For many newcomers to English football, Fleetwood Town may be best known as the temporary home of a very famous footballer during his magical rise to fame and glory. We’ll get to him later, but my history with Fleetwood Town started with an offhand remark from a football scout at some long-forgotten game. “They have some top-notch facilities…

As you might assume, Blackpool, just a few miles away, are a rival, but the two have met fewer than 20 times, as they have historically lived in different worlds. Traditionally, it’s more about Morecambe and Accrington

Known as the Wrens Ladies, they play in the North West Regional Women’s League at tier 5 of the pyramid. Home games are at Poolfoot Farm, the club’s training facility, in the Blackpool

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First, if you’re wondering, it’s named for Highbury Avenue, which runs alongside it – no connection to the old Arsenal stadium of the same name. While this 5,000-seater is basically a brand new stadium tucked in between houses and a park, it still has some of the old touches that make non-league grounds charming and goofy. Among those are the…

GETTING THERE: It’s simple: take the tram up from the Blackpool seafront and get off at the Stanley Road stop. It’s a short walk from there. A taxi from the main Blackpool North Station will be at least £20. PUBS: There are actually two at the stadium: The Highbury Club next door, and Jim’s just behind the Memorial Stand. Otherwise, the nearby…