Blackpool are one of six former winners of the FA Cup who Rovers will face in the league this season, the other five being Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers, Charlton Athletic, Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic.
They travel to face Rovers under the Memorial Stadium floodlights on Tuesday evening, in what will be the 43rd league meeting between the sides.
Rovers have won 16 of the previous 42 meetings, Blackpool 17 and there’s been nine drawn games, while in terms of goals Rovers have scored 54 to Blackpool’s 60.
The sides first met in the league in 1974/75, when Blackpool were 3-1 winners at Eastville on 28th September 1974, while the return fixture at Bloomfield Road the following March was a goalless affair.
Last season Blackpool won both games against Rovers, 2-1 at Bloomfield Road and by the same score at The Memorial Stadium in the return fixture.
Two former Rovers players, Alan Ball and Ian Holloway, have managed both clubs. World Cup winner Ball began his playing career at Blackpool and returned to the club as player/manager later in his career. However, he ended his playing career at Rovers and scored twice in the 17 league games he played for us.
Holloway enjoyed three spells as a Rovers player, his final stint being as player/manager; overall, he scored 42 goals in 397 Gas league appearances. He became Blackpool manager in May 2009 and led them into the Premier League via the play offs, though there was just one season playing at that level.
More than 20 players have turned out for both clubs, including current Rovers midfielder Grant
Ward, while six of the 11 players who have made their Rovers league debut against Blackpool did so on the opening day of the 2019/20 season when we suffered a 2-0 defeat at Bloomfield Road.
Current Rovers keeper Jed Ward, now on loan at Forest Green Rovers, made his league debut for the club on the final day of the 2020/21 season when Blackpool ran out 1-0 winners at Bloomfield Road.
The stadium was also scene of a memorable game (for Rovers!) on 5th May 1990, the final day of the 1989/90 season when a 3-0 win for Rovers meant that we finished the season as Third Division Champions.
Bloomfield Road was a very run down stadium at that time and the crowd of 6,776 included more than 5,000 Gasheads!
Current Blackpool manager Steve Bruce took over from Neil Critchley, who became the first League One managerial casualty of the current campaign when he parted company with Blackpool on 21st August this year.
While Blackpool, who are currently down in 19th place in the league standings with 17 points from 16 games, lost 2-1 against Bolton Wanderers last Saturday, a game where former Rovers striker Aaron Collins scored a last minute winner for Bolton.
Rovers, of course, were recording their second away win of the season on Saturday afternoon when a Luke McCormick goal sealed a 1-0 win against Mansfield Town at Field Mill. The result saw Matt Taylor’s side move into 13th place in the league with 21 points from their 16 games.
The side should be full of confidence coming into this Tuesday evening fixture and while nothing should be taken for granted, it’s an opportunity to add to the four home wins already recorded this season ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Barnsley.
This is what goalscorer McCormick said after Saturday’s match; ‘We’re a young squad, but we’ve got big pitch personality. It took a little bit of time to bed in, but now I think we’re starting to see the fruits of our labour, and we’re only going to get better.’
Let’s hope he’s right!