Blackpool Panthers
Encyclopedia
Blackpool & The Fylde Panthers RLFC was an English
professional rugby league
club based in Lytham St Annes
, Lancashire
. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground
owned by Fylde rugby union club
. They were sponsored by Perrymann Technical Services and will no longer play a part in any competition due to going into administration.
Lancashire Second Competition in 1898-99.
The first unsuccessful application for a Blackpool team to join the Rugby League was made by in December 1950. Blackpool Borough
were accepted into the Rugby League for the 1954-55 season.
In April 1987 they moved to Springfield Park
in Wigan
and changed name to Springfield Borough. Despite good performances on the field the move was not successful and the club played as Chorley Borough
in the 1988-1989 season.
The club then became Trafford Borough
when they moved to Moss Lane
, Altrincham
which they shared with Altrincham
football club, in the 1989-90 season. This, however, caused a boardroom split leading to five Blackpool-based directors resigning to form a new club based in Chorley who after multiple moves and several name changes would end up as Blackpool Panthers. The original Trafford Borough
later moved to Blackpool as Blackpool Gladiators before relegation to the amateur ranks. Their last game as a professional club was on 11 April 1993.
's ground Victory Park
and continued on the Chorley Borough name. Ironically their first game was against Trafford Borough in the Lancashire Cup in front of 628 spectators on the 30th August 1989, which they won 12-6. The record attendance at Victory Park was 2,851 for the visit of Oldham in January 1990. Chorley's club colours were an all-black jersey with a red and amber band around the waist. Shorts and socks were black as well.
Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay
wanted to reduce the number of clubs in the lower division of the league in 1993. The three clubs finishing bottom of the second division would be demoted to the National Conference League
. It went to the wire with Blackpool Gladiators
and Nottingham City
already relegated, the crucial last match at Nottingham on 12 April 1993, between Nottingham City
and Highfield
saw Highfield
win 39-6 and Highfield
survived at the expense of Chorley. The three expelled clubs, pursued legal action against the RFL decision, but to no avail. Chorley regained their status in the professional ranks in 1995-96 when they became Chorley Chieftains. They were the only club elected to the league from the National Conference League.
The club were taken over by the owners of Chorley FC, as part of Victory Park Holdings, and become known as Chorley Magpies after the nickname of the football club. The club also started an alliance and academy side. In February 1996, the coach, Bob Eccles
was dismissed and former New Zealand
international player and Salford Reds
coach, Kevin Tamati
was appointed as part-time manager.
football club and they moved to Deepdale
stadium. They became Lancashire Lynx at the start of 1997 after a short non-playing spell as Central Lancashire. The club colours were originally royal blue shirts with yellow flashings on the shoulders and sleeves, and red trim. Later when the club relocated back to Victory Park, Chorley the shirts became red with black flashings, and white trim. Tamati gave up his post as Rugby League development officer with Warrington Borough Council
to become full-time coach with the Lynx on 31 October 1997.
Lancashire Lynx reached the final of the Anglo-French Treize Tournoi in 1998 and finished top of the Second Division. Tamati was released by Lynx at end of the 1998 season, after failing to agree a new contract. Former Wigan
player, Steve Hampson
took over as coach in 1999.
In 2000, Lynx won just one of their 19 league games, conceding over 900 points. The club had lost their last two games by a record 98-4 to Keighley Cougars
and 72-13 to Dewsbury Rams
. Hampson left by "mutual consent" in May 2000. And at the end of the season, the Preston North End backers withdrew from running Lancashire Lynx, and only the last-minute intervention of Trevor Hemmings
saved the club from folding.
was appointed as coach. In January 2001, Chorley were eliminated in the third round of the Rugby League Challenge Cup
following a shock 22-8 defeat to National Conference League
amateur club Woolston Rovers
. It was the clubs 30th straight defeat.
Darren Abram
took over as coach after the resignation of Graeme West
in November 2002. In 2003 they finished second in National League Two. However, Abram left to join Leigh Centurions
.
At the end of the 2004 season Chorley Lynx folded due to poor attendances and the withdrawal of funding by backer Trevor Hemmings. They were losing £1,000 a week with an average crowd of just 434 with only London Skolars
and Gateshead Thunder
having lower average crowds. Their last match was at home to York City Knights
.
, the home of Blackpool F.C.
and they were elected to National League Two for the 2005 season. The original Chairman quit before the season started leaving Dave Rowland in charge. Coach Mark Lee
was sacked before the start of the season and Simon Knox
was appointed on a 12-month contract. Blackpool struggled on the field finishing second bottom of National League Two and failed to make an impact on the Blackpool public, with attendances averaging under 400.
In September 2005 Dave Rowland, who had resigned from the Board of Directors but remained the clubs majority shareholder, put forward a proposal to relocate the Panthers to Preston where they would ground share with Preston Grasshoppers
rugby union
club. However, the board bought out former major shareholder Dave Rowland's stake in the club and a last minute deal saw them secure the use of Bloomfield Road at a reduced rent. And at a public meeting held at Bloomfield Road in October 2005, former chairman of Leeds Rhinos
, Alf Davies warned the club and its fans that it could take up to five years to establish the club in the resort. Davies who had been appointed by the Rugby Football League
to help the new Panthers' Board of Directors revitalise the club said, ""It will be a hell of a struggle and it will take five years before you can say you are established in rugby league, but if directors hold their nerve it can be done." The club also confirmed that they were working on a plan to develop links with local schools.
The 2006 season was again a difficult one for Blackpool as they finished bottom of National League Two, winning only four games. In June and July three games were played at Fyldes Woodlands Memorial Ground in Lytham St Annes as Bloomfield Road was being reseeded. The Panthers beat Keighley Cougars
and Workington Town
but lost to Gateshead Thunder. In October 2006 a contract was signed to move to Woodlands Memorial Ground for an initial period of six years, covering the seasons from 2007 to 2012. The club's administrative and commercial base also moved to Woodlands, with Panthers' Chairman, John Chadwick, saying, "We're looking for stability and a base from which we can establish the Panthers as a successful national league club operating from the Fylde Coast. The set-up at the ground is first rate.
Andy Gregory
took control of the Panthers in June 2007 when they were bottom of National League Two and had not won for 25 matches. However, Gregory resigned after the club finished the entire season without managing a single win, becoming only the fourth professional sports club to have suffered that fate in the United Kingdom
. Former Ireland
international, Martin Crompton
was appointed as coach at the end of the 2007 season. The club finally ended their losing streak, which had lasted two years and 45 matches, on 6 April 2008, when they beat Workington Town 24-20. They had not won a match since beating Gateshead Thunder 38-36 on 15 July 2006, with the run being made up of 32 National League Two matches, 12 Northern Rail Cup matches and two Carnegie Challenge Cup matches. It was the club's first win under coach Martin Crompton. In May 2008 they won back-to-back matches for only the second time in the club's history, beating Hunslet Hawks
and then a week later, seventh-placed Swinton Lions
30-28 prompting Martin Crompton to target the league play-offs saying after the Swinton victory, "The play-offs have always been the goal. That victory was a fantastic achievement against a quality team. Everyone is playing with confidence now.
On 12 July 2009 the Panthers won their first trophy, when they won the inaugural Northern Rail Nines
beating Sheffield Eagles
14-10 in the final at Bloomfield Road. The Panthers went on to finish fifth in Championship 1 in 2009, only to lose in the first round of the play-offs.
After the 2009 season, Bobby Hope replaced John Chadwick as club chairman and set the Panthers' sights high for the 2010 campaign, vowing to win the Championship 1 league title. The Panthers finished the season in the play-offs but went into administration in October and had their membership of the RFL cancelled having failed to provide the RFL a financial plan for the upcoming season, and will therefore take no part in the 2011 Co-operative Championship.
List of defunct rugby clubs
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club based in Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes
Lytham St Annes is a conurbation in the Fylde district of Lancashire, England. The neighbouring towns of Lytham and St-Anne's-on-the-Sea have grown together and now form a seaside resort...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground
Woodlands Memorial Ground
Woodlands Memorial Ground is a rugby stadium in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England. It is the home of Fylde Rugby Club and Blackpool Panthers between 2006 and 2010....
owned by Fylde rugby union club
Fylde Rugby Club
Fylde Rugby Union Club is a rugby union club based in Lytham St Annes, on the Fylde coast in Lancashire, England. Its home venue is the Woodlands Memorial Ground on Blackpool Road in Ansdell...
. They were sponsored by Perrymann Technical Services and will no longer play a part in any competition due to going into administration.
Blackpool Borough to Blackpool Gladiators (1898-1993)
A Blackpool club were members of the Northern UnionRugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
Lancashire Second Competition in 1898-99.
The first unsuccessful application for a Blackpool team to join the Rugby League was made by in December 1950. Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
were accepted into the Rugby League for the 1954-55 season.
In April 1987 they moved to Springfield Park
Springfield Park (Wigan)
Springfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F.C. until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium after the 1999 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000...
in Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
and changed name to Springfield Borough. Despite good performances on the field the move was not successful and the club played as Chorley Borough
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
in the 1988-1989 season.
The club then became Trafford Borough
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
when they moved to Moss Lane
Moss Lane
Moss Lane is a multi-purpose stadium in Altrincham, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Altrincham and Manchester United Reserves...
, Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
which they shared with Altrincham
Altrincham F.C.
Altrincham Football Club is an English association football club from Altrincham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Conference North, having been relegated from the Conference National at the end of the 2010–11 season.-History:...
football club, in the 1989-90 season. This, however, caused a boardroom split leading to five Blackpool-based directors resigning to form a new club based in Chorley who after multiple moves and several name changes would end up as Blackpool Panthers. The original Trafford Borough
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
later moved to Blackpool as Blackpool Gladiators before relegation to the amateur ranks. Their last game as a professional club was on 11 April 1993.
A new club formed - Chorley Borough (1989-1995)
The newly formed Chorley side were based at Chorley F.C.Chorley F.C.
Chorley Football Club are a football club from Chorley, Lancashire, England. They were founded as a rugby union club in 1875 but switched to football in 1883. They have reached the FA Cup second round twice in 1986–87 and 1990–91. Their best performance in the FA Trophy was in 1995–96 when they...
's ground Victory Park
Victory Park, Chorley
Victory Park is a football ground in Chorley, England. The home ground of Chorley F.C., it opened in 1920.-History:Chorley originally played at Dole Lane , but moved to Rangletts recreation ground in September 1901. Victory Park was built adjacent to the recreation ground in 1919 and was opened in...
and continued on the Chorley Borough name. Ironically their first game was against Trafford Borough in the Lancashire Cup in front of 628 spectators on the 30th August 1989, which they won 12-6. The record attendance at Victory Park was 2,851 for the visit of Oldham in January 1990. Chorley's club colours were an all-black jersey with a red and amber band around the waist. Shorts and socks were black as well.
Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay
Maurice Lindsay
Maurice Lindsay CBE was a Scottish broadcaster, writer and poet. He was born in Glasgow.After serving in World War II he became a radio broadcaster, also editing the 1946 anthology Modern Scottish Poetry, and writing music criticism. He later was Programme Controller at Border Television.His...
wanted to reduce the number of clubs in the lower division of the league in 1993. The three clubs finishing bottom of the second division would be demoted to the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
. It went to the wire with Blackpool Gladiators
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
and Nottingham City
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
already relegated, the crucial last match at Nottingham on 12 April 1993, between Nottingham City
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
and Highfield
Liverpool City (rugby league)
Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league club from the city of Liverpool in England.-The first Liverpool City - 1906-1907:A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the...
saw Highfield
Liverpool City (rugby league)
Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league club from the city of Liverpool in England.-The first Liverpool City - 1906-1907:A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the...
win 39-6 and Highfield
Liverpool City (rugby league)
Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league club from the city of Liverpool in England.-The first Liverpool City - 1906-1907:A professional club first emerged in Liverpool, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the...
survived at the expense of Chorley. The three expelled clubs, pursued legal action against the RFL decision, but to no avail. Chorley regained their status in the professional ranks in 1995-96 when they became Chorley Chieftains. They were the only club elected to the league from the National Conference League.
The club were taken over by the owners of Chorley FC, as part of Victory Park Holdings, and become known as Chorley Magpies after the nickname of the football club. The club also started an alliance and academy side. In February 1996, the coach, Bob Eccles
Bob Eccles
W. Robert "Bob" Eccles is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Warrington, Springfield Borough, and Barrow, playing at , i.e...
was dismissed and former New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
international player and Salford Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
coach, Kevin Tamati
Kevin Tamati
Kevin Ronald Tamati is a New Zealander former professional rugby league footballer and coach who played for his country and played professionally for Widnes and Warrington in the Forwards...
was appointed as part-time manager.
Lancashire Lynx (1996-2000)
In 1996 they were bought by Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
football club and they moved to Deepdale
Deepdale
Deepdale is a stadium in the Deepdale area of Preston, England, the home of Preston North End F.C. and, up to 2010, England's National Football Museum. Preston North End are one of the founder members of the Football League.- History :...
stadium. They became Lancashire Lynx at the start of 1997 after a short non-playing spell as Central Lancashire. The club colours were originally royal blue shirts with yellow flashings on the shoulders and sleeves, and red trim. Later when the club relocated back to Victory Park, Chorley the shirts became red with black flashings, and white trim. Tamati gave up his post as Rugby League development officer with Warrington Borough Council
Warrington
Warrington is a town, borough and unitary authority area of Cheshire, England. It stands on the banks of the River Mersey, which is tidal to the west of the weir at Howley. It lies 16 miles east of Liverpool, 19 miles west of Manchester and 8 miles south of St Helens...
to become full-time coach with the Lynx on 31 October 1997.
Lancashire Lynx reached the final of the Anglo-French Treize Tournoi in 1998 and finished top of the Second Division. Tamati was released by Lynx at end of the 1998 season, after failing to agree a new contract. Former Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
player, Steve Hampson
Steve Hampson
Steve R. Hampson is a former rugby league player. He played for Wigan in the Rugby League Premiership and alongside fellow import Andy Gregory for the Illawarra Steelers in the NSWRL premiership in 1989. He played as a...
took over as coach in 1999.
In 2000, Lynx won just one of their 19 league games, conceding over 900 points. The club had lost their last two games by a record 98-4 to Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
and 72-13 to Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the...
. Hampson left by "mutual consent" in May 2000. And at the end of the season, the Preston North End backers withdrew from running Lancashire Lynx, and only the last-minute intervention of Trevor Hemmings
Trevor Hemmings
Trevor James Hemmings CVO is a British businessman, he was born in London, and grew up in Leyland, Lancashire He currently resides in the Isle of Man, but has homes in Jersey and Ireland....
saved the club from folding.
Chorley Lynx (2000-2004)
The club was sold on 6 October 2000 to Chorley Sporting Club Ltd which also included Chorley FC. The clubs name was changed again, this time to Chorley Lynx and they returned to Victory Park. Former Wigan player and coach, Graeme WestGraeme West
Graeme Leonard West is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach. Standing at six-foot, five inches, he played in the forwards, captaining English club Wigan...
was appointed as coach. In January 2001, Chorley were eliminated in the third round of the Rugby League Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
following a shock 22-8 defeat to National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
amateur club Woolston Rovers
Warrington Wizards
Warrington Wizards are a British rugby league team. They play in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference.-History:Warrington Woolston Rovers, a National Conference League team were invited to be founder members of the new National League Three, the 4th tier of British rugby league in...
. It was the clubs 30th straight defeat.
Darren Abram
Darren Abram
Darren Abram is am English rugby league coach, formerly of Leigh Centurions and Rochdale Hornets.Abram cut his coaching teeth with Chorley Lynx in National League Two and was taken on by Leigh Centurions, with a view to taking them into the Super League, in October 2003. He accomplished this in his...
took over as coach after the resignation of Graeme West
Graeme West
Graeme Leonard West is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer and coach. Standing at six-foot, five inches, he played in the forwards, captaining English club Wigan...
in November 2002. In 2003 they finished second in National League Two. However, Abram left to join Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
.
At the end of the 2004 season Chorley Lynx folded due to poor attendances and the withdrawal of funding by backer Trevor Hemmings. They were losing £1,000 a week with an average crowd of just 434 with only London Skolars
London Skolars
London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in North London. They were founded in 1995 and have been semi-professional since 2003, operating in Championship One...
and Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder
Gateshead Thunder is a professional rugby league club based in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear in England. They currently play in the Championship 1 competition, the third tier of rugby league in the United Kingdom...
having lower average crowds. Their last match was at home to York City Knights
York City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...
.
Blackpool Panthers (2004 onwards)
Blackpool West Coast Panthers were created in 2004 for the 2005 season, supposedly as a separate club rather than the continuation of Chorley Lynx. However, the 25-man squad contained 16 former Chorley players, the coach Mark Lee had been coach of Chorley and most of the supporters were those who had previously followed Chorley. Blackpool agreed an initial two year tenancy of Bloomfield RoadBloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
, the home of Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and they were elected to National League Two for the 2005 season. The original Chairman quit before the season started leaving Dave Rowland in charge. Coach Mark Lee
Mark Lee (rugby league)
Mark Lee is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Blackbrook, Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, St. Helens, Salford City Reds, and Swinton Lions playing at , , , or , i.e...
was sacked before the start of the season and Simon Knox
Simon Knox
Simon Knox is a professional rugby league footballer and coach, who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Hensingham ARLFC, Bradford Bulls, Salford City Reds, Workington Town, Halifax, Widnes Vikings, Leigh Centurions , Swinton Lions, and Barrow Raiders, playing at...
was appointed on a 12-month contract. Blackpool struggled on the field finishing second bottom of National League Two and failed to make an impact on the Blackpool public, with attendances averaging under 400.
In September 2005 Dave Rowland, who had resigned from the Board of Directors but remained the clubs majority shareholder, put forward a proposal to relocate the Panthers to Preston where they would ground share with Preston Grasshoppers
Preston Grasshoppers R.F.C.
Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from Preston, Lancashire. It was founded on 28 September 1869 at a meeting held at the Bull Hotel, Preston making one of the oldest 'northern' rugby union teams....
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club. However, the board bought out former major shareholder Dave Rowland's stake in the club and a last minute deal saw them secure the use of Bloomfield Road at a reduced rent. And at a public meeting held at Bloomfield Road in October 2005, former chairman of Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
, Alf Davies warned the club and its fans that it could take up to five years to establish the club in the resort. Davies who had been appointed by the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
to help the new Panthers' Board of Directors revitalise the club said, ""It will be a hell of a struggle and it will take five years before you can say you are established in rugby league, but if directors hold their nerve it can be done." The club also confirmed that they were working on a plan to develop links with local schools.
The 2006 season was again a difficult one for Blackpool as they finished bottom of National League Two, winning only four games. In June and July three games were played at Fyldes Woodlands Memorial Ground in Lytham St Annes as Bloomfield Road was being reseeded. The Panthers beat Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
and Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
but lost to Gateshead Thunder. In October 2006 a contract was signed to move to Woodlands Memorial Ground for an initial period of six years, covering the seasons from 2007 to 2012. The club's administrative and commercial base also moved to Woodlands, with Panthers' Chairman, John Chadwick, saying, "We're looking for stability and a base from which we can establish the Panthers as a successful national league club operating from the Fylde Coast. The set-up at the ground is first rate.
Andy Gregory
Andy Gregory
Andrew "Andy" Gregory is an English former rugby league footballer. A Great Britain international representative /, he is an inductee of the Wigan Hall of Fame...
took control of the Panthers in June 2007 when they were bottom of National League Two and had not won for 25 matches. However, Gregory resigned after the club finished the entire season without managing a single win, becoming only the fourth professional sports club to have suffered that fate in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Former Ireland
Ireland national rugby league team
The Ireland national rugby league team, known as the Wolfhounds, represent the island of Ireland in rugby league football. The team is organized by Rugby League Ireland and are accredited as an affiliate member of the Rugby League International Federation...
international, Martin Crompton
Martin Crompton
Martin Crompton born in Ince-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, England is a former rugby league player.Crompton was an Ireland international and played at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup....
was appointed as coach at the end of the 2007 season. The club finally ended their losing streak, which had lasted two years and 45 matches, on 6 April 2008, when they beat Workington Town 24-20. They had not won a match since beating Gateshead Thunder 38-36 on 15 July 2006, with the run being made up of 32 National League Two matches, 12 Northern Rail Cup matches and two Carnegie Challenge Cup matches. It was the club's first win under coach Martin Crompton. In May 2008 they won back-to-back matches for only the second time in the club's history, beating Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
and then a week later, seventh-placed Swinton Lions
Swinton Lions
Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:...
30-28 prompting Martin Crompton to target the league play-offs saying after the Swinton victory, "The play-offs have always been the goal. That victory was a fantastic achievement against a quality team. Everyone is playing with confidence now.
On 12 July 2009 the Panthers won their first trophy, when they won the inaugural Northern Rail Nines
Northern Rail Nines
The Northern Rail Nines is a rugby league nines tournament held in Lytham St Annes and Blackpool Lancashire, England as part of a celebration weekend encompassing the Northern Rail Cup Final....
beating Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
14-10 in the final at Bloomfield Road. The Panthers went on to finish fifth in Championship 1 in 2009, only to lose in the first round of the play-offs.
After the 2009 season, Bobby Hope replaced John Chadwick as club chairman and set the Panthers' sights high for the 2010 campaign, vowing to win the Championship 1 league title. The Panthers finished the season in the play-offs but went into administration in October and had their membership of the RFL cancelled having failed to provide the RFL a financial plan for the upcoming season, and will therefore take no part in the 2011 Co-operative Championship.
See Also
Blackpool BoroughBlackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
List of defunct rugby clubs