Blackpool Panthers
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| Full name | Blackpool Panthers Rugby League Football Club |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2004 |
| Location | Lytham St Annes, England |
| Ground(s) | Woodlands Memorial Ground, Lytham St Annes (Capacity: 9,000) |
| Chairman | Bobby Hope |
| Coach(es) | Martin Crompton |
| League(s) | Championship 1 |
| 2009 | 5th |
Blackpool & the Fylde Panthers RLFC was an English professional rugby league club based in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground owned by Fylde rugby union club. They were members of the Rugby Football League from 2005 to 2010.
The club was founded as Blackpool West Coast Panthers in 2004 for the 2005 season, and took the place of Chorley Lynx, which had folded. Sixteen of Chorley's squad and Chorley coach Mark Lee joined the Panthers. Blackpool agreed an initial two-year tenancy of Bloomfield Road, the home of Blackpool F.C. and they were elected to National League Two for the 2005 season. The original chairman quit before the season started leaving Dave Rowland in charge. Coach Mark Lee was sacked before the start of the season and appointed former Great Britain international Kevin Ashcroft as Team Manager on a 12-month contract. The Panthers struggled on the field finishing second bottom of National League Two with only managing three wins all season, against Sheffield Eagles, Gateshead Thunder and London Skolars. Overall the Panthers failed to make an impact on the Blackpool public, with attendances averaging 400.
In September 2005 Dave Rowland, who had resigned from the board of directors but remained the clubs majority shareholder, put forward a proposal to relocate the Panthers to Preston where they would ground share with Preston Grasshoppers rugby union club. However, the board bought out former major shareholder Dave Rowland's stake in the club and a last minute deal saw them secure the use of Bloomfield Road at a reduced rent. And at a public meeting held at Bloomfield Road in October 2005, former chairman of Leeds Rhinos, Alf Davies warned the club and its fans that it could take up to five years to establish the club in the resort. Davies who had been appointed by the Rugby Football League to help the new Panthers' board of directors revitalise the club said, ""It will be a hell of a struggle and it will take five years before you can say you are established in rugby league, but if directors hold their nerve it can be done." The club also confirmed that they were working on a plan to develop links with local schools.
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