Blackpool welcome Bromley to Bloomfield Road on 12 September 2026 for Matchweek 6 of EFL League One, with the hosts sitting 12th after five matches on seven points and a goal difference of plus two, while Bromley are 21st with four points and a goal difference of minus 11. Blackpool come in off two straight defeats and will want to bounce back at home, where they have been more solid earlier in the campaign. Bromley, newly promoted and having conceded 15 in five games, are beginning to look like a side that could be in real trouble before October.
Ian Evatt took charge at Blackpool on 21 October 2025 replacing Steve Bruce, while Andy Woodman has been at Bromley since March 2021 and the two have never faced each other in the dugout before.
Blackpool's last five league results read L L W W D. They fell 3-1 at Reading on 5 September before losing 2-1 at Barnsley three days earlier, though before that run they had beaten Peterborough 4-0 at home on 29 August and Stockport County 2-1 the week before, sandwiching a 1-1 draw with Wycombe on the opening weekend. Bromley's sequence is grimmer, three consecutive defeats including a 5-0 at Leyton Orient and a 7-2 at Sheffield Wednesday following a 1-1 draw at Cambridge and an opening day 1-0 home win over Barnsley.
Blackpool are without CJ Hamilton, out with a knee injury for 10 to 12 weeks and George Honeyman, who is also unavailable. Bromley have no reported absences and should be able to field their strongest XI.
Evatt's side press high and push their full backs into advanced positions, looking to create overloads wide and get crosses into the box. Josh Bowler, who operates on the left and cuts inside onto his right foot, is the main source of creativity and the player most likely to find Dion Charles when a chance opens up. With Hamilton gone, Blackpool's wide play will run almost entirely through Bowler's side, with Olly Casey tasked with carrying the ball out from the back to set things in motion.
Woodman has been publicly calling for his side to toughen up after a string of heavy defeats but Bromley have conceded 15 in five games and there is nothing in their recent record to suggest they have solved it. Michael Cheek leads the line with Mitch Pinnock and Kamil Conteh in midfield and Bromley's best hope is that Pinnock and Conteh can disrupt Blackpool's build up and stop them recycling possession, keeping this scrappy and denying the hosts any rhythm. Hamilton's absence removes one of Blackpool's wide options, though Bromley will still have to deal with Blackpool's width throughout. If Casey wins his headers and Blackpool's press forces the visitors into mistakes, the goals should come and with Bromley having conceded 15 in five there is little reason to think they will be hard to break down.
These two have met only once in competitive football, with Blackpool winning 2-0 in the FA Cup in November 2023 and Bromley's promotion means there is almost no relevant history to draw on at this level.
Blackpool's set piece delivery, with Bowler crossing and Casey providing an aerial option, looks a genuine danger given how disorganised Bromley have been defensively. Bowler's delivery from dead balls could be their clearest route to goal. Bromley will look to Cheek to hold the ball up and allow their midfielders to push higher up the pitch but they need to stop giving the ball away cheaply in their own half, something they have done repeatedly in recent weeks.
Blackpool 1-0 Bromley. Blackpool have a defined way of playing and have looked solid at Bloomfield Road, whereas Bromley have scored just three times in five games and there is little in their recent form to suggest they will trouble a back line that has been relatively tight on home soil. Losing Hamilton and Honeyman does narrow Blackpool's attacking options, which is why this looks like a narrow win rather than a comfortable one. A set piece delivery from Bowler or a Charles finish inside the box looks the most likely way the goal arrives.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
