Blackpool Borough
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| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Colours | Tangerine, black and white |
| Founded | unknown (reformed 1982) |
| Exited | 1997 |
| Former details | |
| Ground(s) |
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Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, that played in the Rugby Football League from 1954 until 1993. The club moved to Wigan in 1987 and was renamed Springfield Borough; to Chorley in 1988 and was renamed Chorley Borough; to Altrincham in 1989 and was renamed Trafford Borough, and finally back to Blackpool in 1992 as Blackpool Gladiators. It folded in 1997.
The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.
A Blackpool club were members of the Northern Union Lancashire Second Competition in 1898–99. The first unsuccessful application for a Blackpool team to join the Rugby League was made in December 1950. Blackpool Borough were accepted into the Rugby League for the 1954–55 season. In their early days, they were known as "the Babes". The first ever victory was over Hull Kingston Rovers at Blackpool.
Borough played at Blackpool Greyhound Stadium in St Anne's Road but larger fixtures were played at Blackpool FC's Bloomfield Road Stadium. Their record attendance was 12,015 on 10 September 1955 when they drew with the New Zealand tourists 24–24 at Bloomfield Road. The record attendance was set in 1957 at 22,000 for the third round Challenge Cup match against Leigh.
In the first eight years of their existence, they had never finished above 21st. Blackpool Greyhound Stadium was sold for housing and in April 1962. Blackpool Borough Council granted a 21-year lease on a new ground – Borough Park – on the former gas works and coach park site at Rigby Road and Princess Street. The first match at Borough Park was played on Saturday 31 August 1963 when Blackpool beat Salford 36–16. The record defeat came on 26 October 1963 when Wigan won 77 points to 8.
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