Coyle heads home and is linked to Blackpool again

The former Burnley, Bolton and Wigan manager this week left struggling MLS club Houston Dynamo by mutual consent after 18 months in charge.

And the 49-year-old Scot is anxious to live close to his family again.

This is the fourth time in recent years that Coyle, who led Burnley into the Premier League in 2009, has been linked to the Pool job.

The last occasion was in September 2014, in what was an embarrassing episode even by Blackpool’s standards.

It was revealed that Coyle had been approached by Pool while Jose Riga was still in the manager’s job at Bloomfield Road.

And when the Seasiders turned their attentions to Gary Rowett, who was then in charge of Burton, the Brewers chose to expose Pool’s unwelcome approach in a public statement.

It is believed Pool’s past pursuits of Coyle have failed due his personal terms or support staff requirements.

But having been out of the game for 12 months before moving to the US, Coyle may have lowered his demands and he has been listed among the bookies’ favourites for the job.

Colin Doyle, the Blackpool goalkeeper available for £1, had much more than football on his mind this week.

He was at Chelsea Flower Show, where his five-year-old son’s continuing fight against meningitis was featured.

Doyle’s son Liam was one of four youngsters whose efforts to combat the illness were highlighted by the national charity Meningitis Now.

Images for the four were featured in a highly distinctive cedar wood sculpture by award-winning designer John Everiss.

Pool number one Colin admitted it was a highly-charged moment for him and his family when the monument was unveiled at Britain’s biggest flower show.

Liam was first struck down with bacterial meningitis in 2010, when he was only seven weeks old.

Irishman Colin made 38 appearances during his first season at Bloomfield Road after 15 years at Birmingham.

The 30-year-old hit the headlines earlier this month when it was revealed that a clause in his Seasiders contract could allow a rival team to buy him for a transfer fee of just £1.