" Match Report Blackpool v Cardiff 17 Sept 2011 "

Apologise for the lateness of this report. I have been involved in other matters that resulted in me only seeing an hour of the game. The reason to this will become apparent at the end.

Over 1500 Cardiff supporters made their way to a windy Blackpool town, town being the operative word. I took my three daughters to this game and was relieved to find that the away stand had some cover over it. Last time I was there the stand had no cover and it bucketed down and I mean bucketed down. It was a tropical rainstorm without the tropical bits. Blackpool and tropical don’t go together.
Anyway the stand is apparently temporary that is a good thing because it is supported by these thick steel supports that basically block your view. Wherever you stood at least one support blocked your view of one of the goals. Blackpool is a s**t hole and I really wished I stayed home. Well at least in the caravan I had booked.
When the team was announced I thought what combination we are going to play here. It looked to me that we were going to pack the midfield with a lone striker. I was right. In goal was the ever present Marshall with a back four of McNaughton, Hudson, Gerrard and Taylor. In midfield there was Conway, Cowie, Gunnarsson, Whittingham and Kiss. Our lone striker was Miller.
From the kick off we just basically dominated the game. I’ll get this bit out of the way but our midfield just won everything. If they tripped up they just won it back. Whittingham sort of played in front of the other four in midfield with the intention of supporting Miller. However, when Whitts had the ball he was soon supported by the other four going forward. When Miller had the ball he was soon supported by the five midfielders. I don’t think I have seen us in the last three seasons dominate a half like this.
Cardiff first chance fell to Gunnarsson who shot over the bar. Cardiff was knocking the ball about the Blackpool half with ease and could have taken a few shots before Gunnarsson decided to.
Then Cardiff knocked the ball around the Blackpool half again. Hope you are getting my picture here because I’m not repeating this bit again and it was continuous through the half.
The next two chances fell to Gerrard where he hit a 20 yard shot over the bar and also a header from just outside the six yard box with the same result.
Then the best chance of the game fell to Miller. As Cardiff knocked the ball around again Miller found himself in space halfway inside the Blackpool half. He made his way to the home side area and with only the goalkeeper to beat he put the ball wide.
Hudson then went close as he flicked on a cross from Conway that caused the home keeper to make a full stretched save.
All this happened in the first 30 minutes and it was only then that Blackpool got their first chance. A deep cross into the Cardiff area caught the defence line out and a lone Blackpool striker in space. He did well to get his head to the ball and Marshall did well to get his hand to it and send it over.
From that scare Cardiff once again took control and really failed to trouble the Blackpool keeper. Instead of shooting on site most of our players decided to pass. This resulted in the ball being worked wide and whipped in crosses that seem to be just out of reach of our guys.
In fact the half ended with us nearly going behind. From a none eventful move a Blackpool midfielder tried his luck from 30 yards and the ball looked like it was going to squeeze in but Marshall got down well to his left to finger tip the ball around the post.
The half ended scoreless but how, none of us will know.
The second half was very much the same. We dominated the midfield and our guys just seem like a machine grinding away. Blackpool had no answer and was soon behind.
Once again our guys were winning the ball in midfield and made good progress down the Blackpool right. Whittingham picked the ball up and sent a difficult to defend cross into the home side penalty area. Don Cowie was first to get his head to the ball and left the home side keeper no chance.
From the kick off the Cardiff midfield just dominated again. So much so that Blackpool made three substitutions in one go. This made no change but then the home side got lucky. From a harmless move their main striker picked up the ball about 25 yards out and sent a slice cross into the area that outfoxed everyone. The ball ended in the away net and that sometimes can be football for you.
What happened next does definitely not belong to football. As I tried to work out how that goal could have happened next thing I saw was the ball go flying pass my face and into my eight year old daughters face knocking off her glasses. I did not know this at the time but the Blackpool player Gary Taylor Fletcher decided to belt the ball into the away support. I work out one of their players had done something like that and asked a local policeman to arrest him at the same time trying to get assistance for my girl. Soon the Cardiff stewards were on the scene and took my girl to the treatment room. I did not have time to argue with some big knob copper who tried to fob me off. I was more concerned about my girl. I won’t be fobbed off my the Blackpool club secretary who came into the treatment room, No sunshine I was not upset because we were drawing when we should have been 5 up, that was not the reason I was upset.

The game ended 1-1 and that is all I can say about the last 30 minutes.
Summing up: Gary Taylor-Fletcher whatever avenues are open for me I’m going to have your name for this.

Good report Ian ..hope your girl is ok, personally I would like to kick something full force into Fletchers face .....

Thanks Ian for taking the time out to write it up, especially after what happened to your little girl

Was behind you with my kids mate! Fletcher is a prick I watched him boot that ball in at us! I hope your girl is ok mate and great report! How we didn't win that I do jot know , encouraging performance tho.

Great report

When Fletcher kicked that ball into the stand i said to my mate 'he hit that has if he meant hit' and it was also a better strike than he managed on goal all game

IMO It was a very stupid and dangerous thing to do and i hope you take it all the way; more importantly i hope your Daughter is OK and will not be effected by Fletchers act of stupidity

I gave him a bit of abuse on Twitter yesterday, Ian. Can't stand the tw*t. He bit back at me of course. I would love someone to beat the shit into him.

I gave him a bit of abuse on Twitter yesterday, Ian. Can't stand the tw*t. He bit back at me of course. I would love someone to beat the shit into him.

Please point me to his twitter account.

I was standing right in front of you.Seen it hit her in the face with some force.

Thanks once again Ian