The playing staff was strengthened by the arrivals of J. McLelland, Eric Longden, Jack O'Donnell and Jackie Carr, yet the 1930–31 season must go down as one of the most disastrous in the club's history. The players found themselves out of their depth, and proceeded to capitulate to virtually all opposition. In the first game of the season, Arsenal won 4–1 at Bloomfield Road in front of a crowd of nearly 29,000. The team won the following game four days later, 4–2 at Manchester City, but the remaining nine months of the season proved to be a defensive nightmare. Four goals were conceded on five occasions; five goals four times; six goals twice, seven on three occasions, and finally ten without reply against Huddersfield Town, a result that remains a record victory for the Yorkshiremen, as well as Blackpool's joint-record defeat. All told, the Blackpool back line leaked a First Division record of 125 goals and lost 21 games during a season in which they finished twentieth.Calley, Roy (1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992, p. 22
