Homecoming Day - Second Anniversary

TwelveAngryMen

TwelveAngryMen

Well-known member
What a day that was

After up to five years absence we all returned home

My favourite ever day as a Blackpool fan by a country mile Just thinking back makes me smile

I was nervous as hell and had proper pre-match butterflies as I was panicking that something might go wrong with so many fans returning and the expectation that brought with it

Thankfully it didn’t due in the main to a gargantuan effort by everyone in the background ( staff and fan alike ) finally able to all pull in the same direction - epitomised by the army of volunteers who literally and figuratively washed away the neglect

Wayne Law’s much-watched Youtube clip from pre-match sums up the sheer joy of the occasion for me - just look how many views that’s had

Also another highlight for me was the number of mums and dads you saw bringing their children to their first ever game beaming from ear-to-ear ( and that was just the parents )

Post your memories here as they’d be great to see


UTMP
 
It wasn't just the day the whole build up was amazing the buzz around the town queue's of people trying to buy tickets from the club and it all started with the Accrington Tuesday away game which for most was their first game back(like myself)since boycotting where we took over half the ground and the We got the Oyston's out chant started what a week.
 
I’m 78 and yes, this was the most memorable day. Just walking to the ground you could feel electricity in the air, the buzz of excitement was nothing like I’d experienced before. When I got in, well, goodness me, it was an unbelievable atmosphere, something I still think about with a smile and something I’ll never forget.
 
A day I will never forget, my first Blackpool game with my eldest. There’s a personal backstory where I’d taken him to Newcastle vs Cardiff a year or two before and at 5 years old he started saying he wanted to support Newcastle (at the time I couldn’t stand the thought of going to watch Blackpool so I went with it) however once the clouds and stench started to evaporate and that day came he was decked in tangerine and we walked with the many thousands to the ground. He was completely smitten and has been since . Personally I was very emotional, think I had a tear walking up to the ground and when the players came out I physically whimpered, I felt my body shake and I’ve honestly never felt emotion with football like that I get it was a outpouring of years of hurt overtaken with relief, passion and pure joy. The atmosphere was incredible and seeing the ground so full was an amazing sight. If ever I needed proof there was tangerine blood running through my veins that was the moment.
 
Hankey2009 said:
A day I will never forget, my first Blackpool game with my eldest. There’s a personal backstory where I’d taken him to Newcastle vs Cardiff a year or two before and at 5 years old he started saying he wanted to support Newcastle (at the time I couldn’t stand the thought of going to watch Blackpool so I went with it) however once the clouds and stench started to evaporate and that day came he was decked in tangerine and we walked with the many thousands to the ground. He was completely smitten and has been since . Personally I was very emotional, think I had a tear walking up to the ground and when the players came out I physically whimpered, I felt my body shake and I’ve honestly never felt emotion with football like that I get it was a outpouring of years of hurt overtaken with relief, passion and pure joy. The atmosphere was incredible and seeing the ground so full was an amazing sight. If ever I needed proof there was tangerine blood running through my veins that was the moment.
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Great post.
 
What a day this was!

I took my eldest to this game which was his first. He was absolutely buzzing with excitement throughout the whole thing! I managed to get him to another game before COVID kicked off and he has been asking when we will be able to go again ever since!

I imagine that first game back at full capacity will be difficult to get a ticket for!
 
Proud as punch on Homecoming Day. Went to the Saddle first then walked into town to savour the atmosphere. Absolutely fantastic around the Comedy Carpet. Meeting friends not seen for ages. Then the walk to Bloomfield Road was something quite different. Something we’d never experienced before. The sun shining on the sea of tangerine was as good as Wembley. Once at the ground, fans stayed outside for ages. How the atmosphere had changed from the Oyston Out days.
Great to see the video again of the build up to the match.
Now wouldn’t it be great to have another homecoming after this pandemic is over. UTMP
 
A brilliant day. I remember us coming out of The Bloomfield pub about 2:30pm and being able to hear everyone singing in the ground. The most unbelievable atmosphere I've experienced. Very emotional day being back at the ground with my son and my mates.
 
The best football day of my life. It will be difficult to repeat that outpouring of joy, ever -- freed into a Bloomfield of glorious tangerine after years of absence! 🍊 🍊 🍊

I'd forgotten the flares on the pitch -- a bit naughty, but I think we got away with it. 😄
 
To say the experience of that historic day was emotional would certainly be an understatement.
I shared that wonderful time with my son and two grandsons and it proved to be one of the greatest and happiest days of my life. UTMP.
 
I won't lie, watching those videos brought a tear to my eye and a real sense of pride about how far we have come since. Memories of where we have been should keep us grounded and also make us appreciate how good we have things now under Simon Sadler. Hopefully we can get rid of the negativity over the last 2 draws and claim another 3 points tonight. Desperately looking forward to the post C19 lockdown return to Bloomfield Road.
 
Strange one for me.
I was overlooking Devils throat on Argentinian side of Iguaza falls but my thoughts were at Bloomfield Road.
My phone pinged whilst I was taking a soaking and looking at the amazing sights to see the score update that Southend had just taken an early lead.
Later the final score came up as Pool 1 Southend 2.

It wasn’t until I had returned to the Hotel several hours later that I was made aware of the late equaliser.
I wish I had a Tardis that day!
 
I remember, as one of the volunteer fans who cleaned EVERY seat in the ground, wondering whether the East Stand would actually be needed. I then watched as block after block sold out and the East WAS in fact needed. Eventually every seat we cleaned had a bum on it. I walked along the promenade from the comedy carpet with one spare ticket and was overjoyed to find a guy who wanted one outside the ticket office. (he couldn't believe I was selling it at cost price!). Then into the ground and stood there with family and friends as the ground filled and the atmosphere built to a crescendo when players came out. I'd love to know how the players felt coming out to that. The party just carried on whilst the match played out to the point when the equaliser went in. BOOM, the ground exploded into a frenzied outpouring of pure emotion as it felt like the final nail was soundly hammered into the previous owners coffin. Blackpool were back!!
 
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Amazing day, what a sight a packed Broomfield Road is - for me it was the rebirth of my love for Blackpool FC, something I thought may have been lost as I watched our playoffs during NAPM on TV and felt nothing.

Just our luck we've had two years of being allowed to attend Blackpool games again and a year into it a pandemic strikes meaning we can't attend again - how greedy of us that we'll essentially have another mini homecoming when crowds are allowed again en masse!
 
Great memories.
walked from the comedy carpet with my wife,daughter and partner from Leeds.
Paul is now a Seasider (second call of course)
But it’s great when they come over and the four of us have a great day and evening following the Pool.
Not to mention the great weekend we had together in Lincoln last year.
So when we eventually get back after the covid restrictions it will feel like a second homecoming.
 
We joined the march to the ground & it was just all smiles. It felt like we’d won the war. In the ground for the first time in about 5 years to watch the mighty. The game was eclipsed by the atmosphere. I just remembered we went to the Dog & Partridge afterwards which was predictably packed. What a day & all my anger & hate just evaporated. At the ground as I looked round at a full capacity crowd & thought 2 things. Firstly this is what the Oystons could have had if they’d not been greedy & obnoxious. Secondly it was a massive UP YOURS to the Oystons.
 
GrahamwantshisOates said:
Strange one for me.
I was overlooking Devils throat on Argentinian side of Iguaza falls but my thoughts were at Bloomfield Road.
My phone pinged whilst I was taking a soaking and looking at the amazing sights to see the score update that Southend had just taken an early lead.
Later the final score came up as Pool 1 Southend 2.

It wasn’t until I had returned to the Hotel several hours later that I was made aware of the late equaliser.
I wish I had a Tardis that day!
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I took an Argentinian to that match - he loved it 😀
 
It was a brilliant day and the only Blackpool match I have ever attended where I couldn't care less about the score 😀
 
Great day! Decked our 1 year old Granddaughters buggy out in tangerine, and walked from the Comedy Carpet to the ground, baby home then into the match. What an atmosphere, everyone just smiling and chanting, we’d all waited a long while for this day, and here it was!!
 
I cannot believe it is two years ago. As far as events go in Blackpool in my lifetime, it surpasses all the Judgement Days, and is equalled only by the procession along The Promenade following the Wembley 3-2 win v Baaaardiff.
It was absolutely wonderful.
 
I tried to take it all in and enjoy every moment from walking down the promenade with my family, seeing Christine with her lovely smile looking so proud , seeing a young fan with tears in his eyes entering the ground.
So many memories of that truly wonderful day and I managed to take some photos for my footy album.
But do you know what my favourite memory was?
Knowing I can look towards the West Stand and HE won't be there anymore and we have OUR CLUB back. UTMP
 
Such mixed emotions that day. Enormous pride in what we had achieved together, sadness because some special people didn't live to see it, sheer joy at the sight of that sea of tangerine marching along the prom and into the stadium. Once we were inside, the noise and the atmosphere was almost overwhelming. As we stood and sang "Woke up this morning..." I couldn't hold back the tears any longer!!
Wonderful, wonderful day. 🧡🧡🧡
 
Is that Pete Sandiford from Gogglebox three rows down in front of Afroman at the end of the clip?
Just an observation, I'm not a stalker. Apologies to Peter or whoever it might be if I am mistaken.
 
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