Blackpool Blog

Transfer news

Ashton Bayliss has joined Burscough on loan until the end of the season. The young defender will be hoping for some first team football with the Blue Square North side.

Meanwhile teenage striker Danny Mitchley has moved to Southport on loan. Mitchley will remain with the Conference North side until the end of the season.


Blackpool beat the transfer deadline on Thursday afternoon to capture two more players. Simon Walton has signed on loan from fellow Championship side Plymouth. The 21-year-old can play at centre back, right back and in the middle of midfield. Despite his young age Walton has been something of a journeyman having spells with Leeds, Charlton and QPR as well as loan stints with Hull, Cardiff and Ipswich. His last appearance for Plymouth came in a 2-0 defeat at Charlton on Valentines Day. Walton will have to wait to make his debut as he can`t play when Plymouth visit Pool next Saturday.

Oldham`s Lee Hughes has joined Blackpool on loan for the remainder of the season, becoming Pool`s 21 st loan signing of the season. The 32-year-old has banged in 18 goals for the Latics in League One this year and he will bolster Tony Parkes` attacking options for the final six games.

Striker Ben Burgess has signed a new 12 month contract with the option of another year with Blackpool. The birdman joined Pool in 2006 from Hull City and has become an integral part of the squad since Pool`s promotion to the Championship. This is great news for Ben and the club, especially with the joint top scorer this season on his way back to full fitness.

Injured troops step up fitness battle

Blackpool`s injured players are making strides toward full fitness ahead of next week`s crunch clash with Plymouth. Danny Coid, Ian Evatt, Ben Burgess and Steve McPhee could all be in contention as well as David Vaughan for the visit of the Pilgrims. Gary Taylor-Fletcher is unlikely to be ready in time.

Best thread on the forum

Suffolknwot makes no bones about it – crap pitch to blame! This provoked many comments about the state of the Bloomfield Road surface, which, it has to be said, yet again is in a poor condition. Lots of sand is not hiding the bobbles and playing passing football is a near impossibility. The pitch had been holding up quite well I thought until the last month or so when it has deteriorated rapidly.