Opposition Lowdown: Ian Evatt’s Midtable Blackpool
The curtain falls on Reading’s 2025/26 this Saturday, with a home game against Blackpool, after which the Royals could finish anywhere from ninth to 12th. Join us as we take a closer look at the opposition.
Blackpool’s Ashley Fletcher / | Getty Images Form Blackpool finished ninth in League One last season, two places and eight points behind Reading. This season marks their third straight season in the third tier, having been relegated alongside the Royals in 2023. They will face another season in League One next campaign, currently sitting 14th in the league, four places and six points behind Reading.
Their recent form however has been strong, winning four out of their last five matches, and they into this weekend’s game off the back of a 1-0 home win against relegation-battling Leyton Orient. The two sides faced each other back in November, with Reading claiming an impressive 0-3 away win after goals from Kamari Doyle, Lewis Wing and Randell Williams. The boss Ian Evatt: Evatt was appointed Blackpool manager in October last year, taking over from Steve Bruce, who spent a year in charge of the Tangerines.
The former centre-back had a 19-year playing career, representing the likes of Derby County, Chesterfield, Queens Park Rangers and Blackpool. After ending his career at Chesterfield, he took on his first full-time managerial role at National League side Barrow. He guided the club back to the Football League after winning the title in the 2019/20 season that was cut short due to Covid-19.
Evatt left the club that summer when he was appointed manager of Bolton Wanderers. He guided Bolton back to League One in his first season in charge, securing automatic promotion after a third-place finish in League Two. Evatt spent four and a half years in charge of the Trotters, before leaving by mutual consent in January last year.