{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Short description|Association football club in Sierra Leone}} {{Infobox football club | clubname = Mighty Blackpool | image = Mighty Blackpool.jpg | upright = 0.6 | fullname = Mighty Blackpool | nickname = ''The Tis-Tas Boys'' | founded = {{start date and years ago|1923|df=yes}} | ground = National Stadium<br />Freetown, Sierra Leone | capacity = 45,000 | chairman = {{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Mohamed Bah | manager = {{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Alusine ‘Bala’ Kargbo | league = Sierra Leone National Premier League | season = 2024–2025 | position = '''10th''' | pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1= | leftarm1=F28500|body1=F28500|rightarm1=F28500|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000 | pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2= | leftarm2=000000|body2=000000|rightarm2=0000000|shorts2=000000|socks2=00000 }}
'''Mighty Blackpool''' is a Sierra Leonean football club based in the capital Freetown. They play in the Sierra Leone National Premier League, the top football league in the country. Blackpool represents the West End of Freetown and their home games are played at the National Stadium in Freetown.
The club was founded in 1923 under the name '''Socro United''' and they are the oldest and most successful football club in Sierra Leone, having won the Premier League fifteen times and the FA Cup four times. They changed their name to Mighty Blackpool in 1954 to show their admiration for the former Blackpool and England player Stanley Matthews.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100927030440/http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/sport/2010/08/100809_blackpoolsl.shtml Mighty Blackpool F.C. Sierra Leone] BBC </ref>
Mighty Blackpool have an intense rivalry with city rivals East End Lions.
== History == Although Mighty Blackpool have won the league title fifteen times, the last time they were league champions was in the 2001 season after a dramatic finish to the season saw them finish one point ahead of Old Edwardians.<ref name="BBC Sport010807">{{cite news|title=Blackpool win new Leone league|work=BBC Sport|date=7 August 2001|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/1477677.stm|access-date=18 July 2007|archive-date=10 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240510061947/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/1477677.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 1989, Mighty Blackpool reached the quarter-final stages of the African Cup of Champions Clubs; the first time a club from Sierra Leone had reached that stage. In the first round, they beat reigning champions ES Sétif from Algeria and on the second round beat Djoliba Athletic Club from Mali, before losing to Tonnerre Yaounde from Cameroon in the quarter finals.<ref name="BBC Sport010807" />
In the 2007 league campaign, a 2–0 win over Golf Leopards on 15 July meant that Blackpool were on 24 points from 12 games.<ref name="NewCitizen070717">{{cite news|title=Blackpool wallops Golf Leopard 2–0 |publisher=The New Citizen |date=17 July 2007 |url=http://www.christiantrede.com/webdesign/clients/newcitizen/sportpage.php?subaction=showfull&id=1184673196&archive=&start_from=&ucat=9 |access-date=22 January 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009220220/http://www.christiantrede.com/webdesign/clients/newcitizen/sportpage.php?subaction=showfull&id=1184673196&archive=&start_from=&ucat=9 |archive-date=9 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Mighty Blackpool's record in the African Cup of Champions Clubs has mostly seen them eliminated in the early rounds. In 1968, they were due to play Congolese club, Étoile du Congo in the preliminary round but withdrew from the competition before the matches were played handing Étoile du Congo a walkover, and in 1975, they lost 3–0 on aggregate to Djoliba Athletic Club of Mali in the first round. In 1979, they again lost in the first round, drawing 4–4 with Accra Hearts of Oak SC of Ghana on aggregate but losing out on penalties 4–2. And in 1980 they lost to ASF Police of Senegal 4–1 on aggregate in the first round.
In 1989, they reached the Quarterfinal stage of the African Cup of Champions Clubs. In the preliminary round, they had a walkover, when Benfica withdrew from the competition. In the first round, they beat Algerian club ES Sétif 5–3 on penalties after the two matches ended all square at 1–1. In the second round, they met Djoliba Athletic Club again, this time winning 2–1 on aggregate. They went out of the competition in the Quarter Final stage losing 4–1 to Cameroon club, Tonnerre Yaoundé.<ref name="RSSF01">{{cite web | title = African Club Competitions 1989 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | date = 18 May 2002 | url = https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup89.html | access-date = 18 March 2008 | archive-date = 4 February 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230204045202/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup89.html | url-status = live }}</ref> In 1992, they were again eliminated in the first round, this time by Canon Yaoundé of Cameroon after beating LPRC Oilers of Liberia in the preliminary round.<ref name="RSSF02">{{cite web | title = African Club Competitions 1992 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | date = 6 January 2003 | url = https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup92.html | access-date = 18 March 2008 | archive-date = 5 October 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181005024025/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesa/afcup92.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
In 2006, they played in the CAF Confederation Cup, losing to CSS Richard-Toll of Senegal in the preliminary round.<ref name="RSSF03">{{cite web | title = African Club Competitions 2006 | publisher = Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation | date = 7 September 2007 | url = https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup06.html | access-date = 18 March 2008 | archive-date = 24 July 2022 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220724105150/https://www.rsssf.org/tablesa/afcup06.html | url-status = live }}</ref>
== Honours ==
=== League === *'''Sierra Leone National Premier League champions: 6''' <ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/sierchamp.html |title=Sierra Leone – List of Champions |access-date=4 February 2023 |archive-date=7 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207204751/https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/sierchamp.html |url-status=live }}</ref> :: 1968 (not official championship),<ref name="auto"/> 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001
=== Cups === *'''Sierra Leonean FA Cup winners: 4''' :: 1983, 1988, 1994, 2000
== Performance in CAF competitions == * '''African Cup of Champions Clubs: 6 appearances''' ::1968: withdrew in preliminary round ::1975: First Round ::1979: First Round ::1980: First Round ::1989: Quarterfinals ::1992: First Round
*'''CAF Confederation Cup: 2 appearances''' ::2006 – Preliminary round
*'''CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 3 appearances''' ::1984 – First Round ::1994 – Second Round ::2008 – Eliminated in the second round by CSS of Senegal (Stade Demba Diop) ::'''The Starting Line Up in 2008''' ::Coach: Christian Cole ::Assistant: Charlie Wright ::1. {{flagicon|Norway}} Shongbon (Captain) ''(pro)'' ::2. {{flagicon|Cyprus}} Saway Dollar ''(pro)'' ::3. Ibrahim Kargbo Meuncle ::4. Pizzo ::5. {{flagicon|Norway}} David Simbo ''(pro)'' ::6. Lanssana Bayoh ::7. {{flagicon|Lebanon}} Muhmuni Khumson ''(pro)'' ::8. {{flagicon|Sweden}} Abu Tommy ''(pro)'' ::9. {{flagicon|Cyprus}} Adrew Alie ''(pro)'' ::10. {{flagicon|Serbia}} Komba Tongu ''(pro)'' ::11. {{flagicon|Portugal}} Daniel Dove ''(pro)''
== Notable former players == *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Ibrahim "Inspector" Bah *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Alhassan Bangura *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Umaru Bangura *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Albert Cole *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Obi Metzger *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Kabba Samura *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Abu Tommy *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} Michael Tommy *{{flagicon|Sierra Leone}} David Simbo
== Notes == {{Reflist}}
{{Sierra Leone League}}
Category:Association football clubs established in 1923 Category:Football clubs in Sierra Leone Category:1923 establishments in Sierra Leone Category:Sport in Freetown