FOR the modern generation of Town and Blackpool fans awaiting Saturday's Coca-Cola I clash, the Premiership is a distant dream.

But turn the clock back 35 years, and both sets of supporters were getting excited at the prospect of promotion to the top flight.

On this weekend in 1969, Ian Greaves' Town side won 3-2 at Hull City to go top of Division II.

Blackpool climbed to fifth after a 1-1 home draw with Bolton.

Leicester, Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Swindon were also in the running.

But it was the Terriers and the Tangerines who finally made it.

They filled the two promotion spots to replace Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday.

The achievements of Greaves' super-fit champions, skippered by Jimmy Nicholson and including the exciting frontline talent of Frank Worthington, are well known to most Town supporters.

But what of the Blackpool side who pipped Leicester by two points to win romotion as runners-up ?

While Town sealed their elevation with a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough on March 31, 1970, it wasn't until April 13 that Blackpool could party.

But it must have been worth the wait, because Fred Pickering's hat trick not only sealed the 3-0 win at Preston which took Blackpool up, but also condemned their arch-rivals from Deepdale to the drop.

A crowd of 35,400 saw Pickering head Blackpool's first after winger Micky Burns crossed.

The one-time England star then then nodded his second from Bill Bentley's centre, before helping a Tommy Hutchison shot over the line to complete the treble and the highlight of his time at Blackpool.

"It was more special because it was Preston," recalled Pickering, who had held talks with Town before electing to go to Blackpool from Birmingham the previous summer.

"There were 20,000 Blackpool supporters there.

"It's always brought up when I go back, and it has to be one of my fondest football memories.

"They'd had so many great players in the past - Matthews and Mortensen - but hadn't done anything for years until we managed to get them back up."

Alas Blackpool, skippered by loyal club man and England defender Jimmy Armfield, lasted just one season at the higher level.

They were relegated with Burnley and have never been back since.

Town dropped back down after two seasons - Nottingham Forest also came through the trapdoor - and like Pool, have never regained that lofty status.