Up the Pool (or maybe just not Get Relegated)

[garyclark]

What I wore today ...

rsz_fullsizerender_copy.jpg (91.31 KiB) Viewed 1123 times

[sancarlos]

I still have one of those, too!

[garyclark]

I still have one of those, too!

I wonder if this version of The Swamp contains the origins of the story behind the shirt, which I'm pretty sure stems from my visit to Galway 17 years ago. Yeesh!

[sancarlos]

I remember the outline of that story! You met some Blackpool people at a bar in Ireland, right? And, that led to the Swamp adopting the Pool as our team?

Now, I’m going to search the bowels of the swamp for that post!

[DaveInSeattle]

I still have one of those, too!

I wonder if this version of The Swamp contains the origins of the story behind the shirt, which I'm pretty sure stems from my visit to Galway 17 years ago. Yeesh!

My shirt died a few years back.

I remember that there was some controversy over getting the right shade of "tangerine" for the shirt.

[wlu_lax6]

Went accidental full kit wanker in my game this morning. The Blackpool long sleeve wonga.com black and black shirt (errea)

[garyclark]

I remember the outline of that story! You met some Blackpool people at a bar in Ireland, right? And, that led to the Swamp adopting the Pool as our team?

Now, I’m going to search the bowels of the swamp for that post!

Not quite. (And forgive me if I get some details wrong, it has been awhile).

We all decided to find a low level team to root for collectively. I think Blackpool were like two or three levels away from the EPL. We liked the tangerine colors and that their nickname was the canaries. So we picked them.

When I went to Galway, a bouncer at a pub and I started chatting. He couldn't believe a random American from Baltimore had heard of Blackpool, let alone that there was a community of folks on a random sports blog that all rooted for them. Turned out he used to run with the Blackpool firm, and once I convinced him I wasn't a journalist, he shared some stories about the brawls they had with Preston North End.

Then he told me there was a Preston fan inside the pub, and when the music inside took a break, he brought me in there and started yelling, "Hey Preston! Preston! This guy's from Baltimore and he supports Blackpool. Blackpool has worldwide representation!" Turns out the Preston fan was a teenage girl.

[The Sybian]

I remember the outline of that story! You met some Blackpool people at a bar in Ireland, right? And, that led to the Swamp adopting the Pool as our team?

Now, I’m going to search the bowels of the swamp for that post!

Not quite. (And forgive me if I get some details wrong, it has been awhile).

We all decided to find a low level team to root for collectively. I think Blackpool were like two or three levels away from the EPL. We liked the tangerine colors and that their nickname was the canaries. So we picked them.

When I went to Galway, a bouncer at a pub and I started chatting. He couldn't believe a random American from Baltimore had heard of Blackpool, let alone that there was a community of folks on a random sports blog that all rooted for them. Turned out he used to run with the Blackpool firm, and once I convinced him I wasn't a journalist, he shared some stories about the brawls they had with Preston North End.

Then he told me there was a Preston fan inside the pub, and when the music inside took a break, he brought me in there and started yelling, "Hey Preston! Preston! This guy's from Baltimore and he supports Blackpool. Blackpool has worldwide representation!" Turns out the Preston fan was a teenage girl.

And he didn't punch her in the face?

[garyclark]

I remember the outline of that story! You met some Blackpool people at a bar in Ireland, right? And, that led to the Swamp adopting the Pool as our team?

Now, I’m going to search the bowels of the swamp for that post!

Not quite. (And forgive me if I get some details wrong, it has been awhile).

We all decided to find a low level team to root for collectively. I think Blackpool were like two or three levels away from the EPL. We liked the tangerine colors and that their nickname was the canaries. So we picked them.

When I went to Galway, a bouncer at a pub and I started chatting. He couldn't believe a random American from Baltimore had heard of Blackpool, let alone that there was a community of folks on a random sports blog that all rooted for them. Turned out he used to run with the Blackpool firm, and once I convinced him I wasn't a journalist, he shared some stories about the brawls they had with Preston North End.

Then he told me there was a Preston fan inside the pub, and when the music inside took a break, he brought me in there and started yelling, "Hey Preston! Preston! This guy's from Baltimore and he supports Blackpool. Blackpool has worldwide representation!" Turns out the Preston fan was a teenage girl.

And he didn't punch her in the face?

When I saw who the Preston fan was, and I was standing next to a monster of a man pointing and shouting at her in front of a room full of people, and he was pointing at me and mocking her, I was worried for a second that I was about to be an accomplice to a crime.

[wlu_lax6]

As the swamp picked up Blackpool support, I found the connection to Baltimore. Kenny Cooper Sr was the head coach of the Baltimore Blast (Father of the Kenny Cooper who had a some USMNT, MLS, and England success). He came to the NASL (Dallas Tornados) from Blackpool. Also Blast great Billy Ronson played for the Pool. From those 1980s Blast teams, they had a few other folks who were Tangerines.

[garyclark]

As the swamp picked up Blackpool support, I found the connection to Baltimore. Kenny Cooper Sr was the head coach of the Baltimore Blast (Father of the Kenny Cooper who had a some USMNT, MLS, and England success). He came to the NASL (Dallas Tornados) from Blackpool. Also Blast great Billy Ronson played for the Pool. From those 1980s Blast teams, they had a few other folks who were Tangerines.

So the bouncer had it all wrong. Blackpool has always had Baltimore connections. Lol.

[rass]

Wasn’t there a mocking the city of Blackpool aspect of the whole thing, like if a bunch of Europeans decided to root for a team from Atlantic City?

[sancarlos]

Wasn’t there a mocking the city of Blackpool aspect of the whole thing, like if a bunch of Europeans decided to root for a team from Atlantic City?

My neighbor, who is from Manchester, still thinks it is hilarious that any American would root for Blackpool. He brings it up every time we discuss soccer.

[garyclark]

Wasn’t there a mocking the city of Blackpool aspect of the whole thing, like if a bunch of Europeans decided to root for a team from Atlantic City?

My neighbor, who is from Manchester, still thinks it is hilarious that any American would root for Blackpool. He brings it up every time we discuss soccer.

Yes. This was also part of our decision to support them.

And they had a crazy European owner who was very flashy.

Also, if memory serves, their stadium only had three sides.

[wlu_lax6]

Well the pool finally gets away from the scumbag villain owners and then new guy needs to sell the team because he needs to fight insider trading allegations in Hong Kong.

Time to start finding some Hollywood folks with money..

https://www.ft.com/content/735533a5-849 ... 73e5e2b746

[wlu_lax6]

The Pool making it hard on Wrexham's automatic promotion today. Easter Monday early afternoon matchup nil-nil near the end of the first half.

[brian]

The Pool making it hard on Wrexham's automatic promotion today. Easter Monday early afternoon matchup nil-nil near the end of the first half.

Wycombe down 2-0 so Wrexham really needs 3 points today to get that auto spot.

[Nonlinear FC]

2 in short order put the Red Dragons in the driver's seat.

[sancarlos]

So, big game for Wrexham this Saturday against 4th place Charlton, who waxed 3rd place Wycombe today.

[Nonlinear FC]

What's crazy is that Wrexham and 3rd place Wycombe are tied on GD at 28.

A lot of scenarios, but the only thing set is that Birmingham has won the league and Leyton Orient is the 6th place/playoff entrant.

Four teams within 5 points of each other.

[brian]

So, big game for Wrexham this Saturday against 4th place Charlton, who waxed 3rd place Wycombe today.

That Wycombe match is 5 hours before so Wrexham will know if 3 points gets them promoted before the match.

[Nonlinear FC]

Like from a script written in Hollywood.

Pretty remarkable.

[tennbengal]

I have been pulling for Wrexham for several years due to the documentary. Really happy for that town.

[Nonlinear FC]

[Shirley]

I have been pulling for Wrexham for several years due to the documentary. Really happy for that town.

Same. It's a great story for a small town that really needed something like that.

[tennbengal]

I have been pulling for Wrexham for several years due to the documentary. Really happy for that town.

Same. It's a great story for a small town that really needed something like that.

It also helps that Reynolds and McIlhenny seems pretty genuinely human and normal and that they really prioritized viewing their involvement (correctly) as being something akin to a public trust...

[tennbengal]

Oh yeah, that's the stuff.

[Rush2112]

Let's take it to the Wrexham thread gents.

[sancarlos]

Let's take it to the Wrexham thread gents.

Do we have one? We’ve been discussing them on two three threads.