Robert Raikes' House In 1772, he moved into the house to live with his family. Robert Raikes was a promoter of the Sunday school movement, he held Sunday school sessions in the houses garden and Roberts wife used to serve plum cake to the children. After his death, it was again used as a merchants house and shop. There were minor alterations made to the building throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1952, the building was grade II listed. In 1973, the Dirty Duck restaurant opened on the site later becoming the Golden Cross public house in 1975. In 2006, Samuel Smiths
Raikes Hall match at the ground was a 5–0 win against Burton Wanderers on 19 September 1896, with 3,000 spectators present. The record League crowd of 5,000 was set for a game against Newton Heath on 17 October 1896, and equalled for games against Grimsby Town on 1 January 1897 and Darwen on 16 April in the same year. During Blackpool's first season in the Football League, it became clear that Raikes Hall needed to be upgraded. The club moved to the Athletic Grounds for the start of the 1897–88 season to allow works to be undertaken at Raikes Hall. However, with