The headlines around Fleetwood Town are rarely about what happens on the pitch. Noteworthy elements include Jamie Vardy’s celebrated status as a former player, a partnership signed with a team in Uzbekistan and the owner Andrew Pilley resigning in 2023 after being convicted of fraud, for which he was jailed for 13 years. There is often something noteworthy going on in relation to the Fylde coast club.
It is no different this week, although this time football is taking centre stage as Arsenal head to Highbury Stadium on Tuesday for a Carabao Cup fourth-round tie against the League Two side. There is no link to the Gunners’ former home in Islington and the ground is a world away from what the visitors are used to, its capacity a fraction of the Emirates Stadium. The Championship side Sheffield United were deservedly beaten there in the previous round, unable to cope with their opponents or the conditions, but the Cod Army anticipate a sterner test from Mikel Arteta’s aristocrats.
Even against the Blades, the ground was less than half full but Tuesday will bring the venue’s biggest football attendance; the only other time it has sold out was for a fireworks display. The capacity is 5,300 and the stadium has four parking spaces, leaving Arsenal representatives to find alternatives on the street. Fleetwood have a loyal local fanbase and occasions such as this can aid growth.
Since the draw they have sold about an extra 200 season tickets to supporters keen to guarantee a place at the best show in town. He handed the reins to his son Jamie, and some feel Pilley Sr’s absence has left a hole. Away from high-profile managers including Uwe Rösler, Graham Alexander, Charlie Adam, Scott Brown and Joey Barton, a long-term project was growing in the background.
Rösler and Barton were close to leading Fleetwood into the Championship, losing play-off semi-finals in 2016-17 and 2019-20 respectively. Defeat at Exeter last Saturday left the club 18th in League Two. Matt Lawlor, the head coach since January, is an under‑the‑radar figure considering the names of some of his predecessors.
He is a local who spent his playing career in non-league, representing Bamber Bridge for much of it. Lawlor has progressed from hard‑as-nails midfielder to impressive coach, spending time working for Manchester United’s foundation before joining Fleetwood’s respected academy. Regarded as a firefighter, he took charge for caretaker/interim spells at Fleetwood and their Irish sister club, Waterford, in between being part of the staff under Adam and Pete Wild, whom he succeeded.
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