Match of the Day - with George Best

Gerry Wolstenholme recalls that afternoon which also gave the Pool faithfull (which included the editor!) a final glimpse of the fading magic that was George Best whose contribution to Fulham's two goals helped to make this a thrilling encounter.

The BBC Match of the Day cameras were at Bloomfield Road for Blackpool’s Second Division clash with Fulham on 27 November 1976 and, as it turned out, they could hardly have picked a more exciting match to focus on. Blackpool were sitting comfortably in third place in the table with 20 points from 16 games while Fulham were only six points worse off but were languishing eighth from the bottom.

In the game itself, Blackpool initially looked as though they had put the result beyond doubt when they took a two-goal lead but Fulham hit back to score twice themselves. But then Blackpool struck back within a minute of the Fulham equaliser to score a decisive goal which in the end proved to be the winner.

Blackpool announced an unchanged eleven from their previous game but did make a change at substitute where Alan Suddick was welcomed back after a two-week absence through illness. The side was Wood, Gardner, Harrison, Ronson, Hart, Suddaby, Weston, Spence, Walsh, Hatton and Bentley.

Meanwhile Fulham had kept the fact that Rodney Marsh would not play a closely guarded secret until it was time to hand in the team sheet; Marsh had suffered an ankle injury in training which necessitated a plaster cast on his leg. Teddy Maybank was brought across from Chelsea on loan to take his place. George Best, the other half of Fulham’s dynamic duo, was, however, in the starting line-up which was Teale, Cutbush, Strong, Slough, Howe, Moore, Best, Evanson, Mitchell, Maybank, Barrett and Greenway as substitute.

Blackpool were the first to attack when Walsh intercepted a ball in midfield and pushed it through to Spence but Teale was quickly out from his goal to clear the danger. And then, after two minutes, Fulham almost took the lead; Gardner failed to clear a cross which fell to Mitchell but the striker’s shot flew over the bar. Action was fast and furious and Teale was once again in action as he raced out to whip the ball from Bentley’s toes when he chased a through ball from Hatton.

Fulham had a narrow escape after just five minutes when a shot from Hatton was only half stopped by Teale and Strong had to run back to clear off the line. But two minutes later Blackpool did take the lead. More pressure led to a corner on the left and Ronson swung over a deep cross which Hart, at the far post, rose majestically to head into the net for his fourth goal of the season and his second in successive matches.

And Blackpool continued to look dangerous; a Gardner volley surprised the goalkeeper by its pace, and then the same player crashed in a shot from almost 40 yards which Teale could only parry and desperately grab at the second attempt. Spence then shot wide under challenge from Cutbush before, at the other end, Barrett sent a volley just wide following a corner from George Best the former Manchester United legend. The ex-Blackpool player Evanson also had Seasiders’ hearts fluttering when he sent a left foot shot just wide of Wood’s post after a neat one-two with Maybank.

But after 20 minutes Blackpool took a 2-0 lead. Walsh won a challenge with Strong out on the right wing and sent over a curling cross which Bob Hatton, under challenge, rose to head into the net for his first goal at Bloomfield Road since his transfer from Birmingham. It was no more than Blackpool deserved but Fulham had not given up and a powerful shot by George Best was knocked down by Wood who gathered the ball before any Fulham forward could take advantage.

Blackpool then returned to the attack and after Hatton had gone close, Gardner, again displaying his shooting prowess, fired into the side netting from long range. Fulham’s answer was to find some attacks of their own as Evanson fired wide, an acrobatic overhead kick from Best was nearly touched in and Mitchell shot over the bar after being set up by Evanson. As the half came to a close, with Blackpool comfortably in control, the referee had to have a word with Blackpool officials about the blowing of a whistle somewhere in the crowd. And at half time he felt the need to broadcast a warning to the phantom whistler to stop disrupting the game.

Fulham went onto the attack immediately the second half started and with five minutes gone they reduced the deficit. George Best pushed a free kick from the edge of the penalty box across to the right wing where Cutbush centred for Mitchell to get in a header. Wood managed to get a hand to the ball but could not prevent it hitting the post and rebounding into the net. Fulham then took control of the midfield and Blackpool suddenly looked far from impressive and were defending grimly to hold onto their lead.

On 59 minutes the lead disappeared. George Best had a shot saved by Wood and then slotted a pass through for Mitchell to take the ball in his stride and shoot calmly past Wood. But Fulham’s joy was short-lived. Within a minute Blackpool had remarkably restored their lead and the goal came from their best move of the second half. Ronson took the ball out on the right, got round the back of the defence and sent over a hanging cross to which Walsh rose magnificently and planted a header in the back of the net.

Fulham pressed for an instant equaliser and Barrett shot just wide. But Spence looking to increase Blackpool’s lead had a shot blocked at the other end after a fine cross by Walsh. Bentley was then Blackpool’s saviour; George Best jinked his way past Gardner and into the penalty box but Bentley charged across and robbed him at the expense of a corner. The resultant header went straight into the arms of a grateful Wood.

The thrills continued through to the end and the final chance went to Fulham when George Best beat Gardner and crossed for Wood to just beat Mitchell in the race for the ball as the centre forward closed in for his hat-trick. And when the whistle went, Blackpool had won an outstanding game 3-2 which had been enjoyed by the 16,779 crowd and was to be enjoyed by the BBC’s Match of the Day audience that evening.