Lights, Cameras, Action as Blackpool hit the Premiership

Posted by Cathal Breathnach on August 4, 2010 | No Comments

Well here we are on the cusp of a new Premiership season and as always there are a few new faces in among the usual Premiership suspects. This year it is Newcastle, West Brom and Blackpool who will be playing their footie in the top flight after plying their trade in the Championship last season. Of course the Magpies and the Baggies will be familiar to most Premiership fans as they have only spent one season away before bouncing back – Newcastle winning the Championship and West Brom finishing as runners up. So for those two clubs the Premiership is familiar territory.

For Blackpool, however, the story could not be more different. The little Lancashire club have never played in the Premiership and have not been in the top flight of English football for nearly forty years. The transition to the Premiership is likely to be a lot trickier for them.

Credit where credit is due though, manager Ian Holloway has done wonders with the club since taking charge in May 2009 and the Tangerine’s surprised many people with a hard fought campaign last season that was enough to get them a place in the play-offs. They beat Cardiff in the final of the play-offs to book their place among the ManU’s and the Chelski’s. They actually finished in sixth place in the Championship but it was enough to get them into the play-offs where they have a unique record of finding success. The club has now managed to battle its way through all three tiers of the League by way of the play-off system.

Blackpool kick-off their campaign with a visit to Wigan’s DW Stadium on the opening Saturday of the season. The online betting odds on them winning are 16/5 and an away victory in their opening match would be the sort of dream start that their fans will be hoping for. The game was due to be played at Bloomfield Road but due to the extensive building works being undertaken the Premier League agreed to the game being switched to Wigan’s ground.

Whether the club can survive in the Premiership is something that only time will tell. Looking at the odds being given by football betting websites it is clear that Blackpool are considered the most likely team to be relegated at the end of the season. 2/7 on is being quoted. Whether the club can defy the odds and retain their Premiership status remains to be seen.

This article was written by Totesport for Football Corner.

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