2026–27 Blackpool F.C. season
Blackpool 2026–27 football season
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The 2026–27 season is the 118th season in the history of Blackpool Football Club, and their fourth-consecutive season in League One, the third tier of English professional football. In addition to the domestic league, they also participate in the 2026–27 FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the EFL Trophy.
| 2026–27 season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Simon Sadler |
| Manager | Ian Evatt |
| Stadium | Bloomfield Road |
Pre-season friendlies
On 9 June, Pool announced two pre-season fixtures against AFC Fylde and Barrow.[1] Ten days later, a trip to Tranmere Rovers was confirmed.[2] On 26 June, a home friendly versus Port Vale was added.[3]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 11 July 2026 Friendly | AFC Fylde | 2–3 | Blackpool | Medlar-with-Wesham |
| 15:00 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: Mill Farm |
| 18 July 2026 Friendly | Tranmere Rovers | 2–0 | Blackpool | Birkenhead |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Prenton Park |
| 25 July 2026 Friendly | Barrow | 2–0 | Blackpool | Barrow-in-Furness |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Holker Street |
| 29 July 2026 Friendly | Blackpool | 1–1 | Blackburn Rovers | Blackpool |
| 17:30 BST |
|
Report |
|
Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 0 (BCD) |
Competitions
League One
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Leyton Orient | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 7 |
| 11 | Oxford United | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 7 |
| 12 | Blackpool | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 7 |
| 13 | Notts County | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 6 | +1 | 7 |
| 14 | Plymouth Argyle | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 8 | −1 | 7 |
Updated to match(es) played on 10 September 2026. Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[4]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[4]
Results summary
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 7 | +2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | −2 |
Last updated: 5 September 2026.
Source: Soccerway
Matches
On 25 June, the League One fixtures were revealed.[5]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 15 August 2026 1 | Blackpool | 1–1 | Wycombe Wanderers | Blackpool |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 9,911 Referee: Seb Stockbridge |
| 22 August 2026 2 | Stockport County | 1–2 | Blackpool | Edgeley |
| 15:00 BST | Report | Stadium: Edgeley Park Attendance: 9,991 (1,154 away) Referee: Carl Brook |
| 29 August 2026 3 | Blackpool | 4–0 | Peterborough United | Blackpool |
| 12:30 BST | Report | Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 9,327 Referee: Martin Coy | ||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[6] | ||||
| 2 September 2026 4 | Barnsley | 2–1 | Blackpool | Barnsley |
| 19:45 BST | Report | Stadium: Oakwell Referee: Jamie O'Connor | ||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for 1 September, but was pushed back 24-hours.[7] | ||||
| 5 September 2026 5 | Reading | 3–1 | Blackpool | Reading |
| 15:00 BST | Report |
|
Stadium: Select Car Leasing Stadium Attendance: 11,597 Referee: David Rock |
| 12 September 2026 6 | Blackpool | v | Bromley | Blackpool |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 19 September 2026 7 | Blackpool | v | Plymouth Argyle | Blackpool |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 26 September 2026 8 | Notts County | Postponed | Blackpool | Nottingham |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Meadow Lane | |||
| Note: Fixture was postponed due to international call-ups.[8] | ||||
| 3 October 2026 9 | Blackpool | Postponed | Leicester City | Blackpool |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road | |||
| Note: Fixture was postponed due to international call-ups.[8] | ||||
| 10 October 2026 10 | Cambridge United | v | Blackpool | Cambridge |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Cledara Abbey Stadium |
| 17 October 2026 11 | Leyton Orient | v | Blackpool | Leyton |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: BetWright Stadium |
| 20 October 2026 12 | Blackpool | v | Milton Keynes Dons | Blackpool |
| 19:45 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 24 October 2026 13 | Blackpool | v | Mansfield Town | Blackpool |
| 15:00 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 1 November 2026 14 | Sheffield Wednesday | v | Blackpool | Owlerton |
| 14:00 GMT | Stadium: Hillsborough | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for 31 October, but was rescheduled to the following day.[6] | ||||
| 14 November 2026 15 | AFC Wimbledon | v | Blackpool | Wimbledon |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: The Cherry Red Records Stadium |
| 21 November 2026 16 | Blackpool | v | Wigan Athletic | Blackpool |
| 12:30 GMT | Stadium: Bloomfield Road | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for a 15:00 kick-off, but was brought forward for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[9] | ||||
| 28 November 2026 17 | Stevenage | v | Blackpool | Stevenage |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Stevenage FC Stadium |
| 1 December 2026 18 | Blackpool | v | Luton Town | Blackpool |
| 19:45 GMT | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 12 December 2026 19 | Oxford United | v | Blackpool | Littlemore |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: The Kassam Stadium |
| 19 December 2026 20 | Blackpool | v | Burton Albion | Blackpool |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 26 December 2026 21 | Huddersfield Town | v | Blackpool | Huddersfield |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Accu Stadium |
| 29 December 2026 22 | Blackpool | v | Bradford City | Blackpool |
| 19:45 GMT | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 1 January 2027 23 | Blackpool | v | Doncaster Rovers | Blackpool |
| 15:00 GMT | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| 8 January 2027 24 | Burton Albion | v | Blackpool | Burton upon Trent |
| 20:00 GMT | Stadium: Pirelli Stadium | |||
| Note: Fixture was initially scheduled for 9 January, but was brought forward to the night prior for live Sky Sports broadcasting.[9] | ||||
FA Cup
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
EFL Cup
Blackpool were drawn away to Grimsby Town in the first round[10][11] and home to Lincoln City in the second round.[12][13]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 8 August 2026 First round | Grimsby Town | 1–3 | Blackpool | Cleethorpes |
| 15:00 BST |
|
Report | Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 4,817 Referee: Neil Hair |
| 25 August 2026 Second round | Blackpool | 1–4 | Lincoln City | Blackpool |
| 19:45 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 2,407 Referee: Harry Wager |
EFL Trophy
Group stage
Blackpool were drawn against Wigan Athletic, Crewe Alexandra and Aston Villa U21 into Northern Group B.[14]
| Pos | Div | Team | Pld | W | PW | PL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L1 | Wigan Athletic | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | Advance to Round 2 |
| 2 | L1 | Blackpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | L2 | Crewe Alexandra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | ACA | Aston Villa U21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 0 |
Source: EFL
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
| 22 September 2026 Group stage | Wigan Athletic | v | Blackpool | Wigan |
| 19:00 BST | Stadium: Brick Community Stadium |
| 6 October 2026 Group stage | Blackpool | v | Crewe Alexandra | Blackpool |
| 19:00 BST | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
| TBC Group stage | Blackpool | v | Aston Villa U21 | Blackpool |
| TBC | Stadium: Bloomfield Road |
Transfers and contracts
In
| Date | Pos. | Player | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2026[a] | RM |  Ilmari Niskanen |  Exeter City | Free | [15] |
| 21 July 2026 | CM |  Karoy Anderson | Charlton Athletic | Undisclosed | [16] |
| 11 August 2026 | GK |  Luke Southwood | Bristol Rovers | [17] | |
| 26 August 2026 | CB | Josh Earl | Barnsley | [18] |
- The transfer was announced on 27 June, and would become official on July 1 once Niskanen's contract at Exeter City expired.
Loaned in
| Date | Pos. | Player | From | Loaned until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 2026 | CF | Dion Charles | Huddersfield Town | End of Season | [19] |
| 29 July 2026 | RB | Jordan Williams | Portsmouth | [20] | |
| 10 August 2026 | LB | Finley Munroe | Middlesbrough | [21] | |
| 26 August 2026 | CF | Jerry Yates | Luton Town | [22] |
Loaned out
| Date | Pos. | Player | To | Loaned until | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 August 2026 | CF | James Butterworth | Bamber Bridge | 1 January 2027 | [23] |
| 7 August 2026 | CAM | Spencer Knight | Ashton United | [24] | |
| 18 August 2026 | CF | Billy Whaite | Warrington Rylands | 15 September 2026 | [25] |
| 21 August 2026 | CAM | Theo Upton | AFC Fylde | End of Season | [26] |
Out
| Date | Pos. | Player | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 June 2026 | CM | Ryan Finnigan |  Dundee | Undisclosed | [27] |
| 10 August 2026 | GK |  Franco Ravizzoli | Leicester City | Free transfer | [28][29] |
| 1 September 2026 | CF | Kylian Kouassi | Colchester United | Undisclosed | [30] |
Released / out of contract
| Date | Pos. | Player | Subsequent club | Joined date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 June 2026 | CF | Ashley Fletcher | Huddersfield Town | 1 July 2026 | [31][32] |
| LB | James Husband | Doncaster Rovers | [31][33] | ||
| CB | Dan Sassi |  Newport County | [31][34] | ||
| GK | Harvey Bardsley | [31] | |||
| CF | Terry Bondo | Hartlepool United | [31][35] | ||
| LB | Derek Oshodi | [31] | |||
| CDM | Harry Williamson | [31] |
New contract
| Date | Pos. | Player | Contract expiry | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 May 2026 | CB | Oliver Casey | 30 June 2027 | [31] |
| CM | Ryan Finnigan | [31] | ||
| LW |  CJ Hamilton | [31] | ||
| CF | Kylian Kouassi | [31] | ||
| RB | Andy Lyons | [31] | ||
| CM | Albie Morgan | [31] | ||
| 29 May 2026 | GK | Bailey Peacock-Farrell | 30 June 2027[a] | [36] |
| 1 July 2026[b] | GK | Charlie Brier | 30 June 2027[c][a] | [37] |
| GK | Kai Crowe | [37] | ||
| 1 July 2026 | CB | George Elder | 30 June 2028[c][a] | [38] |
| CF | Shay Mannix | [38] |
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- As of match played 5 September 2026
Only players with appearances are included in the list; italics indicate a loaned in player
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | League One | FA Cup | EFL Cup | EFL Trophy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK | NIR |
Bailey Peacock-Farrell | 7 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | IRL |
Andy Lyons | 4 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | WAL |
Zac Ashworth | 4 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ENG |
Oliver Casey | 7 | 0 | 5+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 6 | MF | ENG |
Jordan Brown | 3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG |
Leighton Clarkson | 7 | 2 | 1+4 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 8 | MF | ENG |
Albie Morgan | 6 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG |
Niall Ennis | 1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | ENG |
George Honeyman | 6 | 0 | 4+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | ENG |
Josh Bowler | 7 | 3 | 5+0 | 2 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | ENG |
Jerry Yates | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | ENG |
Tom Bloxham | 6 | 1 | 3+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | ENG |
Hayden Coulson | 4 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | JAM |
Karoy Anderson | 6 | 1 | 5+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | NIR |
Dion Charles | 5 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | FIN |
Ilmari Niskanen | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | IRL |
CJ Hamilton | 6 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 26 | DF | ENG |
Finley Munroe | 6 | 1 | 2+3 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | ENG |
Jordan Williams | 7 | 1 | 5+0 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | ENG |
Josh Earl | 2 | 0 | 2+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 |
| Players who featured but departed the club permanently during the season: | |||||||||||||
| 27 | FW | ENG |
Kylian Kouassi | 4 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+0 | 0 | 0+2 | 1 | 0+0 | 0 |