuart is also hoping the relationship will help to boost the size of the first team squad available to him.
"It's an old saying that the strength of a team is often judged by who is on the bench, and that's what we want, a bit more depth to the squad. We would struggle to get a full squad of experienced North West Counties League players, so we have to look at other ways of strengthening.Â
"If I can get a nucleus of experienced players backed up with exciting young lads from the likes of AFC Fylde who are eager to learn and get experience of playing first team football, I think it's a good way forward for us."Â Â
Looking ahead to the Division One campaign, Stuart feels this year's competition could be one of the tightest for years.
"I think the top quality sides that we have had in this division in recent years, New Mills and Fylde for example, have gone. AFC Liverpool were obviously expected to be another stand out side this season, but something is obviously going wrong there just at the moment.Â
"Stone are a good side.  They won their last 11 games last season, and they have been building their squad for two or three seasons, so they obviously would be one of the favourites this season. Irlam will be up there too. We battered them for a spell of our game against them, but they outplayed us for the last 25 minutes, although we had done well against them up to that point.
"When we played Daisy Hill I thought they were a bit fortunate to beat us, but they were a very hard working side who have picked up some good wins and will get some great belief from their results so far. They certainly didn't look like a team that finished second bottom last season so they have obviously got some new players in. So it's looking like there won't be much between the sides in the top half of the table."
As far as AFC Blackpool is concerned, despite the league results so far, Stuart is confident his side has the quality required to start moving up the table - especially if they can reproduce the form that saw them knock Premier Division Maine Road out of the FA Vase. Â
"I was absolutely delighted with the performance against Maine Road. We've been playing well for spells in games, but apart from maybe a 15 minute spell in the second half, I thought we caused them problems throughout the game.
"It was a great goal too, a great cross and a fine header to win the game. All I can say now is bring on Oldham Town in the next round.
"We've improved our team in the last month and I think we have a nice mix of youth and experience now. We just need to push on now and get some points on the board and wins like the one over Maine Road will give us the confidence and belief to do that.
"If we can be in mid table by Christmas, get a bit of confidence going, we can push on from there in the New Year and then next season be ready to have a real go at promotion. For now, the immediate challenge is to just start getting some league wins under our belt."
No Panic At The Mechanics
Wed 9th September 2009 | AFC Blackpool
By Ian Templeman
A quick glance at the Division One league table sees AFC Blackpool sitting at the bottom with no league wins so far this season.
As a result, you could be forgiven for thinking that there might be an air of disappointment or despair around Jepson Way at the moment - but nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, the mood is decidedly upbeat with developments on and off the field in the past few months now beginning to bear fruit. New training facilities and an extensive youth set up are fully in place, relationships have been established with AFC Fylde and Fleetwood Town, new players have been added to the playing squad in the past few weeks, and the team notched up its first win of the season with an impressive 1-0 win over Premier Division Maine Road in the FA Vase.
The club committee made a conscious decision about 18 months ago to focus on developing the facilities at The Mechanics, and Vice-Chairman John Sanderson believes that the club will benefit long term from the strategy.
"We now have the two training pitches with floodlights behind the main pitch, both of which are very heavily used seven days a week. We have teams from under 6's right up to open age and we are very pleased with the way that the youth team structure has developed.Â
"With more people coming down to the ground, revenue from sales at the clubhouse has increased, and in addition a number of parents and coaches involved with the junior teams now come down on Saturdays to help out the committee on match days. That has been a huge help to us, and means that it's not just down to a handful of people to do all the jobs that need doing.
"It's not just our teams that use the facilities, and we have set up an arrangement with AFC Fylde, who now use the facility for their training sessions in midweek.
"The benefits are two fold - it gives us a basis to develop an academy at the club to move players through the various age groups, and it's also an excellent way of generating additional revenue into the club, both from our teams and those from outside who use the facilities."
Manager Stuart Parker is equally supportive of the committee's strategy and feels the club is now ready to take to full advantage of the work that has been done.
"Concentrating on the facilities over the past year or two left no real budget for the first team, but we were comfortable with that because we knew what we wanted to achieve long term. Now we have facilities that I think now are first class for a club at this level, our youth set up is excellent, everyone is pulling together and it's a happy club."
After a bottom four finish last season, Stuart has been busy strengthening the squad in the past few months with a mixture of familiar and new faces arriving.
"We've done a bit of recruiting in the summer. Marc Beattie has come back to us again and he has showed his quality in the games he has played so far. We've also brought in Simon Davies and Steve Betteridge has come from AFC Fylde, and we've got an exciting young find in Martin Bird.Â
"We've also got Neil Beesley in goal who won the West Lancashire League with Garstang last season, and also played 20 odd games for Lancaster. So there's lots to be positive about and the side is coming together, although it's taken a bit of time."
Another string to Stuart's bow in strengthening the squad is an association with the two senior non-league teams in the Fylde area.
"We started building a relationship with AFC Fylde last year, as we've always got on well with everyone there. Â I felt there would be a chance both clubs could benefit and we are very happy with the way the relationship is going.
"Mick Fuller and Andy Clarkson there are great, and always very helpful. They can't just run a team with 16 players, they are going to need 20-22 players that can play in the first team, but they won't all get a game. If they are considered good enough for the Unibond League they will be good enough for our team.
"Also, Fylde have a youth team and they will obviously have players at times who can't get in their youth team and want a higher level than reserve team football. If I need a player in a particular position then there could be a chance Fylde have someone who can play a game for us and that's how we see it progressing.Â
"You can't force the lads to play but we have spoken about a number of players who would be happy to come and play for us so we'll see how that goes. I've got to say that so far, not one of the players that has come to us has had a poor attitude and they have been a credit to themselves.
"We're also in touch with Fleetwood, as there are a couple of their players we are interested in too. All the young players at Fylde or Fleetwood can't all make it in to the first team, so I want us to be the next port of call.Â
"In Fylde's game last week, Mick was able to put Richie Allen on the bench and bring him on with half an hour to go, and when a team has that sort of strength in depth, you know there are going to be good players not getting a game. So I want us to be the next choice for all the best young players in the Fylde coast area.Â
"It's been a great time for non-league football recently in this area, when you look at what Fleetwood and Fylde have achieved in recent years. But it was obvious that once they got out of our league, which they have done now, things at our level would start to be on a more even keel. We can compete a lot more easily with Squires Gate than we could with Fleetwood and Fylde when they were in the league."
Stuart is also hoping the relationship will help to boost the size of the first team squad available to him.
"It's an old saying that the strength of a team is often judged by who is on the bench, and that's what we want, a bit more depth to the squad. We would struggle to get a full squad of experienced North West Counties League players, so we have to look at other ways of strengthening.Â
"If I can get a nucleus of experienced players backed up with exciting young lads from the likes of AFC Fylde who are eager to learn and get experience of playing first team football, I think it's a good way forward for us."Â Â
Looking ahead to the Division One campaign, Stuart feels this year's competition could be one of the tightest for years.
"I think the top quality sides that we have had in this division in recent years, New Mills and Fylde for example, have gone. AFC Liverpool were obviously expected to be another stand out side this season, but something is obviously going wrong there just at the moment.Â
"Stone are a good side.  They won their last 11 games last season, and they have been building their squad for two or three seasons, so they obviously would be one of the favourites this season. Irlam will be up there too. We battered them for a spell of our game against them, but they outplayed us for the last 25 minutes, although we had done well against them up to that point.
"When we played Daisy Hill I thought they were a bit fortunate to beat us, but they were a very hard working side who have picked up some good wins and will get some great belief from their results so far. They certainly didn't look like a team that finished second bottom last season so they have obviously got some new players in. So it's looking like there won't be much between the sides in the top half of the table."
As far as AFC Blackpool is concerned, despite the league results so far, Stuart is confident his side has the quality required to start moving up the table - especially if they can reproduce the form that saw them knock Premier Division Maine Road out of the FA Vase. Â
"I was absolutely delighted with the performance against Maine Road. We've been playing well for spells in games, but apart from maybe a 15 minute spell in the second half, I thought we caused them problems throughout the game.
"It was a great goal too, a great cross and a fine header to win the game. All I can say now is bring on Oldham Town in the next round.
"We've improved our team in the last month and I think we have a nice mix of youth and experience now. We just need to push on now and get some points on the board and wins like the one over Maine Road will give us the confidence and belief to do that.
"If we can be in mid table by Christmas, get a bit of confidence going, we can push on from there in the New Year and then next season be ready to have a real go at promotion. For now, the immediate challenge is to just start getting some league wins under our belt."
