The Sports Psychology Blog
Today's Sports Psychology blog follows Blackpool's struggle in their first season back in the Championship for 29 years.
Football: Blackpool - The Sign!
As well as having a team that played neat passing football, Blackpool also had another advantage coming into their first season in the Championship. A two sided ground. A ground with a wind blowing down the ground from The Irish Sea. Not exactly home from home for any visiting team used to playing at comfortable, fully developed ex Premiership stadia. No wonder then, that until last night's home reverse to Norwich, Blackpool had been unbeaten at home since March.
But the two sided ground can only provide home advantage for so long. Eventually, visitors will become mentally attuned and prepared for it. Look at how Colchester, whose Layer Road ground was a fortress last season, are now struggling.
Also, it is noticeable that there is no signage whatsoever on the club stands. No signage that says 'Blackpool FC'. No club badge. No motto. No indication at all of who plays at the half-built football ground.
Now you might think this would make no difference to the way the football team plays. But what if the club sign was a Critical Non Essential. One of the many many small details that create an impression. That builds the qualities off the field that are essential on the field. For example the quality of Pride. Pride off the field leading to pride on the field. Pride demonstrated in how the players fight back from a reverse. Pride in how the team keep going until the final whistle. Pride in how they sell the club to other players.
Up till now, Blackpool have demonstrated a great deal of pride in performance. But if the rigours of a relegation fight take their toll, the critical non essentials that sub-consciously influence performance, will start to hold sway. Either positively. Or negatively. The Blackpool board may not see the sign as a priority. But if they believe that how the club looks and carries itself off the field relates to how the team performs, then the sign would become top of the to-do list.
With the ground looking and feeling like a lower league ground, then the players have to work doubly hard to think of themselves as Championship players. If Blackpool should sink to the bottom of the Championship, then they are going to need as much help as possible with their self-view. However, it is testimony to the leadership skills of manager Simon Grayson that his team have held their own to date.
