Football Season Guide

There has been an air of negativity surrounding Blackpool ever since their brief top flight stay at the start of the decade and one could be forgiven for thinking that the Tangerines would continue falling down the Football League pyramid after they suffered their second consecutive relegation in 2016. However, they went on to regroup and enjoy a decent League Two campaign, finishing seventh in a dramatic end to the league and then going on to book their promotion via the play-offs. This was a decent achievement for the club who are still surrounded by controversy, with some of the minority shareholders being in a middle of a dispute with the Oyston family who own the club. It has been no secret that Blackpool's financial state has been dire for years now and it is hardly a surprise that the Tangerines have had another rather turbulent summer, with numerous regulars leaving and several players joining, most of which have limited League One experience. However, there are exceptions, with the likes of Peter Hartley, Ben Williams, Jimmy Ryan and Max Clayton being among those who are proven players at this level. What is also clear is that the Tangerines have really taken their time bringing in signings, as evidenced by the fact that they have signed as many as four players between July the 19th and the publishing of this Season Guide. What distinguishes Blackpool from most of the other sides that win promotion through the play-offs is that most of their players actually do have experience of playing at this level, with their squad mostly consisting of players who failed to become regulars for other League One clubs. Having said that, their squad certainly does seem weaker than most others in the division and, with their boss Gary Bowyer openly stating recently that there is not a lot of money available to spend, the situation in this regard is unlikely to improve too much. There is, of course, no way to say whether or not Blackpool will manage to avoid a swift return to the fourth tier. Given their on and off-pitch situation, it will be a real surprise if they manage to avoid relegation comfortably.