Blackpool boss Michael Appleton will manage against former club Preston North End for the first time this weekend.
Bloomfield Road plays host to the first Blackpool v PNE derby of the season on Saturday afternoon.
It’s almost a year to the day that Blackpool beat North End 2-0 in the first league meeting between the two sides in over 10 years.
North End just didn’t turn up that day but much has changed.
Ryan Lowe came in as PNE boss less than two months after that defeat at Bloomfield Road.
Lowe then beat Blackpool and Neil Critchley 1-0 in April, weeks before Critchley decided to quit Blackpool to join Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff at Aston Villa.
Critchley was sacked by Villa along with Gerrard today and his replacement is now focusing on a big game against North End.
Michael Appleton was brought in as Critchley’s successor, some 10 years since his first stint in charge of the club.
Appleton left after just two months in that instance, so he’s already lasted longer this time around!
Appleton was a controversial pick as Blackpool boss and not just because of his first spell in charge.
The 46-year-old has a strong association with North End having joined PNE from Manchester United back in 1997.
Appleton played over 120 times for PNE and won promotion from the third tier before leaving for West Bromwich Albion in 2001.
The former midfielder settled in the Preston area and he has even admitted that his son is a huge North End fan who followed the club home and away.
It’s ultimately Appleton’s job to separate that personal connection from his professional duties but it’s a situation few PNE or Blackpool managers have been in over the years.
Come Saturday, North End will be hoping to leave Appleton disappointed in his first game managing against PNE – but possibly leaving his son ecstatic.