Having stayed in the Championship on the final day of the last season by just two points, Blackpool and their supporters would have been hoping that the 2014-15 campaign would see some progress made.
However, the Tangerines endured a horrendous season which began to unravel even before a ball was kicked, as manager Jose Riga had only eight players on the books just two weeks before the campaign began.
Riga was forced to cobble together a side based on loans and free transfers, which led him to question chairman Karl Oyston's commitment to signing new players.
After 14 games, Blackpool were bottom of the table and Riga lost his job. Lee Clark, who led Birmingham City to a miraculous final-day survival the previous season, was installed as the Belgian's successor three days later. However, Clark could not instigate a turnaround, winning just three of his 32 league games as Blackpool finished bottom and were relegated to League One.
The campaign took place against a backdrop of increasing unrest from the fans towards Oyston, as they became disillusioned with the way they felt that the club was being run.
Clark, too, left Bloomfield Road after relegation, meaning that new manager Neil McDonald will be leading the Lancashire side in the third tier next season.
Five key results
Blackpool 1-0 Cardiff City, October 3, 2014: Blackpool had to wait until October - and their 11th game of the season - before registering their first win in the Championship. The Tangerines claimed all three points and moved off the bottom of the table courtesy of a second-half strike from Francois Zoko. However, it did not inspire an improvement in form as three successive defeats followed, which spelled the end of Riga's reign.
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Blackpool 1-0 Birmingham City, December 6, 2014: Clark took three points from his first five games in charge, with his first win coming in his sixth match at the helm against former side Birmingham. Despite being second best for most of the match, Blackpool took the lead in the second half through Steven Davies and held on to their lead, moving themselves to within eight points of safety as a result.
Watford 7-2 Blackpool, January 24, 2015: Clark was left tearing his hair out as Blackpool surrendered a two-goal lead at Watford in spectacular fashion at Vicarage Road. Andrea Orlandi opened the scoring for the visitors in the eighth minute and Davies doubled it just before the break, with Blackpool looking on course for a shock victory over the promotion-chasing Hornets. However, the hosts produced seven goals in just over 30 second-half minutes to shatter the hopes of the Seasiders, with Odion Ighalo bagging four of them.
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Blackpool 1-0 Brighton & Hove Albion, 31 January, 2015: Blackpool quickly resolved their defensive fragility after the Watford game, as a week later they kept a clean sheet in a crucial home victory over fellow strugglers Brighton. They had to wait until the 75th minute before breaking the deadlock, but it was worth waiting for as Jamie O'Hara curled a free kick into the top corner of the net from distance. While the win left Clark's men nine points adrift of Brighton in 21st place, it suggested that they might just pull off a great escape.
Blackpool 0-0 Huddersfield Town, May 4, 2015: Blackpool's relegation to League One was confirmed with six games remaining, and supporters, dismayed with how the club was being run, began to aim their criticism at Karl Oyston. This came to a head on the final day of the season at the home match against Huddersfield Town. With the score goalless in the 48th minute, hundreds of fans invaded the pitch at Bloomfield Road to vent their frustration at Oyston, who was sat in the directors' box. The game was held up for more than an hour before the fixture was called off. The Football League later ruled that the 0-0 scoreline should stand as the official result.
Best Player - Jamie O'Hara
Former Tottenham Hotspur man O'Hara is one of the few players to come out of Blackpool's season with any credit. The midfielder provided rare creativity to a side that sorely lacked the quality needed to compete in the Championship. O'Hara contributed two goals and eight assists from his 26 league appearances.
His experience, graft and technical ability in the middle of the park earned him praise from the Blackpool fans, who voted him their Player of the Season.
Most Improved Player - Joe Lewis
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The Cardiff City goalkeeper moved to Bloomfield Road on a season-long loan deal in August after finding first-team opportunities limited in South Wales, and was immediately thrown into the Blackpool side due to their player shortage. Despite the team conceding on average more than two goals per game, Lewis performed admirably throughout the season and had it not been for him, they could have topped 100 in the goals against column.
Best Signing - Darren O'Dea
When you consider that Blackpool signed a staggering 42 players over the course of the season, it is perhaps difficult to pin one of them down as the best signing, even more so when only seven players featured in 20 games or more. We have already touched on the contribution of O'Hara, who was a fine capture by Clark, but an honourable mention should also go to Darren O'Dea, who helped to improve the backline after he arrived in January.
Best Goal - Jamie O'Hara vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
As mentioned earlier, O'Hara gave Blackpool a huge win over relegation rivals Brighton at the end of January with a fine free kick. From 25 yards out, the midfielder bent the ball into the far corner of the net beyond the reach of David Stockdale.
Must Do Better - Nile Ranger
The controversial forward has been offered a new deal at Bloomfield Road for next season, which surprised some Blackpool fans given his situation over the past six months. The 24-year-old went AWOL after being left out of the squad to face Birmingham City in early December, claiming that he had to return to London due to "family issues". In late January, Blackpool began to fine the player for each day that he was absent.
However, he is an effective player at League One level and the Tangerines clearly believe that he is worth persisting with. He now has the opportunity to resurrect his career and if he can finally get his head down and concentrate on his football, he could be an important part of Blackpool's future.
End-of-season grade: F
This has been one of the worst seasons in Blackpool's history. On a few occasions they looked as though they were on the brink of pulling off a miracle escape, but realistically, they were always fighting a losing battle.
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The supporters will be hoping that a new manager and a new division will begin an upturn in form, but much rests on Oyston and the investment he is willing to put into the side. If they repeat the same mistakes of this season, though, successive relegations could be on the cards.
Steven Toplis
