Squires Gate - Brian Addison Stadium

Squires Gate FC

Brian Addison Stadium

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Blackpool

Lancashire

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Ground Number: 1090
Saturday 16th July 2022
Squires Gate 2-4 Radcliffe
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SQUIRES GATE FC - A BRIEF HISTORY

The club was formed in 1948 as Squires Gate British Legion and started out in the Blackpool & District Amateur League. They dropped the 'British Legion' suffix in 1953 and went on to win the league's Division 1 in 1956 and 1957. After spending a single season in the Fylde District League, Squires Gate would join the West Lancashire League. They'd spend the next 30 years here and were Division 2 champions in 1981.  The club was elected to the North West Counties League's second tier in 1991 and struggled at first. A 3rd place finish in 1999 was a marked improvement and from then on, they never looked back. Another 3rd place finish in 2002, this time behind Stand Athletic and Alsager Town saw Squires Gate promoted as the champions' ground was deemed not up to standard. They've now been in the top division for 20 years, making them the longest-serving members. They have had a few close scrapes with relegation and last season finished a lowly 17th. Their best-ever placing has been 6th, lastly occurring in 2015.

Squires Gate's best-ever FA Cup progress has been the 2nd Qualifying Round. They achieved that last season by winning 2-0 at Ashton Athletic, followed by an impressive 6-4 win against champions Macclesfield. They then beat North Shields 1-0 before a 3-2 defeat to Pontefract Collieries. The club had an excellent FA Vase run during the 2005/06 season. They beat Ramsbottom United, Brandon United, Salford City, Glasshoughton Welfare, Skelmersdale United, Gedling Town & Newcastle Benfield prior to losing to Hillingdon Borough in the Quarter Finals. Local cup wins include the Rawling Shield, the Blackwell Cup winners in 1959 & 1960, the Fylde Cup in 1961, and the Richardson Cup winners in 1987. 

Squires Gate is a district and an electoral ward in the south of Blackpool which has a population of around 6,500. They share the area with two other clubs - AFC Blackpool (formerly known as Blackpool Mechanics) who also play in the North West Counties League and Blackpool Wren Rovers who play in the West Lancashire League. The former's ground is adjacent to Squires Gate's home, the latter a five-minute walk away. Blackpool Airport is in Squires Gate, and the district also has a small railway station on the Blackpool South to Preston branch line.  One of the most significant sites at Squires gate was the holiday camp. Originally called Squires Gate camp, it became a Pontins holiday centre, but closed in October 2009 for a housing development. Prior to becoming a holiday camp, the camp was used as a military base during World War II.

MY VISIT

For the second game of my weekend away, I was originally going to Atherton Laburnam Rovers. They were a club I'd intended to visit before the first lockdown in March 2020 but I was thwarted by wet weather. Instead, I had to head to the Manchester City Academy Stadium for the Premier League U18 Cup Final v Stoke City, which wasn't nearly as good. By the time it was called off, I'd already typed my blog, so it would have made sense. However, after consideration, I fancied somewhere else, especially as Premier Inn had whacked around £25 extra on the room rate for the Saturday. Blackpool seemed a good bet. Both Squires Gate and AFC Blackpool at home, making sure it was unlikely I'd have a wasted journey. I'd be with fellow hopper Colin for this one but we had a bit of hassle finding the accommodation at the right price. I've had a room in Blackpool for £12 a night in the not-so-distant past but Rangers being in town for a game at Blackpool had seen the demand surge. In the end, the best option was a family room for £54 a night for us to share. Maybe I could have got something cheaper on AirB&B but I forgot to check.

I'd fancied going to Squires Gate for a while, having had plenty of contact on social media and even contributed to a couple of articles on their website and in their programme. From my first game, it was a case of just walking through the door between the grounds. From Colin, I'd learned that Radcliffe were 3-0 up and from the point of view of goals, I'd backed the wrong horse, having only had a single goal in my second half. I got a can of Strongbow for £2.50 to at least put a little bit of money into the club. My presence seemed to inspire Squires Gate and within two minutes of the game starting the trialist #15 volleyed superbly into the bottom right-hand corner from the edge of the area. On 53 minutes, the hosts reduced the arrears further, a penalty won and converted by a trialist. Squires Gate looked good for an equaliser but on 80 minutes, Radcliffe sealed the game on the break. It was Bobby Grant completing his hat trick with a low shot.

I headed towards AFC Blackpool to get pictures of the ground and meet Colin. We then headed towards Blackpool Tower, getting a bus some of the way. We then wandered about a bit before heading to the Albert Ale Micropub where I tried the two Redbank ciders that were made in Bolton. They were a bit sweet for my liking but it was nice to get them ticked off. We walked along the front to the Albert & Lion Wetherspoons where we both had dinner. In my case, it was chicken strips and chips which were great. The service was incredible with the food arriving within a few minutes and the drinks a bit later. We then went down the pier and had a look around and a game of Air Hockey. We then headed towards the Velvet Coaster Wetherspoons where I had rum and Irn Bru. We did consider bowling but it was getting late and so we headed back to our room. I'd had plenty to drink but it had been great fun.

THE GROUND

THE BRIAN ADDISON STADIUM is a fairly standard ground for the level. Located right next to Blackpool Wren Rovers, the club share parking which is quite limited. Nearby are pubs and takeaways with Blackpool a few miles away. At the ground are basic bar and tea bar facilities. As for the ground, there's cover on three of the sides, a mixture of seating and standing with enough cover for a few hundred people.