Amongst all the Champions League action this week, there was some domestic cup action taking place as well.
The Football League Trophy; known as the Bristol Street Motors Trophy this season, saw it’s last four remaining sides compete this week for a place in the final at Wembley.
On Tuesday night Blackpool hosted Peterborough United. The Posh are managed by Darren Ferguson who aside from his four, yes four separate spells as manager there, was in charge of Preston North End for a year.
Fergie Jnr’s spell at Deepdale won’t be remembered well, as he took charge of the first five months of the 2010/2011 season which eventually saw us relegated from the Championship despite Phil Brown trying to rescue a sinking ship.
At the time, Ferguson’s appointment seemed promising, as in his first job, he had guided Peterborough to back-to-back promotions into the Championship. He joined in January 2010, after Preston had parted company with Alan Irvine the month before. The season before Irvine had led Preston to the Championship play-offs; the last time we achieved that feat at this level.
Fergie of course used his links to Manchester United via his father, and an early signing was Danny Welbeck. The following season saw Preston sign Matty James, Richie De Laet and Josh King all on loan. However despite a memorable 6-4 win away to Leeds United, Preston were languishing at the wrong end of the table and at the end of the year, the decision was taken to sack Ferguson.
This was obviously not a decision welcomed by his father, who called back the United trio but he also reportedly instructed Tony Pulis; manager at Stoke City at the time, to cancel the loan deals involving Michael Tonge and Danny Pugh. Safe to say this left a bitter taste in the mouth.
Ferguson was to return to Peterborough a month later, gaining promotion once again to the Championship later that season. They lasted two seasons back at that level before being relegated, and in 2015 Ferguson joined Doncaster Rovers.
Relegation at Doncaster was followed by promotion back to League One, before he returned to Peterborough once more. He would go on to gain his fourth promotion with the club before resigning in 2022 as relegation loomed.
However he joined once again midway through last season, taking them to the play-offs where they blew a 4-0 first leg lead over Sheffield Wednesday.
This season they have managed to ensure a trip to Wembley though. They comfortably beat Blackpool 3-0 on Tuesday night, and will face Wycombe Wanderers in the final, after they knocked out Graham Alexander’s Bradford City.
It may not be their only trip to Wembley, with Ferguson chasing another promotion with Peterborough. They are currently in sixth place in League One, ten points off the automatic places. Blackpool are six points further back in eighth place, with a top six finish still a possibility.