Evatt is your number one

Over the last three weeks you’ve been voting for your BFC player of the year and there is a resounding winner in defender Ian Evatt.

The big centre back took a massive 48 per cent of the vote and is well deserving of his win. Evo has been a virtual ever-present in the back four since his arrival from QPR in August 2006. After winning promotion to The Championship Evatt has continued to excel especially since the departures of Michael Jackson and Kaspars Gorkss, key defenders from last season.

He has consistently produced solid displays this term alongside Rob Edwards at the heart of the Pool defence. He scored his first goal of the campaign in the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October.

Paul Rachubka was Evatt’s closest challenger to the gong on 16 per cent. The keeper has once more proved to be Pool’s number one in 2008. His form in December was particularly impressive as his shot stopping kept Blackpool in many matches including the goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.

In third place was Liam Dickinson. Despite playing only a handful of games in a month’s loan spell from Derby the striker made an immediate impression in a Tangerine shirt. He came off the bench at Plymouth with 12 minutes remaining. Dickinson scored twice to turn the game on its head to secure a vital win for a Blackpool side that had lost its previous four matches. Liam then scored another brace in his home debut to sweep aside Charlton. After Derby split with their manager Paul Jewell, Dickinson was recalled to Pride Park.

After a year of consolidation in 2008, let’s hope for continued success on and off the pitch for 2009.