The King

Spoonerfudj said:
was born 78 years ago today
Thought Mr. Suddick deserves a mention now we're back playing in the second tier, where I was honoured to watch him play for the majority of his time with us.
Happy Birthday, Sir.
RIP x
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Did he live in the Layton area? I remember seeing him once walking on Layton school playing fields.
 
glasshalffull said:
I think the best I saw him play was when we beat Carlisle at home four nil c 70/71. A man possessed that day. Fantastic. Not sure I have ever seen anyone play better for us to be honest. I think we then lost at Sunderland to miss out on promotion and Carlisle went up instead?
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It was 73-74. Last home game of the season. The whole team played out of their skin that day.

I have a memory of him lobbing the keeper from just in front of the West Paddock in another game. Wonderful player.
 
He was obviously known for his 'banana' shot, but that was only part of his game. He had silky skills and was a superb passer of the ball.
Not the best tackler (aka Charlie), sometimes drifted in and out of a game, but a great team player.

Always surprised he never went to a top 6 side, perhaps because of his work rate he was perceived as a luxury player, but wow he could turn a game. (some posters will remember Pool 3 Arsenal 2 in the FA Cup and many others, some of which have already been mentioned)
 
glasshalffull said:
I think the best I saw him play was when we beat Carlisle at home four nil c 70/71. A man possessed that day. Fantastic. Not sure I have ever seen anyone play better for us to be honest. I think we then lost at Sunderland to miss out on promotion and Carlisle went up instead?
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That was 1973/74 season.
 
He was without doubt the best I’ve ever seen in a tangerine shirt along with Charlie Adam & Tony Green.

Apart from the free kicks and the goal in the Anglo Italian Cup, he scored a goal from the centre circle against Bristol City which was sublime …………..

My favourite Blackpool player !!!!
 
glasshalffull said:
I think the best I saw him play was when we beat Carlisle at home four nil c 70/71. A man possessed that day. Fantastic. Not sure I have ever seen anyone play better for us to be honest. I think we then lost at Sunderland to miss out on promotion and Carlisle went up instead?
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That was around 73-74
Carlisle hit the woodwork twice (Billy Rafferty for them once) and Terry Alcock scored at the Kop end totally against the run of play - bizarrely they went up and we didn’t ! Luton went up with them

Sudds was a great player - lived i n Larkholme, Fleetwood
 
Camberwell1 said:
That was around 73-74
Carlisle hit the woodwork twice (Billy Rafferty for them once) and Terry Alcock scored at the Kop end totally against the run of play - bizarrely they went up and we didn’t ! Luton went up with them

Sudds was a great player - lived i n Larkholme, Fleetwood
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I remember that game really well. Cracking atmosphere. We kept hitting them on the break.
 
Live on Mossbourne? That was part of my old paper round for a while. I wonder.....

Ah, I love reading threads like this. Sadly I'm one of the "didn't see him play" group, but of all the Pool players I actually could have seen (ie. I was alive when they were playing), AS stands out as the main man. Everyone talks about him in awe on the pitch and gentleman off it, but the information in these thread is the only link we nippers have to him. Keep them coming folks, never tire of reading the memories.
 
Happy birthday, Alan. First time I saw him play was v Newcastle 22nd October 1966, the day I caught the Blackpool bug. He didn't help 'em much that day we won 6-0, the only home win that season.
 
glasshalffull said:
I think the best I saw him play was when we beat Carlisle at home four nil c 70/71. A man possessed that day. Fantastic. Not sure I have ever seen anyone play better for us to be honest. I think we then lost at Sunderland to miss out on promotion and Carlisle went up instead?
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Glashalffull. It was a few years later-maybe 73-4? Sorry, just realized others wrote with same info. Great memories. I was on a Kop, with a brilliant atmosphere, and a fair few from Carlisle.
 
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Terrific player and the best Ive ever seen wear the tangerine shirt along with Tony Green.

A top man off the pitch too, he played local footie and 5 a side after he retired, lovely fella.
 
I’m not old enough to have seen him play, but I don’t need to be to know how special a player he was. Always a tangerine legend in my book.
 
1953 said:
Still irritates me there were no cameras there that day to record it - best I've ever seen too.
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I seem to remember he picked the ball up around the halfway line chipped the first defender, then the next and chipped the goalie. Am I right or seeing it through rose coloured glasses?
 
CGP1 said:
Live on Mossbourne? That was part of my old paper round for a while. I wonder.....

Ah, I love reading threads like this. Sadly I'm one of the "didn't see him play" group, but of all the Pool players I actually could have seen (ie. I was alive when they were playing), AS stands out as the main man. Everyone talks about him in awe on the pitch and gentleman off it, but the information in these thread is the only link we nippers have to him. Keep them coming folks, never tire of reading the memories.
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Threepeaksphil said:
I seem to remember he picked the ball up around the halfway line chipped the first defender, then the next and chipped the goalie. Am I right or seeing it through rose coloured glasses?
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Close TPP, but not close enough😜 but your recollection maybe sounds better than mine!?🤔

ALAN SUDDICK for all-time 'THE KING OF BLOOMFIELD ROAD' and my favourite Blackpool player ever, and we've had a few who have graced Bloomfield Road whilst I've been going down to see the Blackpool aces for the last 60+ years.

As I remember it (and it was the greatest goal that I've ever seen live by one of our own, IMO even better than Mickey Walsh's BBC MoTD Goal of the Season), I was on The Kop and we were attacking the South End (obviously not at Roots Hall😜) goal.

The ball was crossed from the left-hand side of the pitch towards the right-hand side of the penalty area, where Alan (in a forward/advanced right-hand position, which wasn't unusual for him because he had two great feet and was comfortable all over the pitch) leapt like a proverbial salmon to win the ball in the air (unbelievable in itself because he rarely headed the ball 'coz it used to make him sneeze🤪).

Amazingly😱he managed to flick the ball over the first defender, then, before the ball hit the deck he chipped/volleyed/dinked (get the gist fellow Tangerine Lovers, no matter your age) over the head of the second on-rushing defender.

Now, about 10 yards (that's about 9.144 metres for anybody still reading who's younger than Glenn Hoddle) from goal, he pirouetted round his last transfixed opponent and duly smashed the ball into the roof of the (subsequently) bulging net!😁

Can you hear the Bloomfield Roar, of course we can for evermore...👍

🧡
 
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