Swindon Townโs Owner Clem Morfuni & CEO Rob Angus wishing Pep Guardiola, his backroom staff and his players a speedy recovery - and also a safe journey to all
#MCFC
fans.
Clem inviting Pep to enjoy a future game at the County Ground. ๐
@Official_STFC
@TrustSTFC
@STFCSupClub
Inspirational 12-year old Ed Simpson - whoโs had nine brain operations in a year - continues his tour of the country taking 100 penalties & raising funds for
@braintumourrsch
charity. Today, one of Edโs heroes
@JesseLingard
arranged a meet!๐โฝ๏ธ Edโs story:
Cost of living crisis, five-hour round trip and a wet Tuesday night at Blackpool in November.
Over 3,000 Middlesbrough fans have still turned up at Bloomfield Road tonight! You have to say thatโs magnificent!๐
#Boro
Just want to give a massive public thank you to a brilliant young man who contacts me most days. Lee, who has autism, asks every week which โฝ๏ธ games I am working on, then proceeds to give me World class stats to use! Never judge a book by its title. You are a huge talent, Lee! ๐
John Rooney Snr is a lifelong โฝ๏ธ fan based in Toronto. He is 85-years young and his family reached out to say it was his dream to meet the
@dcunited
captain
@WayneRooney
. While in this great city, we were thrilled Wayne made it happen!
#DCUFamily
#TORvDC
So much goodwill from all for Duncan Ferguson to be a success at Forest Green. About 10 years ago I put on a football session for kids with learning disabilities in Skelmersdale. I reached out, Duncan said heโd be there. I was sceptical. He came, was awesome & stayed for 3 hours.
Immensely proud of the immediate reaction of
@BlackpoolFC
& hundreds of our supporters around The Morty Statue just now - within hours of the tragic news of Tonyโs passing. The outpouring of affection from the Blackpool community will hopefully give family a modicum of solace. ๐งก
A special moment pre-match where
@ManCity
legend Mike Summerbee meets new Swindon Town owner Clem Morfuni.
Mike started his professional career at
#STFC
, spending six years between 1959-65 before being signed by Joe Mercer for
#MCFC
for ยฃ35,000.
@Official_STFC
Football images you will never tire of seeing?
In my late old manโs phone, he has pictures of this game in a folder entitled: โTHE GREATEST DAY EVER!โ
My late old man (left) celebrating promotion to The Premier League in 2010.
His 5-year old grandson (right) at his first ever Blackpool game today celebrating a 4-2 victory over Lancashire rivals Preston.
โWhen can I go again.โ And so a new Seasidersโ lifetime journey begins.๐งก
Edward Simpson is 12 & has had nine operations in the last year on a brain tumour. Ed isnโt feeling sorry for himself, heโs launched '100 strikes at cancer' to raise ยฃ100,000 for charity. Thank you
@Official_STFC
for looking after Ed today!๐
Just giving:
Town early this morning & The Tower is brilliantly illuminated. In the eyes of Blackpool fans, it shines for Paul Parish of Fulham who passed yesterday watching his team against our club at Craven Cottage.
The thoughts of every Seasider are with Paulโs family & friends. ๐ ๐
Four-year old Swindon fan Link Simpson underwent a bone marrow biopsy just two days before leading his team out yesterday in a League Two victory against Oldham Athletic yesterday. Well done to both
#OAFC
&
#STFC
for making Link & his family happy! ๐ Football can be brilliant!
Sat next to The Princess of Wales - ok not quite - at todayโs England match in the Rugby League World Cup in Wigan. Catherine is the new Royal Patron of the
@RFL
and this is her first official engagement in the role. Broadcasting royalty
@clarebalding
here, too!
#RLWC21
#ENGPNG
Amongst the boardroom noise,
#ManCity
ambassador Mike Summerbee - who started his career at The County Ground - tells
@Official_STFC
owner Clem Morfuni: โI would never have had the success in football if not for being at Swindon Town Football Club.โ A humble legend and class act.
If anyone can point me in the direction of this brave young man and his family, I would like to invite him to a day out at a forthcoming
@England
international match at Wembley Stadium.
For a football fan that idolised Brian Clough as a kid and had one of the highlights of my life spending a full day working with him in the early 2000โs, to be back at The City Ground in Cloughieโs corridors to interview Steve Cooper for
@SkySportsNews
is special.
#NFFC
@NFFC
This incredible image taken by
@LiverpoolVista
from the top of Liverpool Cathedral to see Blackpool Tower is so good it is almost hard believe. Approx 30 miles.
In the foreground on the left is Christ Church, Bootle, while the other church on the right is St Robert Bellarmineโs.
Over 3,000 Sheffield United fans have travelled to Blackpool tonight for a five-hour round trip. A sold out away East Stand for a midweek fixture which is live on the ๐บ. Quality support from
#SUFC
#TwitterBlades
! ๐
MARCH 5TH 1960
DIVISION ONE
LEEDS UNITED 2 BLACKPOOL 4
A 17-year old Billy Bremner meets 45 years young Sir Stanley Matthews in a top flight fixture at Elland Road in 1960.
A Ray Charnley hat-trick for the Seasiders & a goal from Blackpool born Dave Durie gave Pool the points.
Honoured that England fan & inspirational 12-year old Edward Simpson, who has had nine operations on a brain tumour in the year, has accepted our
@AskNationwide
@FA
Respect Campaign invitation to attend his FIRST EVER game at Wembley tonight! ๐ โฝ๏ธ
Ed ๐
For such a young man, I am breathless at Jake Danielsโ bravery. An historic moment for the game & has just made it possible for other young men to join in his freedom. Jake will have huge levels of global support over coming days but Blackpool folk will have his back forever. ๐งก
Visited Swindon with a week until the start of the new season when they had just five registered players. I said to the new
#STFC
owner Clem Morfuni & CEO
@bobbyang73
that
@EFL
survival would be a small miracle. Today they start the second half of the season in the play-offs. ๐
Ahead of this weekendโs amateur football itโs probably a good time to remember your local grassroots referee. If a multi-million pound VAR system with multiple officials can make mistakes, is it not time to give the referee on their own on the local park a break and more respect?
Absolutely love my home townโs spiritual support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people tonight. Blackpool Tower lit up in the countryโs colours. ๐บ๐ฆ
Two titans of the game, Mike Summerbee and Don Rogers.
With almost 1,500 first team appearances between them, it was special to witness these great friends and former Swindon Town colleagues meet at last nightโs F.A. Cup tie at the County Ground.
#STFC
#MCFC
#ManCity
Never seen this before in thousands of games watching football.
Referee out cold, stretchered off & gets standing ovation.
11 mins on the clock and referee Sam Purkiss is hit full on by a clearance from the home side. The Swindon medics on the scene immediately.
#STFC
#GTFC
Stephen is 50, an
@LFC
fan & has Spina Bifida. For 20 years plus, he has been a volunteer football coach to over 500 young people with disability on Merseyside & thoroughly deserves his
@FA
Nationwide
#MutualRespectAwards
for May plus tickets to an
@England
match!
๐๐ผ๐๐๐พ๐โฝ๏ธ
A genuine legend of the game and his beloved Blackpool community has left us today. I believe Jimmy Armfield is the greatest all-round football person of all time. One club man, England captain, manager, football ambassador, broadcaster, writer and, mostly, gentleman.
#RIPJimmy
A sad day but one also to rejoice that as Blackpool fans we've lived at the same time as Jim. People like Jimmy Armfield come around once every thousand years.
Fully expecting Jimโs hearse to overlap the traffic on Bloomfield Road one final time at noon today.
#OneJimmyArmfield
Inspirational 14-year old Ed Simpson - who had nine brain operations in one year - didnโt feel sorry for himself; decided to help others instead. Today heโs been invited to take a penalty at half-time at
#FACupFinal
as part of his ยฃ100,000 fundraising for
@braintumourrsch
๐
Clare Parish, daughter of Paul who passed recently at our game at Craven Cottage, is a guest at Bloomfield this weekend thanks to generosity of
#TangerineFamily
#BFC
&
@TristanDreamT
. Clare said: โI want to thank as many Blackpool fans as possible for the love they have shown.โ๐งก
You may remember the horrible video on social media recently of 13-year old Aiden being bullied. Aiden & his family has accepted a VIP invitation to watch England next Tuesday at Wembley from
@AskNationwide
@EnglandFootball
Respect Campaign to give the young man a special time.๐
Stockport County fans at the final whistle at Swindon Town today. Itโs around a seven-hour round trip for the 770 County fans who were rewarded with a 4-2 away win at The County Ground to keep their side top of the table by five points after 17 games.
#stockportcounty
#STFC
Massive thoughts, positivity & prayers with Seasiders fan Tony! Absolutely terrible that a positive day of football ended in such traumatic and pointless circumstances. The thoughts of everyone in the town & in tangerine are with Tony, his family & friends.
#ComeOnTony
๐งก ๐
For a new team trying to establish itself in the Championship, to be currently in the top half of the table after 11 games - & 13 points from the last 18 available - is right up there with my most optimistic pre-season hopes. Bravo to Neil, the players, fans & backroom! ๐๐โฝ๏ธ
Good evening
#STFC
fans. All being well, scheduled to have your clubโs new Owner, Head Coach, Director of Football & CEO on
@SkySportsNews
live from the training ground at approx 0815 & 0930 tomorrow morning ahead of this new season and a new era for the Robins!
Clubโs top media team captured the exhaustion of Gary Madine in the dressing room post 4-2 win v PNE. Gary had given everything, set up a goal & won a game high 17 headers. Give me someone who gives his all; a bloodied, muddied & sweat-filled shirt & Iโll show you a cult hero.๐ช
Community hero & lifelong
@dcunited
fan Pat Salazar tragically lost his life recently to save a woman - whom he didnโt know - from a vicious assault.
In honour of Patโs heorism, a minuteโs applause will be held from the fourth minute tonight.
#oneofourown
#DCU
#hero
#DCUFamily
This fine young man & terrific ever-present goalkeeper won man of the match today - not just for his World class save at 2-1 to help
#STFC
to 3 points but the way heโs carried himself as a top pro all season. Whatever the future holds for
@Sol_Brynn1
- everyone wishes him glory.
The letter Blackpool Football Club sent to Stan Mortensenโs mother in 1938 informing Mrs Mortensen that they were about to offer a contract, and a job in a sawmill, to young Stan - just before his 17th birthday.๐โฝ๏ธ
โโฆhe may be able to adopt professional football as a career.โ
The tangerine and white flag is flying high and proud from the top of
@TheBplTower
this morning, all weekend and, hopefully, beyond into next week.
Once
@BlackpoolFC
has touched your life, nothing is ever the same.
#TangerineFamily
๐ โฝ๏ธ
You cannot quantify the feel good factor a win - but particularly a Lancashire derby win - does for the people of the town. Euphoria, delirium and momentarily any troubles & worries are blown away.
Want it as much as this lot & the three points are always yours, my friend! ๐ โช๏ธ
Without being asked or prompt, the volunteer team at
@BlackpoolFC
led by
@seasidersnews
has done an incredible deep clean job today on The Morty Statue, in time for tomorrowโs celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Stan Mortensen. Please show your appreciation! ๐
60 years & 15 World Cups ago, our beloved Jimmy Armfield was voted the best right back in the 1962 World Cup.
Years later an irritated manager asked journalists post match: โHow many England caps have you got?โ From the back, radio pundit Jim piped up. โForty-three, actually!โ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
Ahead of
#PAFC
's trip to
#SUFC
in the
#FACup
this weekend, itโs clear talking to
@rlowe15
how much impact
@Only1Argyle
fans have had on him.
๐ฃ โThe fans have missed so much. It drives me on to bring more success to Argyle. We have got one of the best fan bases in the country.โ
Joy to catch up with eight-year old
@BrentfordFC
fan Woody today & mum Natalie for
@SkySportsNews
. The picture of Woody & Beesโ boss Thomas Frank captured the hearts of football fans across the World - demonstrating the deep connection between communities & their football clubs.
Daily, Lee sends me football stats on games I cover & attend. He has autism but doesnโt allow that to define him. His stats are brilliant & World class. Heโs a terrific lad & I know he would appreciate a kind word today as this is always a tough day for Lee. Keep going pal! ๐ ๐งก
Sad to hear of the passing of โBlackpool Rockโ, boxer Brian London, 87.
Always humorous, one of Brianโs favourite tales was that he frightened
@MuhammadAli
to death during their World Heavyweight title fight in 1966. I asked him how?
Brian replied: โHe thought heโd killed me!โ
12 years ago today, the late old man celebrating promotion to the Premier League at Wembley with 40,000 others in the
#TangerineFamily
. Next week will be seven years since we lost him in the blink of an eye. The game can change in seconds.
Remembered forever. ๐งก
The generosity of the
#TangerineFamily
today raised a fantastic ยฃ1,437. Not only does this now give enough to provide a hot three-course feast for our homeless guests on 28th Dec but also sponsor a hotel room for vulnerable Blackpool people over Christmas & through January!๐๐๐
Shout out to a tremendous midfielder - & even better human being - Jonny Williams of Swindon Town & Wales for taking time on
@SkySportsNews
to visit elderly fans in the community today & putting smiles on faces - despite getting home at 4am from a 1-1 draw at Bradford City.
#STFC
Lucky to be involved in the professional game for 30 years & I have seen the very best & worst of people in that time. Having spent time with Neil Critchley recently, I can tell you that we have one of the best coaches &, just as importantly, human beings we will ever find.๐
My late old manโs microphone from the PA box above the playersโ tunnel in the old South Stand reminds me of his optimism & hope on opening day every season, regardless.
Enjoy your season. Lost love ones & the last 18 months remind us not to take a single game or day for granted.
Some of the foulest conditions possible for watching โฝ๏ธ but
@dcunited
& their incredible fans got the opening three points & the rightful appreciation from their players!
I tip my hat to every single
@Barra_Brava
,
@DistrictUltrasX
,
@ScreamingEagles
&
#DCU
โ โ โ fan present โซ๏ธ๐ด!
30 years on the microphone at Bloomfield Road; over 30 years a funeral director; 60 years a Seasidersโ supporter; but missed & remembered by many since leaving us over seven years.
It would be his 72nd birthday today and I know the gift he would want this afternoon! ๐งก๐โฐ๏ธโฝ๏ธ
Ollie Watkinsโ โsquad firstโ attitude reminds me of Jimmy Armfield. If not for injury, Jim wouldโve played in the 1966 World Cup & Englandโs finest hour. Yet Jimโs joy for his team mates at the final whistle was unparalleled. Jim, possibly the most noble footballer of all-time.
For my passionate Swindon Town supporting friends, I was delighted to get a couple of minutes this evening with your new First-Team Head Coach, Scott Lindsey, for
@SkySportsNews
and ask him about his football philosophy.
Good luck Scott and to all at
@Official_STFC
.
#STFC
๐ดโช๏ธ
This civic spirit deserves national attention & why we support this club & town!
The festive fundraiser by the fans & staff of
@BlackpoolFC
- matched by the owner, his wife & his company - raises ยฃ82,622 to help every child in the town wake up to a gift tomorrow morning!
โฝ๏ธ๐๐
Blackpool - in the old stripes - scoring at the South Stand end at Bloomfield Road in 1933.
Look at the fans packed in on the new Kop and standing on top of the kiosk at the back of the terrace. The Tower, as ever, acts as the backdrop.
One of my favourite ๐ โฝ๏ธ pictures.
How great is this
#DCUFamily
. Huge plaudits to our boys in Black & Red today for sharing their genuine love with the fans. My favourite moment was young
#DCU
fan Will Hocine bringing his โฝ๏ธ history book to remind
@WayneRooney
that he is ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ greatest ever goalscorer!
Please send congratulations to Blackpool fan & swimmer Charlotte Foster who has just won silver medal for Great Britain in 25m backstroke ๏ฟผ๏ฟผ๏ฟผat Special Olympics in Berlin - the World Games for athletes with learning disabilities. The town is very proud of you, Charlotte. ๐งก๐
Fantastic to catch up with 9-year old Riley Regan & his family which you can see on
@SkySportsNews
today.
Riley has autism and told me Sunday was โthe greatest day of his lifeโ and gave him โhappy tearsโ.
Well done to
@IngsDanny
&
#AVFC
for standing shoulder to shoulder. ๐ช
Just want to thank my late old man for giving me absolutely no choice as a kid but to have this club in my life.
There are some exceptional owners of clubs in our country - but there are also clearly some imposters who understand the price of everything but the value of nothing.
Thanks top Seasider Jeremy Smith for capturing this in the last few minutes for those not able to be there. Blackpool fans are taking nothing for granted but finishing 3rd & in the play-offs - after the start they had - is a massive achievement!
Pool fans in good voice! ๐ ๐๐ช
Thanks to England & Arsenal legend Tony Adams & loan of his back garden, inspirational 12-year old Ed Simpson just completed his 23rd of 100 penalties for
@braintumourrsch
charity. Edโs had nine brain operations in last year & raised 40k!๐โฝ๏ธ
Edโs story:
Six years ago today he left us too early. Most of us hope that once itโs our time to shuffle off, we can still see the things and people we love from the big room in the sky. If that is the case, he will surely still be celebrating yesterdayโs promotion.
๐งก๐
#TangerineFamily
20-year old big Blackpool fan & roofer Billy McLoughlin got a little carried away after the Seasidersโ 4-2 victory over Preston at the weekend - first getting
@CharliePatino10
to autograph his leg - which then became a permanent tattoo overnight!
Billy picks up the story! ๐๐ โช๏ธ
Tomorrow (Easter Sunday) from 8am-9am, anyone in need, homeless, struggling or might just need a chat - can come for a free breakfast and hot drinks at Wetherspoons next to Blackpool Tower on the promenade, thanks to the
#TangerineFamily
. Please pass the word around. ๐
For most of us, Blackpool Football Club was a pre-arranged marriage. You donโt choose Blackpool F.C. it chooses you, or more likely, it was chosen for you.
I am forlorn today like everyone else but we know we are going to be backing this team & town until our final breath. ๐
Blackpool supporters will pay tribute today to club icon, Billy Ayre.
Tomorrow is the 21st anniversary of Billyโs passing, far too soon, aged 49.
Football is all about connection between club & fans. Arguably, Billy connected greater than any other in our 136-year history.๐๐
Seven years ago tomorrow morning, he passed away without a sign aged 64. I donโt know anyone who loved Blackpool Football Club more.
Loyal, generous, kind, funny and a warrior of a man. Missed too much. The best man I have ever known. ๐งก
20th August 1950 โ 31st May 2015
In February 1967, after 28 appearances for Blackpool, Emlyn Hughes joined Liverpool for ยฃ65,000. Bill Shankly was stopped by the police as he drove Hughes to Anfield for the first time. Shanks said: โDon't you know who I've got in this car? The future captain of England!" ๐
#LFC
Brilliant teenage Seasider Bethany is battling a rare brain tumour. Thank you
@BlackpoolFC
& the manager for sorting this shirt ahead of tonightโs game. Bethany has a couple of important fixtures at hospital tomorrow & next month. Iโd love it if you could send her your wishes.๐งก
Such sad news. A kind, special, big-hearted member of
#TangerineFamily
Paul Bradley, 84, supporting Pool since 1940โs, has passed away.
Paulโs favourite players were Morty & Tony Green. He watched recent Oxford away game & said it was best ๐team in 20 yrs.
RIP gentle Sir. ๐งก
What a class act our manager is. I sent him a โgood luckโ text on the morning of the countryโs biggest game of football in 55 years and he replied to someone he really didnโt need to. An exceptional man leading our nationโs team. โค๏ธ ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ
#ENG
#ITAENG
#EURO2020
#Euro2020Final
Exactly 60 years ago. Winter 1963. Blackpool goalkeeper Tony Waiters and Seasiders full back & England captain Jimmy Armfield ice skate on a frozen Bloomfield Road pitch during the big freeze which caused postponements for several months.ย ๐ โช๏ธ
Something special about seeing happiness on the faces of football fans. 11,000 Robinsโ fans must have been tingling with the noise around the County Ground today. A big day for
#STFC
for many reasons & they enjoyed a five star performance. Just a couple of clips from my phone.
This good man - Funeral Director and
@BlackpoolFC
Announcer for 30 years - left us, too soon, five years ago today.
He loved people, laughter, the game, his football club, his town, Bloomfield Road and being around Seasidersโ fans.
Not forgotten today, or any time soon.
Last Saturday ahead of Blackpool v Barnsley, I saw Jordan Rhodes notice a large number of young Blackpool fans looking for autographs. Not only did he spend the best part of 30 minutes signing every one but he chatted, smiled & engaged with every kid. A great example & pro.๐ ๐
Footnote: One final element to story of young fighter & โฝ๏ธ fan Diweni. Not only did she meet her idol
@WayneRooney
; attend training; special
@dcunited
match guest; took part in coin toss and kicked-off the game...Wayne had one final surprise after the match!
#DCU
โซ๏ธ๐ด
@TheCWFund
No surprise that 3,500 Sunderland fans have travelled to Blackpool on New Yearโs Day and sold out their full East Stand away allocation. Probably could have sold twice as many. 300-mile round trip. Safe trip home Mackems. ๐
#SAFC
#HawayTheLads
Section 108 is the place to be
@OrlandoCitySC
Stadium tonight!
We are expecting around 200
#DCU
fans here to cheer on the โซ๏ธ๐ด - many have made the 11-hour road trip each way!
#DCU
โ โ |
#ORLvDC
Three years ago today we lost this great man, too soon! One in a million. Pure gold. The most generous, fun, giving, daft & positive person you could have as your dad or friend. Loved his town, his football club, his vocation & community. Never to be replaced, always remembered.