Soccer:Blackpool have confirmed the appointment of Paul Ince as their new manager. The 45-year-old former England, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Liverpool midfielder has agreed a one-year rolling contract at Bloomfield Road.
Following a near two-year absence from management, Ince will take charge of his son and England under-21 winger Tom, who is Blackpool’s top scorer with 17 goals in 33 games this season.
“It’s great to be here,” Ince told Blackpool’s official website after taking his first training session at Squires Gate this morning.
“Considering I’ve watched the team play for the last 14 months, it’s strange sitting here as the manager, having obviously watched Blackpool as a fan as well as watching my son play.
“I’m over the moon though and delighted, it’s great to be back on the training ground and great to be involved with, and in charge of, a great bunch of lads.
“I’ve worked with a lot of players and the spirit and togetherness of the lads is absolutely fantastic. I’m glad I’ve been given the opportunity by (Blackpool chairman) Karl Oyston.”
Ince took on his first managerial assignment with Macclesfield in October 2006 and went on to keep the struggling Silkmen in the Football League on the final day of the 2006-07 season.
He moved on to MK Dons, where triumphs in the Football League Trophy and League Two play-off final paved the way for a move to Blackburn in the summer of 2008.
Ince’s foray into top-flight management proved deeply disappointing, though, and he was relieved of his duties after registering only three wins from 17 Premier League matches.
A second, less successful, spell at MK Dons followed in the 2009-10 season before Ince took the reins at Notts County in October 2010, but his six-month tenure at Meadow Lane ended with a club-record nine game losing streak and his departure by mutual consent.
Ince is Blackpool’s third manager this season, following on from Ian Holloway and Michael Appleton.
Holloway, who memorably led Blackpool to the Premier League in 2010 and suffered Wembley heartache at the hands of West Ham in last season’s Championship play-off final, left to join Crystal Palace in November.
Highly-touted coach Appleton came in as his successor from Portsmouth but was lured across Lancashire by Blackburn last month, ending a nine-week spell in charge.
Blackpool lie 14th in the Championship table, 10 points shy of the play-off places and six above the relegation zone ahead of their trip to Leeds on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Preston have appointed former Huddersfield and Leeds boss Simon Grayson as their new manager.
Grayson succeeds Graham Westley in the Deepdale hotseat after the ex-Stevenage manager stepped down to end an unsuccessful 13 months at the helm last week, having won just once in League One since November.
North End bounced back to defeat leaders Bournemouth 2-0 at the weekend under the guidance of caretaker John Dreyer, but lie 17th in the table, eight points above fourth-bottom Oldham, who have a game in hand.
Grayson was dismissed from his post at Huddersfield in last month, despite securing promotion to the Championship last season via the play-offs.
He also lifted Leeds out of the third tier during his time at Elland Road, having accomplished the same feat during his first managerial assignment at Blackpool.
Grayson will be assisted by Glynn Snodin, who was his right-hand man at both Leeds and Huddersfield.
Dreyer, who arrived in Lancashire as Westley’s assistant in January last year, has been retained as part of the backroom staff.
