1990–91 Blackpool F.C. season

The 1990–91 season was Blackpool F.C.'s 83rd season (80th consecutive) in the Football League. They competed in the 24-team Division Four, then the fourth tier of English football. They finished fifth, missing out on automatic promotion by one point after a final-day defeat at Walsall, and made the play-offs; however, they lost in the final, against Torquay United, in a penalty-shootout after the game finished 2-2 after normal and extra time.

Blackpool F.C.
1990–91 season
ManagerGraham Carr
(until 30 November 1990)
Billy Ayre
(from 1 December 1990)
Division Four5th
Play-offsRunners-up
FA CupThird round
League CupFirst round
League TrophyQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerDave Bamber (17)
Highest home attendance9,563 v Tottenham Hotspur,
FA Cup, 5 January 1991
Lowest home attendance1,696 v Darlington,
League Cup, 4 September 1990

Graham Carr was replaced as manager by his assistant, Billy Ayre, on 30 November. Between 10 November and the end of the season, the club went on to record thirteen consecutive League wins at Bloomfield Road.

Dave Bamber was the club's top scorer, with seventeen league goals.

Results
DateCompetitionOpponent (home/away)ResultScorer(s)Attendance
25 August 1990LeagueScunthorpe United (a)L 0-23,024
28 August 1990League Cup, first round, first legDarlington (a)D 0-02,254
1 September 1990LeagueRochdale (h)D 0-03,357
4 September 1990League Cup, first round, second legDarlington (h)D 1-1[1]Brook1,696
8 September 1990LeagueNorthampton Town (a)L 0-14,300
15 September 1990LeagueWrexham (h)W 4-1Stant, Eyres, opposition own goal, Rodwell3,497
18 September 1990LeagueBurnley (h)L 1-2Stant4,737
22 September 1990LeagueChesterfield (a)D 2-2Groves, Garner (penalty)3,549
29 September 1990LeagueHartlepool United (h)W 2-0Eyres, Groves3,181
3 October 1990LeagueScarborough (a)W 1-0Groves1,713
6 October 1990LeagueTorquay United (a)L 1-2Stant2,884
13 October 1990LeagueDarlington (h)L 1-2Garner4,092
20 October 1990LeagueGillingham (h)W 2-0Stant, Eyres3,041
22 October 1990LeagueStockport County (a)D 0-04,337
27 October 1990LeagueHalifax Town (a)L 3-5Rodwell 2, Stant1,945
3 November 1990LeagueWalsall (h)L 1-2Groves3,233
10 November 1990LeagueAldershot (h)W 4-2Sinclair, Taylor, Garner (penalty), Lancaster2,065
17 November 1990FA Cup, first roundGrimsby Town (h)W 2-0Groves, Garner4,175
24 November 1990LeagueDoncaster Rovers (a)L 0-12,113
1 December 1990LeagueHereford United (a)D 1-1[2]Bamber2,588
10 December 1990FA Cup, second roundHuddersfield Town (a)W 2-0Groves, opposition own goal6,329
15 December 1990LeagueMaidstone United (h)D 2-2Garner, Bamber2,341
23 December 1990LeagueCarlisle United (a)L 0-15,195
26 December 1990LeaguePeterborough United (h)D 1-1Garner3,658
29 December 1990LeagueLincoln City (h)W 5-0Groves 2 (1 penalty), Bamber 2, Eyres2,519
1 January 1991LeagueYork City (a)W 1-0Horner3,115
5 January 1991FA Cup, third roundTottenham Hotspur (h)L 0-19,563
12 January 1991LeagueRochdale (a)L 1-2Bamber2,621
19 January 1991LeagueScunthorpe United (h)W 3-1Bamber 2, Garner2,494
26 January 1991LeagueWrexham (a)W 1-0Garner (penalty)2,393
5 February 1991LeagueChesterfield (h)W 3-0Bamber, Horner, Garner2,357
16 February 1991LeagueDoncaster Rovers (h)W 2-0Taylor, Horner3,533
23 February 1991LeagueAldershot (a)W 4-1Bamber 2, Garner 22,164
2 March 1991LeagueHereford United (h)W 3-0Bamber 2, Richards3,636
9 March 1991LeagueMaidstone United (a)D 1-1Richards2,253
12 March 1991LeagueScarborough (h)W 3-1Richards, Taylor, Bamber3,798
16 March 1991LeagueHartlepool United (a)W 2-1Horner, Rodwell2,840
19 March 1991LeagueDarlington (a)D 1-1Opposition own goal4,108
23 March 1991LeagueTorquay United (h)W 1-0Bamber4,778
30 March 1991LeaguePeterborough United (a)L 0-27,721
2 April 1991LeagueCarlisle United (h)W 6-0Bamber 2, Horner, Groves (penalty), Rodwell, Richards5,368
6 April 1991LeagueLincoln City (a)W 1-0Bamber4,003
13 April 1991LeagueYork City (h)W 1-0Groves5,086
17 April 1991LeagueCardiff City (h)W 3-0Groves, Horner, Rodwell4,813
20 April 1991LeagueGillingham (a)D 2-2Davies, Horner3,028
23 April 1991LeagueBurnley (a)L 0-218,398
27 April 1991LeagueStockpot County (h)W 3-2Eyres, Garner 28,590
30 April 1991LeagueHalifax Town (h)W 2-0Rodwell, Groves5,883
2 May 1991LeagueCardiff City (a)D 1-1Garner (penalty)1,793
7 May 1991LeagueNorthampton Town (h)W 2-1Eyres, Groves7,298
11 May 1991LeagueWalsall (a)L 0-28,051
19 May 1991Play-off semi-finals, first legScunthorpe United (a)D 1-1Rodwell6,536
22 May 1991Play-off semi-finals, second legScunthorpe United (h)W 2-1Eyres 27,596
31 May 1991Play-off finalTorquay United (n)[3]D 2-2[4]Groves, opposition own goal21,615

Table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion
3 Hartlepool United 46 24 10 12 67 48 +19 82 Promoted
4 Peterborough United 46 21 17 8 67 45 +22 80
5 Blackpool 46 23 10 13 78 47 +31 79 Participated in play-offs
6 Burnley 46 23 10 13 70 51 +19 79
7 Torquay United 46 18 18 10 64 47 +17 72 Promoted through play-offs[lower-alpha 1]
Source:
Notes:
  1. Torquay United won the play-offs and were promoted.

Play-offs

Semi-finals

Blackpool and Scunthorpe United met in the two-legged semi-finals of the play-offs. The first leg, played at Glanford Park on 19 May, finished 1-1. Three days later, Blackpool won the return leg at Bloomfield Road 2-0, courtesy of a double by David Eyres, and took the tie 3-2 on aggregate. Blackpool's celebration of reaching Wembley since the famous "Matthews Final" thirty-eight years earlier was overshadowed by the news that their former player and manager Stan Mortensen, who scored a hat-trick in that final, had died earlier in the day, at the age of 69.

Final

On 31 May, Blackpool met Torquay United in the final at Wembley. The game finished 2-2 after normal time and extra time. It went to a penalty-shootout, which Torquay won 5-4. Dave Bamber missed the decisive penalty, the second of sudden death, putting it well wide of Gareth Howells' left-hand post.

Blackpool2-2
(4-5 on penalties)		Torquay United
Groves
Curran (o.g.)		 (Report) Saunders
Edwards
Attendance: 21,615

Blackpool

010McIlhargey
020Davies (for Sinclair)
030Wright
040Groves
050Horner
060Gore
070Rodwell
080Taylor
090Bamber
100Garner (c)
110Eyres

Substitutes:

120Sinclair (for Davies)
140Richards

Manager:
Billy Ayre

Torquay United

010Howells
020Curran
030P. Holmes
040Saunders
050Elliott
060Joyce
070Myers
080M. Holmes
090Evans
100Edwards
110Loram

Substitutes:

120Hall
140

Manager:
John Impey

Player statistics

Appearances
NameLeaguePlay-offsFA CupLeague CupTotal
Paul Groves4633254[5]
Alan Wright4533253
Steve McIlhargey4433252
Tony Rodwell4533152
Ian Gore4133249
Phil Horner3933045
Andy Garner3633244
David Eyres3631242
Mike Davies3731041
Trevor Sinclair3123238
Gary Briggs3023237
Dave Bamber2311025
Carl Richards2202125
Chris Hedworth2003023
Mark Taylor1930123
Phil Stant1200012
Dave Lancaster800210
Gary Brook40026
A. Smalley60006
Andy Gouck50005
Mark Bradshaw10023
Mark Wright30003
Fred Barber20002
Gordon Owen10001
Russell Coughlin00000

Players used: 24

Goals
NameLeaguePlay-offsFA CupLeague CupTotal
Dave Bamber1700017
Paul Groves1112014
Andy Garner1301014
David Eyres62008
Tony Rodwell71008
Phil Horner70007
Phil Stant50005
Carl Richards40004
Mark Taylor30003
Gary Brook00011
Mike Davies10001
Dave Lancaster10001
Trevor Sinclair10001

Total goals scored: 84 (plus four own-goals)


Notes
  1. After extra time; Darlington won on away-goals rule
  2. Billy Ayre's first game as manager
  3. Played at Wembley Stadium, London
  4. After extra time; Torquay won 5-4 on penalties
  5. Ever-present

References
  • Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887-1992. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
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