Blackpool FC coach discusses reunion with former teammates as he makes Steve Bruce admission

Stephen Dobbie states there’s a determination among the Blackpool backroom staff to replicate their success at Bloomfield Road as players in their coaching roles.

The retired forward enjoyed four separate loan stints with the Seasiders, and was part of the squad that clinched promotion to the Premier League in 2010.

After hanging up his boots, the 43-year-old returned to Squires Gate in 2022 to work with the club’s academy, but has since progressed to a first-team role, as well as taking interim charge on two occasions.

Dobbie was reunited with a couple of fellow Championship play-off winners back in October, with Ian Evatt returning to Blackpool as head coach, with Stephen Crainey joining him as his assistant.

The Queen of the South legend has enjoyed working with his former teammates again, and believes the club can bounce back from a disappointing 2025/26 League One campaign.

“I’ve known the gaffer for a long time, and achieved with him and Crains (Stephen Crainey),” he said.

“We’ve got Banksy (Steve Banks) who does a lot for the club as well, and the analyst lads. Even though we’ve been off, we’ve been working hard for that first day of pre-season.

“We’ve got a very good backroom staff, and we always thought we would get out of the situation we were in last season.

“Some injuries to important players didn’t help, but we managed to put a run of wins together at the end to get us up the table, and now it’s about looking forward to getting back to work.

“You want to work with people you trust every day. You’ve got to have the right people, and people who work in the way the manager wants to, with the sense of how he wants his team to look out on the pitch.

“It’s great we know the club, and played for it, but we want to achieve something as coaches, and that’s the most important thing.

“The playing side is behind us, that’s the past, but we now want to create history in the upcoming season.”

Dobbie’s initial step up to permanent first-team coach at Bloomfield Road came under Steve Bruce.

After previously working with the Seasiders academy over several years, alongside a stint in interim charge, the 43-year-old was promoted under the experienced manager.

Despite an initial bright start to Bruce’s reign, things went sour at the start of last season, with his departure coming in October.

“You always learn things from different coaches - whether that’s good things or things they’re trying to get across that you’d do in a different way,” Dobbie added.

“You’re always learning. Steve (Bruce) had 1,000 odd games under his belt. Whether we were on the field or off the field, we were always sitting in the coach’s room learning.

“There might be little things you write down that you think are really good and you could take on yourself.

“I loved Steve, he was a great guy, and Aggers (Steve Agnew) was really great as well; it just didn’t work out.

“We’re now looking to a brighter start to the season this time.”