This Friday we face a Blackpool FC XI at the Horsfall Community Stadium! Kick Off is set for 7:30pm, and Avenue historian Tim Clapham has some history for you!
Avenue were the only Football League club to set a ground attendance record during wartime.
The visit of Blackpool to Park Avenue on 8 April 1944 caught the public’s attention, and with the prospect of seeing Stanley Matthews in action the wartime cup-tie drew a crowd of 32,810.
The cup-tie was played over two legs, and after the teams played out a 2-2 at Bloomfield Road an exciting second leg was ensured at Park Avenue.
Avenue officials were overwhelmed by the demand for tickets and it was necessary to cut down the number where individuals had applied for four or more.
As for the match, Blackpool took an early lead with a Bob Finan header, but George Ainsley equalised before half-time.
In a nerve-wracking second half Blackpool grabbed the only goal when Avenue’s Jimmy Stephen turned a lofted cross from Matthews into his own net.