On Saturday, no club in the Football League received more road support than Blackpool.
An impressive 4,171 travelling supporters cheered on Neil Critchley’s side at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, dwarfing any other figure recorded by Championship, League One, or League Two clubs.
Preston travelled to east Lancashire rivals Blackburn with 5,789 fans on Friday night. However, on the one day when all football fans come together to support their respective teams, Blackpool led the way in terms of away fans in attendance.
Plymouth, who were accompanied by 3,000 fans for their Championship match at Leeds, were the Seasiders’ nearest rivals. However, that was nowhere near the away figure recorded by Blackpool fans at Bolton, with West Brom (2,600 at Southampton), Bristol City (2,597 at QPR), and Leicester (2,563 at Middlesbrough) supporters also falling short on Saturday afternoon.
In League One, 2,570 Barnsley fans travelled to Derby to watch their team lose 3-0. Meanwhile, 2,147 Charlon supporters turned out at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park – Blackpool’s next away day – to watch their team earn a late 2-2 draw with the league leaders. The 1,541 Notts County fans who travelled to Crewe on Saturday were the largest League Two away attendance recorded.
The 4,171 Blackpool fans in attendance at Bolton are the league’s second-highest away total this season, trailing only the 4,407 Carlisle fans who visited the Toughsheet Community Stadium last month.
Critchley applauded that support. He was disappointed, however, that his efforts were not rewarded with a positive result, as the Seasiders were defeated 1-0 by Ian Evatt’s side.
‘It was an incredible following and they got right behind the team,’ he told the club’s website. When you can’t give them a goal and three points, it’s always a terrible feeling. Our supporters were fantastic, and they really helped to create a positive atmosphere, so I’m disappointed we weren’t able to thank them for their efforts.’
