BLACKPOOL Football Club face Tranmere Rovers in the first round of next year's Worthington Cup competition.

The Seasiders will play host to Tranmere in the first week of the season, probably on Tuesday, August 10.

The away leg at Prenton Park will most likely take place two weeks later on Tuesday, August 24.

Victory over Tranmere could lead to a lucrative cup-tie with a Premiership team.

Premiership clubs not involved in European competition are included in the second round of the draw and the rest enter the tournament in the third.

With manager Nigel Worthington away from Bloomfield Road, no progress has been made in the search for a striker.

But the rumour mill stops for no-one and the latest names said to be attracting interest from Bloomfield Road include Bradley Allen, recently released by Charlton Athletic.

He is said to have written to all North West clubs to alert them to his availability.

Another name still doing the rounds at Blackpool is that of David Lowe, available under the Bosman rule from Wigan.

But the Seasiders have a fight on their hands if they want to sign him - Wigan are offering him a position in their youth team set-up when they move to the JJB Stadium.

Steve Anthrobus has committed himself to Oxford United after negotiations with Blackpool.

The Nationwide League Div 2 fixture list is made public today (June 24) at 10am.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.