'For too long' - Ian Evatt makes pledge to Blackpool fans after Wycombe Wanderers win

Ian Evatt is determined to bring back the good times to Bloomfield Road after experiencing some tough periods throughout his first season as Blackpool head coach.

The 44-year-old, who was appointed by the Seasiders back in October, knows what it’s like to enjoy success in Tangerine, having won two promotions in Tangerine during his playing days.

In the last few years, the Fylde Coast outfit have found themselves stuck in League One following their relegation from the Championship in 2023.

It had been hoped that this season would see the club compete for promotion, but the campaign ultimately ended up being about fighting relegation.

Evatt took over the manager’s role with Blackpool lingering in the bottom four. After initially guiding them back up the table after an unbeaten December, a dip of form post Christmas made the job about firefighting again.

A recent run of 16 points from their last seven games have pulled the club out of the bottom four once again, with six points and five places now separating them from Exeter City in the final relegation spot.

Following Saturday’s 1-0 victory away to Wycombe Wanderers, Evatt said: “This isn’t just about me, the staff or the players - it’s about the fans as well. For too long we haven’t been good enough as a football club. We want to bring back the good times, we want to bring back happiness, we want to bring back success.

“I know what it means to that fanbase, and when we’ve needed them the most, they’ve been there for me and they’ve been there for the players - I can’t thank them enough for that.

“At times in my tenure we’ve shown enough to be confident about us moving forwards. You can never take this game for granted, nothing is given.

“There’s no entitlement in football where you should do it because of the players you’re signing or the type of club you are - you have to earn every little thing in football. At times we’ve not done that well enough this season, but we won’t let it happen again.”

Evatt is hoping his side can reward the Blackpool faithful for their support with a strong performance against Leyton Orient on Saturday afternoon to mathematically get the job done.

“We want to put on a performance for our fans,” he added.

“They’ve been there for us - we know that, and we thank them for that. I’m extremely grateful for that.

“We want to go there and make sure we finish the job on our patch at our stadium - we’ve got the opportunity next Saturday so we’re looking forward to that.”

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