EPL Team Profile: Blackpool

 For a few hours on the opening day of the Premiership, Blackpool, in their first appearance in the EPL, were actually at the head of the League table, on the back of their victory against Wigan, on August 14, 2011.

Are you curious to know more about this squad? Here you go:

NBA

The official name of the club is Blackpool Football Club, or Blackpool FC. The club is also known by several nicknames, such as The 'Pool, The Seasiders, and The Tangerines.

The team is registered in the seaside town of Blackpool in Lancashire, England.

The home venue of the club is in Bloomfield Road, Blackpool, England, and the owners are Owen Oyston and Valeri Belokon. the chairman is Karl Oyston, and the manger, Ian Holloway.

The squad comprsies the following players: Gilks, Crainey, Evatt, Baptiste, Cathcart, Vaughan, Adam, Harewood, Ormerod, Taylor-Fletcher, Grandin, Rachubka, Eardley, Basham, Edwards, Ludovic Sylvestre, Demontagnac and Euell.

The new signings this season are Marlon Harewood (Free Agent), Craig Cathcart (Manchester United), Ludovic Sylvestre (Czech team Mlada Boleslov; ex-Barcelona), Elliot Grandin (CSKA Sofia), and Malaurty Martin (Monaco).

This is Blackpool's first appearance in the Premier League.

Their opening match in EPL 2010-11 was against Wigan, on August 14. And the result of that match that surprised everyone was a 4-0 thrashing delivered by the debutant team.

Pre-season Preview:

Blackpool qualified to play in the Premier League for the first time, this season by getting the better of Cardiff in the final of play offs.

Manager Ian Holloway's squad has thereby earned the opportunity to play against top flight teams at the best venues, around England, and they will savour that experience.

Although nobody gives Blackpool the ghost of a chance to do well at this level, there is no pressure of expectation, and in Ian Holloway, they have a shrewd manager who can make the most of any opportunity.

In the Premier League, Holloway will get to rub shoulders with the likes of Sir Alex Fergusson, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti, and prove that he is no less a manager than any of them.

One of Blackpool's to signings this year is Marlon Harewood, whose previous club, Aston Villa have released him. Harewood is a competent forward with a goal scoring ability, and Blackpool will look to his guidance to learn to compete at this level.

In 21 year old Craig Cathcart, they have a promising new recruit. Cathcart has already earned a Northern Ireland under-21 cap, is reportedly ready to join the senior side. The Premier League will give Cathcart an opportunioty to showboat his skills.

Apart from Harewood and Cathcart, Blackpool have recruited a few more players, and these include Malaury Martin, previously with Monaco. Among players who have left are Stephen McPhee, retiring from the game on account of injury,and Ben Burgess going to Notts County.

The way they have begun their Premier league campaign, with a 4-0 win over Wigan, Blackpool could spring a surprise on all of us, like Birmingham City, Hull City and Reading, other promoted sides, have done in recent years. That said, one swallow does not a spring make, and as they are bound to find out as they stay longer in the Premiership, life here won't be easy for Blackpool.