Blackpool SLO column: Hoping for one final twist in the story of this season

It is a must-win game and head coach Neil Critchley, speaking at the end-of-season awards dinner on Tuesday night, was forthright in saying Blackpool have to go for it.

The maths are simple. We need the three points and we need two out of Barnsley, Lincoln City and Oxford United not to win.

I don’t know what odds that makes but the Seasiders are the form team right now and the last day of the season has a habit of throwing up some surprise results, so fingers crossed.

Blackpool fans making the early start down to Reading – it’s a 12.30pm kick-off – will bring a sea of tangerine to the Select Car Leasing Stadium and will be loud and proud in their support of the team.

For those of you not making the trip, the game is being streamed live on the club’s Tangerine TV channel.

If, by three o’clock, we’ve secured a top-six finish, then our campaign continues and who knows where it might end? We are, after all, the ‘play-off kings’.

Returning to the end-of-season awards dinner, it was maybe no surprise that Kaddy Dembele scooped the lion’s share of awards; not only supporters’ player of the season and young Seasiders’ player of the season, but the playing squad’s nomination for player of the season as well.

He has been an electrifying talent to watch. What chance of making his loan a permanent signing over the summer?

Personally I’d say the same about Jordan Rhodes, who picked up the golden boot award as top scorer. Just think of where we might have finished if he’d not been out injured for the last few months!

Our two other loan players, George Byers and Hayden Coulson, have also performed really well for the Seasiders.

If they are still with us come August, that would be excellent. If not, thanks lads and the best of luck in your careers.

By the way, the same vote of thanks goes to our regular first-team squad for finishing what has, admittedly, been a patchy season with such a strong run.

As with the displays at Pompey and against Forest in the FA Cup, that first-half display against Barnsley last Saturday will live long in the memory. Good luck tomorrow, I know you’ll do us proud.

Thank you to everyone who responded to the club’s recent fans survey; your feedback will be analysed and used as input into shaping how the club develops the matchday experience over the coming season.

Continuous improvement is the goal, regardless of which division we find ourselves in.

Finally, let me remind you that if any fan wishes to contact me for any reason at all, my email is [email protected] and my mobile number is on the club website.

You might also like to follow @bfcslo on Facebook and X.

UTMP!