By Chris Wright
With the club relegated from the Championship in mournful fashion amid scathing fan protests, the latest instalment in the ongoing tragicomedy that is Blackpool FC is perhaps the most inevitable.
Having started the season with just eight senior players on their books, the Tangerines are ending it in a similarly barren state having released 17 players today in one mass exodus.
Those axed are Andre Blackman, Peter Clarke, Tomasz Cywka, Steven Davies, Nathan Delfouneso, Joel Dielna, Bobby Grant, Gary MacKenzie, Tony McMahon, Jacob Mellis, Nyron Nosworthy, Darren O’Dea, Elliot Parish, David Perkins, Jeffrey Rentmeister, Saer Sene and Francois Zoko.
Weirdly, however, Blackpool have taken up a one-year contract extension on Nile Ranger despite the AWOL striker not playing a single minute of competitive football for the club since November.
Jamie O’Hara has also been given a new deal despite an expensive, injury-ravaged campaign, while the mess surrounding Andrea Orlandi’s immediate future has also been resolved with a new one-year deal after the club accidentally triggered his release clause last week.
Indeed, Blackpool have been left with just 10 players under contract: Ranger, O’Hara, Orlandi, Tom Aldred, Henry Cameron, Charles Dunne, David Ferguson, Luke Higham, Connor Oliver and new signing Jarrett Rivers.
Well, at least they can still play 5-a-side games in training. That’s something, we guess.