Manchester City. Liverpool. Manchester United. And… Blackpool?

Manchester City. Liverpool. Manchester United.

And Blackpool?!

What do those four clubs have in common?

They are the only four UK clubs to have had a player win the men’s Ballon d’Or while representing them.

And Blackpool didn’t merely sneak onto that rather extraordinary list.

Sir Stanley Matthews was the very first player ever to win the Ballon d’Or, taking the inaugural award in 1956 while playing for Blackpool FC.

Not bad company for the Seasiders.

Manchester United went on to produce a remarkable collection of winners: Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best and, decades later, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Liverpool joined the list when Michael Owen won the award in 2001.

And Manchester City became the fourth UK club on that list when Rodri won the Ballon d’Or in 2024.

So there it is:

Manchester City.Liverpool.Manchester United.Blackpool.

One of those names might look slightly surprising alongside three of the biggest clubs in modern world football.

But perhaps it shouldn’t.

Sir Stanley Matthews was one of the great figures in the history of the game. He played until the age of 50, represented England for more than two decades and became football’s first knight while still an active player.

And when France Football created an award in 1956 to recognise Europe’s outstanding footballer, the first name engraved on it was his.

Stanley Matthews. Blackpool Football Club.

Nearly three-quarters of a century later, Blackpool still sit in a remarkably exclusive

group.

Credit where it’s due

I came across this particular four-club statistic after watching a recent Lee Charles TV video filmed at the newly opened The Ballon D’Or on Lytham Road, Blackpool.

The good folk at The Ballon D’Or were discussing Sir Stanley and his unique place in the history of the award, and the fact that Blackpool remain part of such an exclusive group immediately caught my attention.

So a genuine thank-you to them for highlighting it.

And a big thank-you to Lee Charles TV for producing the video where I discovered it.

I’ve followed Lee’s work for some time and, in my opinion, Lee Charles TV is the best Blackpool FC fan channel on YouTube. His videos are entertaining, informative and produced by somebody who genuinely cares about the club and its supporters.

If you follow Blackpool — or simply enjoy genuine supporter-led football content — head over to Lee Charles TV, watch a video or two and, if you enjoy them, give the channel a like, share and subscribe.

And if you’re in Blackpool, you can always take your Ballon d’Or research one step further and call into The Ballon D’Or on Lytham Road yourself.

Football has a very long memory. And occasionally, tucked amongst some of the biggest names in world football, you find a reminder of just how special Blackpool FC’s history really is.

Want to talk? Call WFS on +44 7303 248033 or email rob@wernickfootballsolutions.com