Blackpool Panthers (2004 Onwards)
Blackpool West Coast Panthers were created in 2004 for the 2005 season, supposedly as a separate club rather than the continuation of Chorley Lynx. However, the 25-man squad contained 16 former Chorley players, the coach Mark Lee had been coach of Chorley and most of the supporters were those who had previously followed Chorley. 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 Simon Knox was appointed on a 12-month contract. Blackpool struggled on the field finishing second bottom of National League Two and failed to make an impact on the Blackpool public, with attendances averaging under 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.
The 2006 season was again a difficult one for Blackpool as they finished bottom of National League Two, winning only four games. In June and July three games were played at Fyldes Woodlands Memorial Ground in Lytham St Annes as Bloomfield Road was being reseeded. The Panthers beat Keighley Cougars and Workington Town but lost to Gateshead Thunder. In October 2006 a contract was signed to move to Woodlands Memorial Ground for an initial period of six years, covering the seasons from 2007 to 2012. The club's administrative and commercial base also moved to Woodlands, with Panthers' Chairman, John Chadwick, saying, "We're looking for stability and a base from which we can establish the Panthers as a successful national league club operating from the Fylde Coast. The set-up at the ground is first rate.
Andy Gregory took control of the Panthers in June 2007 when they were bottom of National League Two and had not won for 25 matches. However, Gregory resigned after the club finished the entire season without managing a single win, becoming only the fourth professional sports club to have suffered that fate in the United Kingdom. Former Ireland international, Martin Crompton was appointed as coach at the end of the 2007 season. The club finally ended their losing streak, which had lasted two years and 45 matches, on 6 April 2008, when they beat Workington Town 24-20. They had not won a match since beating Gateshead Thunder 38-36 on 15 July 2006, with the run being made up of 32 National League Two matches, 12 Northern Rail Cup matches and two Carnegie Challenge Cup matches. It was the club's first win under coach Martin Crompton. In May 2008 they won back-to-back matches for only the second time in the club's history, beating Hunslet Hawks and then a week later, seventh-placed Swinton Lions 30-28 prompting Martin Crompton to target the league play-offs saying after the Swinton victory, "The play-offs have always been the goal. That victory was a fantastic achievement against a quality team. Everyone is playing with confidence now.
On 12 July 2009 the Panthers won their first trophy, when they won the inaugural Northern Rail Nines beating Sheffield Eagles 14-10 in the final at Bloomfield Road. The Panthers went on to finish fifth in Championship 1 in 2009, only to lose in the first round of the play-offs.
After the 2009 season, Bobby Hope replaced John Chadwick as club chairman and set the Panthers' sights high for the 2010 campaign, vowing to win the Championship 1 league title. The Panthers finished the season in the play-offs but went into administration in October and had their membership of the RFL cancelled having failed to provide the RFL a financial plan for the upcoming season, and will therefore take no part in the 2011 Co-operative Championship.
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