This afternoon sees the League 1 play-off final at Wembley Stadium with Blackpool looking to be playing in the second-tier for the first time since 2014/15 while Lincoln City are looking to be playing in the second-tier for the first time since the early 60s. Like yesterday’s Championship game and tomorrow’s League 2 game, this game will be played in front of a limited attendance as part of the government’s recovery plan to lift restrictions on sporting events on 21st June.
Ethan Blackshaw previewed the Championship play-off final here.
Road To The Final – Blackpool
Blackpool finished the regular season in 3rd place in League 1 with 80 points having won 23 games, drawn 11 and lost 12. They beat Oxford United 6-3 on aggregate in the semi-final, winning 3-0 at Oxford United in the first-leg (goals from Oliver Turton and two from Ellis Simms) while they drew 3-3 in the home leg (Elliot Embleton, Kenny Dougall and Jerry Yates).
Forward Yates is their top scorer this season with 21 goals in the league (23 in all competitions).
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Road To The Final – Lincoln
Lincoln finished the regular season in 5th place in League 1 with 77 points having won 22 games, drawn 11 and lost 13. They beat Sunderland 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final, winning 2-0 at home (Tom Hopper and Brennan Johnson) before losing the away leg 2-1 (Hopper).
Midfielder Jorge Grant is their top scorer this season with 13 goals in the league (17 in all competitions, tied with Anthony Scully).
Who are the officials for the game?
This game sees Tony Harrington as the referee, Ian Cooper and Wade Smith are his assistants while Jarred Gillett is the fourth official. So far this season, he has refereed 35 games (32 games in the Championship, 1 League Cup and 2 FA Cup) and has shown 92 yellow cards as well as 5 reds.
Head-to-Head
Blackpool wins: 34
Lincoln wins: 12
Draws: 10
Biggest Blackpool win: 6-0 at Bloomfield Road in September 1919
Biggest Lincoln win: 3-0 at Sincil Bank in March 1901
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Last Time Out
Lincoln City 2-2 Blackpool, 10th April 2021
Goals from Simms (37) and Sulley Kaikai (48) would see the Tangerines into a 2-goal lead with substitute Anthony Sculley and Brennan Johnson getting the Imps’ goals in the 75th and 84th minutes respectively.
Lincoln: Palmer; Poole, Montsma (Walsh 46), Jackson (Eyoma 72), Bramall; McGrandles, Sanders (Anderson 46), Edun (Jones 72); Johnson, Morton, Rogers (Scully 72)
Blackpool: Maxwell; Turton, Ballard, Gretarsson, Garbutt; Embleton (Lawrence-Gabriel 80), Ward, Dougall, Kaikai; Simms (Robson 84), Yates
Played For Both
46 players have been on the books of both players.
Goalkeepers: Ryan Allsop, John Burridge, Matt Dickins, Matt Gilks, Russell Hoult, Elliot Parish, Barry Siddall, Sam Slocombe
Defenders: David Brightwell, Jake Caprice, Ben Dixon, Alex Dyer, Neal Eardley, Colin Greenall, Bob Meacock, Gordon Simmonite, Julian Watts
Midfielders: Dennis Booth, Gary Brabin, Alf Freeman, Paul Groves, Udo Onwere, Lee Philpott, George Shipley, Chris Thompson, Levy Thorpe
Forwards: Louis Almond, Horace Brindley, James Caton, Tony Cunningham, Jock Dodds, George Eastham Sr, John Gregson, Allan Hall, Jimmy Heathcote, Billy Langham, Walter Lax, Allan Mansley, Walter Miller, Tommy Robinson, Phil Stant, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Lee Thorpe, Alan Withers, Arthur Wolstenholme, Adi Yussuf