# 2008–09 Blackpool F.C. season

The 2008–09 season was Blackpool F.C.'s 101st season (98th consecutive) in the Football League. It was also their second consecutive season in the Championship, the second tier of English football. They finished sixteenth.
D. J. Campbell, on loan from Leicester City, was the club's top scorer, with nine goals overall.
Simon Grayson resigned as manager on 23 December, to become the new manager of Leeds United. His assistant, Tony Parkes, took over as caretaker manager (his seventh such appointment), until the end of the season.

## First-team squad

    Squad at end of season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | USA | Paul Rachubka |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Danny Coid |
| 3 | DF | SCO | Stephen Crainey |
| 4 | MF | ENG | Keith Southern |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Marlon Broomes |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Ian Evatt |
| 7 | FW | IRL | Roy O'Donovan (on loan from Sunderland) |
| 8 | MF | SCO | Stephen McPhee |
| 9 | FW | ENG | DJ Campbell (on loan from Leicester City) |
| 10 | MF | ENG | Stuart Green |
| 11 | MF | WAL | David Vaughan |
| 12 | FW | ENG | Gary Taylor-Fletcher |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Mark Halstead |
| 14 | MF | ENG | David Fox |
| 15 | DF | ENG | Alex Baptiste |
| 16 | MF | FRO | Claus Bech Jørgensen |
| 17 | MF | ENG | Jermaine Wright |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Joe Martin |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Wade Small (on loan from Sheffield Wednesday) |
| 21 | GK | ENG | Matt Gilks |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Graeme Owens (on loan from Middlesbrough) |
| 24 | DF | WAL | Rob Edwards |
| 25 | DF | ENG | Shaun Barker |
| 26 | MF | SCO | Charlie Adam (on loan from Rangers) |
| 27 | FW | IRL | Ben Burgess |
| 28 | MF | IRL | Alan Mahon (on loan from Burnley) |
| 39 | MF | ENG | Matty Kay |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Ashton Bayliss |
| 31 | FW | ENG | Danny Mitchley |
| 33 | FW | ENG | Brett Ormerod |
| 34 | MF | BEL | Francesco Carratta |
| 35 | FW | ENG | Lee Hughes (on loan from Oldham Athletic) |
| 37 | MF | ENG | Simon Walton (on loan from Plymouth Argyle) |

### Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Adam Hammill (on loan from Liverpool) |
| 19 | FW | ENG | Steve Kabba (on loan from Watford) |
| 19 | FW | HUN | Krisztián Németh (on loan from Liverpool) |
| 20 | DF | GUI | Mo Camara (on loan from Derby County) |
| 20 | MF | ENG | Kyel Reid (on loan from West Ham United) |
| 20 | FW | ENG | Nick Blackman (on loan from Blackburn Rovers) |
| 22 | DF | PAK | Zesh Rehman (on loan from Queens Park Rangers) |
| 23 | FW | WAL | Daniel Nardiello (on loan to Hartlepool United) |
| 26 | FW | ENG | Sone Aluko (on loan from Birmingham City) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 26 | MF | SCO | Alan Gow (on loan from Rangers) |
| 28 | MF | CAN | Michael D'Agostino (on loan to Hereford United) |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Paul Marshall (on loan from Manchester City) |
| 32 | MF | ENG | Ross Lloyd (to Burscough) |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Dominic Merella (to Burscough) |
| 34 | MF | ENG | Lee Hendrie (on loan from Sheffield United) |
| 35 | FW | ENG | Liam Dickinson (on loan from Derby County) |
| 36 | GK | IRL | Graham Stack (on loan from Plymouth Argyle) |
| 37 | DF | IRL | Ian Harte (on loan from Carlisle United) |

## Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 14 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 42 | 53 | −11 | 58 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 52 | 55 | −3 | 56 |
| 16 | Blackpool | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 56 |
| 17 | Coventry City | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 54 |
| 18 | Derby County | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 54 |
* ↑ Crystal Palace were give a one-point deduction for using an ineligible player during a match against Sheffield United on 3 May 2009.

## Season proper
### Football League Championship
#### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 14 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 17 | 7 | 22 | 42 | 53 | −11 | 58 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 52 | 55 | −3 | 56 |
| 16 | Blackpool | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 56 |
| 17 | Coventry City | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 47 | 58 | −11 | 54 |
| 18 | Derby County | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 54 |
* ↑ Crystal Palace were give a one-point deduction for using an ineligible player during a match against Sheffield United on 3 May 2009.

#### Results
##### In summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: Sky

##### By matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Ground | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A |
| Result | L | D | L | W | W | L | W | D | D | D | D | W | D | L | W | L | L | L | L | W | W | L | D | D | D | D | L | W | L | W | L | D | L | L | D | L | W | D | W | D | L | W | D | D | D | W |
| Position | 19 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 18 | 16 |

##### In detail
### Football League Cup
## Squad statistics

| No. | Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline |
| No. | Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | | |
| 1 | GK | Paul Rachubka | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | MF | Danny Coid | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | Stephen Crainey | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | Keith Southern | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | DF | Marlon Broomes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | Ian Evatt | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | MF | Adam Hammill | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | Roy O'Donovan | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | Stephen McPhee | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | DJ Campbell | 20 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 10 | MF | Stuart Green | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | David Vaughan | 33 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | FW | Gary Taylor-Fletcher | 38 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | Mark Halstead | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | David Fox | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | DF | Alex Baptiste | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | Claus Jørgensen | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | MF | Jermaine Wright | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | Joe Martin | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Steve Kabba | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Krisztián Németh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | Wade Small | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | Nick Blackman | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Mo Camara | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | MF | Kyel Reid | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | Matt Gilks | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | Graeme Owens | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | Zesh Rehman | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | Daniel Nardiello | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | DF | Rob Edwards | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | DF | Shaun Barker | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | Charlie Adam | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 26 | MF | Sone Aluko | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | MF | Alan Gow | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 27 | FW | Ben Burgess | 29 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Alan Mahon | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Paul Marshall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | Michael D'Agostino | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | Matty Kay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | FW | Danny Mitchley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | Dominic Merella | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | FW | Brett Ormerod | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 34 | MF | Lee Hendrie | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 34 | MF | Francesco Carratta | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | FW | Liam Dickinson | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 35 | FW | Lee Hughes | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | GK | Graham Stack | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | DF | Ian Harte | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 37 | MF | Simon Walton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | Discipline totals | 77 | 6 |
* Players used: 44
* Goals scored: 46

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Fee |
| 26 June 2008 | GK | Matt Gilks | Norwich City | Included in part-exchange deal for Wes Hoolahan |
| 1 July 2008 | CB | Alex Baptiste | Mansfield Town | Undisclosed |
| 1 July 2008 | CB | Marlon Broomes | Free agency | — |
| 2 July 2008 | LB | Joe Martin | Tottenham Hotspur | Undisclosed |
| 11 July 2008 | CM | Jermaine Wright | Free agency | — |
| 30 July 2008 | CF | Daniel Nardiello | Queens Park Rangers | Included in part-exchange deal for Kaspars Gorkšs |
| 4 August 2008 | CM | David Vaughan | Real Sociedad | £200,000 |
| 6 August 2008 | CB | Rob Edwards | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Undisclosed |
| 30 January 2009 | CF | Brett Ormerod | Free agency | — |
| 2 February 2009 | CM | Francesco Carratta | Free agency | — |

### Loans in

| Date | Pos. | Name | From | Until |
| 11 July 2008 | CF | Steve Kabba | Watford | 31 December 2009 |
| 19 July 2008 | W | Adam Hammill | Liverpool | 30 December 2008 |
| 31 July 2008 | CB | Zesh Rehman | Queens Park Rangers | 31 December 2008 |
| 5 August 2008 | LB | Mo Camara | Derby County | 30 August 2008 |
| 8 August 2008 | CF | Sone Aluko | Birmingham City | 1 September 2008 |
| 1 September 2008 | CF | Alan Gow | Rangers | 31 December 2008 |
| 16 November 2008 | CM | Lee Hendrie | Sheffield United | 31 December 2008 |
| 27 November 2008 | CF | Liam Dickinson | Derby County | 30 December 2008 |
| 27 November 2008 | W | Kyel Reid | West Ham United | 30 December 2008 |
| 27 November 2008 | GK | Graham Stack | Plymouth Argyle | 31 December 2008 |
| 8 January 2009 | CF | DJ Campbell | Leicester City | 31 May 2009 |
| 9 January 2009 | CF | Roy O'Donovan | Sunderland | 31 May 2009 |
| 26 January 2009 | CF | Krisztián Németh | Liverpool | 26 February 2009 |
| 29 January 2009 | CM | Paul Marshall | Manchester City | 28 February 2009 |
| 2 February 2009 | CM | Charlie Adam | Rangers | 31 May 2009 |
| 3 March 2009 | CF | Nick Blackman | Blackburn Rovers | 3 April 2009 |
| 13 March 2009 | CF | Wade Small | Sheffield Wednesday | 13 April 2009 |
| 17 March 2009 | LM | Alan Mahon | Burnley | 31 May 2009 |
| 26 March 2009 | CF | Lee Hughes | Oldham Athletic | 31 May 2009 |
| 26 March 2009 | CM | Simon Walton | Plymouth Argyle | 31 May 2009 |

### Transfers out

| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Fee |
| 7 May 2008 | LM | Marcus Bean | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | GK | Kyle Clancy | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CB | Phil Doughty | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | GK | Lewis Edge | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CM | Michael Flynn | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | LB | John Hills | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CB | Michael Jackson | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CF | Phil Marsh | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CM | Matt Lawlor | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | CF | Keigan Parker | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | LB | Paul Tierney | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | LM | Andy Welsh | Free agency | — |
| 7 May 2008 | RM | Simon Wiles | Free agency | — |
| 26 June 2008 | AM | Wes Hoolahan | Norwich City | Undisclosed + Matt Gilks |
| 28 July 2008 | CB | Kaspars Gorkšs | Queens Park Rangers | £250,000 + Daniel Nardiello + Zesh Rehman (loan) |
| 9 August 2008 | CF | Andy Morrell | Bury | — |
| 16 December 2008 | RB | Michael D'Agostino | Free agency | — |
| 1 January 2009 | CM | Dominic Merella | Free agency | — |
| 2 February 2009 | CM | Ian Harte | Free agency | — |

### Loans out

| Date | Pos. | Name | To | Until |
| 17 October 2008 | AM | Matty Kay | Fleetwood Town | 30 December 2008 |
| 14 November 2008 | RW | Stuart Green | Crewe Alexandra | 31 May 2009 |
| 21 November 2008 | GK | Matt Gilks | Shrewsbury Town | 21 December 2008 |
| 26 January 2009 | CB | Marlon Broomes | Crewe Alexandra | 6 March 2009 |
| 29 January 2009 | CF | Daniel Nardiello | Hartlepool United | 31 May 2009 |
| 13 March 2009 | CB | Marlon Broomes | Crewe Alexandra | 2 May 2009 |
| 27 March 2009 | CF | Danny Mitchley | Southport | 31 May 2009 |