Ian Evatt Appointed Manager of Blackpool FC
Blackpool FC, currently struggling in League One, has appointed former Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
The 43-year-old Evatt returns to management after leaving Bolton in January, where he spent four and a half years. He takes over from Steve Bruce, who was dismissed earlier this month.
Blackpool currently sits at the bottom of the third tier, having accumulated just nine points from 13 matches.
In a statement on the club's website, Evatt expressed his emotions about returning, saying, "It’s incredibly emotional to return here and to be given this opportunity. I know firsthand what this club and its supporters can achieve together. We all want to see fearless attacking football where Bloomfield Road is a really tough place for any team to play."
Evatt's first match in charge will be against fellow relegation battlers Peterborough on Saturday. He previously made 254 appearances for Blackpool during his playing career.
Evatt began his managerial journey with Barrow in June 2018, following a brief stint as caretaker at Chesterfield the previous season. He successfully led Barrow to promotion to the English Football League after the Covid-affected 2019-20 season before taking over at Bolton in the summer of 2020.
Despite a rocky start, Evatt guided Bolton back to League One in his first season with a third-place finish. The team reached the play-offs in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons but fell short of promotion, losing to Oxford United in the League One play-off final in May 2024. His tenure ended in January 2023 after a difficult start to the season.
Blackpool's performance under Bruce had been disappointing, with the team losing seven out of 11 league matches before his departure, leaving them second from the bottom of the table. Stephen Dobbie has taken temporary charge and managed to secure one win from three games across all competitions, but the team has not won in the league since defeating Barnsley 1-0 on September 20.
Dobbie and Steve Banks will continue on the coaching staff, while Evatt will be supported by former Blackpool teammate Stephen Crainey.