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Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and now Daniel Craig. Everyone has their favourite, mines Sean but my favourite film is Live and Let Die which has Roger Moore as 007. Blackpool can be compared to a Bond film this season – guaranteed box office success but under critical review there are several flaws in the plot.
Wigan turned up to the Stanley Park Superdome (roof not yet completed) looking to kick start their season against a side which narrowly missed relegation last year. The two Blackpool sides from last year to this year are like comparing The Living Daylights with The Man with the Golden Gun. One has Timothy Dalton chasing a baddy called Whitaker? The other sees a resplendent Moore chasing a man with three nipples – no contest.
The game started with a lot of Wigan possession and pressure, they passed, moved and tackled well. Blackpool did not. All game the midfield struggled with the simplest of tasks – passing and stopping the ball. Wigan were rewarded a flick for their endeavour just before half time and it was taken with all the finesse of casting Grace Jones as a credible Bond girl. The ball missing the goal entirely and even failing to find the football net. Blackpool knew they had been let off and went for the jugular. The second half saw large sections of Blackpool possession and the general fitness of the team pressed home the advantage. Once Blackpool scored, Wigan never looked like equalising.
All in all it was a very patchy performance and if the game was a Bond film it would have to be Moonraker. A plausible script, Roger Moore not quite at his best and a baddy named Drax who gets shot out of an air lock into space. On the good side it had a real bond girl called Holly Goodhead and was shot in several locations from California, France and Brazil. If Blackpool are to continue their fine start to the season they really do need to up their game into the classics – Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever and Live and Let Die.
Squad – Blakemore M, Woodman, Gettings, Latimer, Morrow L, Abbott, Pasqualino, Boniface, Whitley, Morrow K, Morgan, Blakemore A, Ashfield. Scorer – Steve Whitley. Man of the Match – Pete Latimer.
© Kieron Morrow 17/10/05
[For legal reasons, it must be noted that other Bond films are available, and the opinions are of the author and not the club. I personally think Pierce Brosnan did a fine job for a tiring format!]