the future's orange!

Sadly, a poor performance yesterday to wrap up the season, but overall we have overachieved again this season and are moving in the right direction.

Article in League Express saying M.C has signed a new 3 yr full time deal, whilst we have re-signed Casey Mayberry and Lee Marsh. 2 new props in Dave Best (Rochdale) and Andy Hobson (Leigh). Also supposedly looking at 2 PNG players- hoping they will be decent as not been impressed with the 3 at Hunslet from what I have seen of them this season.

Looks like we will have half a new team again next year then, but we we're definetly in short supply of props. I'm guessing Hill won't be returning and i've not seen anything regarding Svabic in the players we are resigning (gutted ha), so we may need a new half to go with Forber and Forster- presuming Duffy is moving on as MC doesn't seem to rate him & start with him.

Who is the new chairman 'Bobby Hope'? Hoping we don't do a Donny and over invest when we don't have the fan base to support an expensive team. Also wondering whether we are continuing to only pay match fees and not wages.

Squad next year could be:

Leather,
Munro, McCully/Woodcock, Mayberry, Royle/AN Other
Forber, Forster/TBC

Best, Clough, Hobson
Ratcliffe/Bissell/Alcock/Draper

Then throw in Fairhurst, Boland & Keavney and it looks quite a good squad.

We definately need a bit of "beast" up front and Best/Hobson should provide this. Looking at Lee Marsh these days he'll scare a few as well.

It'll be good to see Mayberry back but we must remember he's rather injury prone, so we still need extra cover in the centres, although from the list you mentioned you didn't mention the likes of Dave Llewellyn or Ian Hodson, the latter would certainly be worth retaining.

Bobby Hope is/was a Blackpool hotelier who I think has had previous board involvement at Leigh. We must be very careful not to overstretch ourselves though.

As for yesterday it was a disappointing second half that cost us, Jonny Leather was obviously only around 50% fit and without the pace of Nick Royle we never really looked like breaking Huns down in the second half. We were a fit body or two short, but it shouldn't detract from what has been a brilliant season.

Over the 80 minutes Hunslet were marginally the better side and the scoreline was a fair reflection of the game as a whole. I suspect they'll give Oldham a lot of problems in the next round and good luck to them.

Roll on next season - one thing the club must do over the close season is keep the fans and media informed to maintain momentum, this is something that has been very poor in the past, there's no excuse now.

And finally, the new strip must be Tangerine (not dark/burnt orange) - it's the only colour to market to Blackpool folk! This years was superb, it'll be a shame to see it go.

Thought Llewellyn was solid but unspectacular. Thought Hodson was pretty poor and cost us a try yesterday- think he thinks he's a half in a forwards body.

Johnny was obviously not fit but respect for the guy for coming out and giving it a go- he must like playing for MC & the club.

Think Oldham v Hunslet will be close, but then neither will stand a chance against York or Keighley unless they up their game.

Bobby Hope was a Leigh board member during a period in the early 80's, the less said about that the better though.

Onwards and upwards people.

You cannot eat an elephant in a single sitting.

Little pieces at a time.

is forber signed on for next year?

either way, give the likes of clough and keaveney an actual front row to work behind and this team could be something special going forward. showed just what potential is their on the slick hard pitches during July's long forgotten heat wave when the club set record scores two weeks in a row and also picked up the 9s trophy.

agree with cow about hodson, he was playing like he was the most skillful player in the world, shame he kept dropping the ball or running bad lines and doing all this in his own half. he was one of the reasons the team got no territory in the second half. still, he'd had a couple of good performances running into the game and if he reigns in his glory hunting style then he may well be a good member of the squad.

Following on from what you said about the strip, I designed this years with the input of Midge to reflect 55 years since the inception of pro rugby league in Blackpool, we thought it would appeal to both the old and new supporters, which I hope it did.

Im no longer actively involved in the club, but have thrown in my 10 pence worth as it were, with the onus being on retaining the same or similar design permanently.

From old pictures I have seen, we also played in a strip with 3 equal bands (white black white), but thats as far as I would vary it.

I also recommended that the alternate colours be all black, with maybe a matt/gloss finish, similar to the all blacks, but incorporating something 'Blackpool' as it were.

Id really like to know peoples reaction to the return to the traditional strip this year, and for those of you who live in blackpool, have you seen many people wearing them in the town?

The strip was superb and I don't think I've seen more replica shirts in the ground as there were v Hunslet, which tells it's own story.

As for an away strip I think all black isn't a great idea, especially with summer in mind. Black absorbs more heat and isn't good for the players.

My choice would be an all white strip, with the centre bands in black and tangerine, similar to that used by the Borough in the 60's (possibly with tangerine shorts just to add a modern touch).

This years showed that you can blend tradition and modernity well, and this should be kept in mind for next season. The shade of tangerine was bang on as well and would undoubtedly appeal to old timers, youngsters and BFC fans.

Message to the board: PLEASE bear these points in mind when negotiating with O'Neills....don't be fobbed off with something that's easy for them, but not ideal for us.

Do you have a picture of that strip form the 60s? the white one?
Or do you know where I could see a pic of it, ill raise this if I get chance.

It's not the greatest but take a look athttp://www.blackpoolrlsupporters.com/rl

the shirt was white with a tricolour band in the middle, tangerine, black, tangerine.

Just as effective would be something like this season's shirt, but with the tangerine and white reversed. Put that with tangerine shorts and white socks with a black and tangerine trim and you've got a winner!

yeah he did, hope it happens but doubt it - re-signed mayberry and i think tommy woodcock has signed again for next year so i assume centres are covered

Bobby Hope was one member of what is/was known in Leigh as the Blackpool Mafia who came very very close to putting Leigh RLFC out of business in the late eighties.

You have been warned!

Rumour is you are trying to sign Tom Hemingway of Huddersfield!

Any idea if this is true? He hasnt been offered a new contract this year, so it seems a possibility.

Good signing if so IMO.

Confirmed in the rugby league express this week, it certainly is a good signing for us, we have been needing an out an out scrum half for a while, although now we do have a large quantity of half backs, wondering do we have the money for strengthening the pack.