The Game
Blackpool v Argyle. Bloomfield Road. Saturday, 14 February. 3pm. Sky Bet League One.
The Opposition
Blackpool are 17th in League One, on 33 points. They have nine wins, six draws and 15 defeats from their 30 games. They are one place behind Argyle, with four fewer points.
The Seasiders began their season with just two wins in their opening 14 games and, towards the end of that sequence, sacked manager Steve Bruce, who was replaced by Ian Evatt.
Evatt’s arrival coincided with an upturn in form; his first league game in charge was a win at Peterborough United, and Blackpool won six of Evatt’s first ten games in the role, including a festive sequence of victories over Wigan Athletic, Doncaster Rovers and Rotherham United, keeping clean sheets in each.
However, so far in 2026, Blackpool have one win, one draw and five defeats. After three losses in a row to start the year, they beat Northampton Town at home, then lost at Stockport County and Luton Town before their most recent game, a 2-2 draw with Huddersfield Town.
The Gaffer
Ian Evatt, 44, returned to Blackpool in October to take the manager’s job at a club for whom he played over 250 games.
Evatt’s playing career began at Derby County, with a loan to Northampton Town, before a move to Chesterfield. He then went to Queens Park Rangers and, while at QPR, had a loan at Blackpool which turned into a permanent deal in January 2007. Six-and-a-half years later, having been a Blackpool regular, including when they were in the Premier League, he moved back to Chesterfield for the final five seasons of his career.
He was briefly caretaker manager at Chesterfield, but took a permanent roie in charge of Barrow in 2018, and took the Cumbrian side into the EFL for the first time in nearly 50 years. His work at Barrow attracted the attention of Bolton Wanderers, who were then near the bottom of League Two. A remarkable turnaround took the Trotters to third, and Bolton were promoted in 2020/21.
Over the next few seasons, Bolton finished ninth, fifth and third, twice getting into the League One play-offs, and once reaching the final, but they lost out to Oxford United. Evatt left by mutual consent in January 2025.
The Squad
Blackpool’s leading goalscorer is Ashley Fletcher (below), who has 13 goals from 28 games in the league this season. That tally rises to 19 in 34 in all competitions. Fletcher, 30, began his career at Manchester United, leaving to join West Ham United, but it was at Middlesbrough where he started to get regular, Championship football. He moved to Watford, but played sparingly, instead heading to New York Red Bulls, Wigan Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday on loan, before landing at Blackpool in the summer of 2024. His 11 goals last season earned him Player of the Year status, and he has already eclipsed his tally this time round.
Defender Oliver Casey has made 28 league starts this season, more than any other Blackpool outfield player. The 25-year-old central defender started at hometown club Leeds United but, after failing to break through at Elland Road, he moved to Blackpool in 2021. He had a loan at Forest Green Rovers in 2022/23, and then established himself at Blackpool during the following campaign. He has been a regular ever since.
Casey is likely to be part of a back three with Michael Ihiekwe at the centre. Ihiekwe signed for Blackpool in the summer, having been at Sheffield Wednesday for three seasons. Prior to that, the defender, now 33, had played over 100 times for both Rotherham United and Tranmere Rovers.
Previous meeting
Earlier this season, Argyle beat Blackpool 1-0 at Home Park. It was the Pilgrims’ first win of 2025/26, and it came via a goal from Malachi Boateng, his first for the Greens.
A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their black away kit for this game.
Argyle TV
From this weekend, our match-day coverage on Argyle TV will look different. We will be extending our pre-match build-up, with an hour-long pre-match show, live on YouTube and Argyle TV from 2pm.
Erin Black will be joined by Marc Edworthy for that pre-match show, before handing over to the stadium for live commentary from Rob McNichol and former Argyle midfielder David Norris.
Match passes to watch this game are available overseas. CLICK HERE for more information.
