A stadium with real heritage, Bloomfield Road has been the home of Blackpool since 1900. It boasts a capacity of 16,000 and has seen the highs of the Premier League and the lows of League Two. People may consider Blackpool a fallen giant, but throughout history, Wycombe Wanderers have faced Blackpool throughout The chairboys EFL History.
The Chairboys have had a good run of results at Bloomfield Road, picking up several wins in the early 1990s before suffering defeats in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The first result came in November 1993 in Division Two, where Martin O’Neill’s Wycombe Wanderers side, sitting 4th in the table, faced off against a Blackpool team led by a 40-year-old Sam Allardyce, who were 6th at the time. Wycombe Wanderers managed to secure the win as Paul Kerr scored on his debut to bring all three points back to Buckinghamshire.
Wycombe Wanderers next two results at Bloomfield Road were uneventful. In 1996, once in January and once in August, Wycombe Wanderers held Blackpool to draws. It wouldn’t be until nearly a year later that an away result would swing in The Chairboys favour. That came in a 4–2 win over Blackpool. Wycombe Wanderers fans made plenty of noise that day, having waited until Christmas of the previous season to see an away win. It proved to be a vital three points, allowing the Chairboys to finish the season comfortably, with no threat of relegation but also no real ambition for promotion.
Wycombe Wanderers capped off the decade and the millennium against Blackpool unbeaten away, as the Chairboys battled to a 2–1 win in September 1999. The turn of the decade, however, saw fortune begin to favour Blackpool. The Chairboys first visit of the 2000s came in 2001, with Wycombe Wanderers coming back from 2–0 down by the 15th minute to secure a 2-2 draw, thanks to an 82nd minute equaliser from Currie.
The Chairboys first losses at Bloomfield Road came in 2003. The first was a 1-0 defeat, followed by a 3-2 loss the following season after a quick brace from Taylor just before halftime left Wycombe Wanderers with everything to do. That match remains Wycombe Wanderers last loss to Blackpool at Bloomfield road in normal time.
While Blackpool enjoyed some time in the Championship and even the Premier League, Wycombe Wanderers found themselves rooted in League Two and later dancing around the relegation places in League One. It would be 13 years before the sides met again in familiar League Two territory. That reunion ended in another uneventful 0-0 draw. It’s now been over 20 years since either team managed to claim all three points at Bloomfield Road, with every match ending in a draw – except for a penalty shootout loss for Wycombe Wanderers in the Football League Trophy in 2017.
Wycombe Wanderers most recent visit in 2024 ended in a lively 2-2 draw, following a controversial goal from Jake Beesley after a foul in the area led to protests from the Wycombe Wanderers players.
As of writing, Blackpool remain without a manager, having sacked Steve Bruce earlier this season after recording just two wins two draws and eight losses leaving them rooted in 23rd place. It will be a tricky fixture, as the new manager bounce factor is still in play with an interim coach at the helm. Blackpool have the second-worst goal difference in the league with -10, so I’m expecting a goal fest. Hopefully, Michael Duff’s Chairboys can get another win and go back to back in the league for the first time since April.
