THE GROUND
Bloomfield Road
Seasiders Way
Blackpool
Lancashire
FY1 6JJ
Bloomfield Road has been the home of Blackpool since 1901, five years after the club was founded.
It was previously the home of South Shore FC, who merged with Blackpool at the end of the 19th century.
The ground has been substantially redeveloped over the past 15 years and now has an all-seater capacity of 17,338.
Away fans are housed in a section of the newly built East Stand.
THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
It is approximately 245 miles from Griffin Park to Bloomfield Road by road.
Drivers will usually take the M6 and then the M55 in to Blackpool.
The ground is on the south side of the town and is accessed via the A583 and then Waterloo Road.
There is a large pay and display car park outside the ground, close to Blackpool South station.
Blackpool South is the nearest station but is not served as often as Blackpool North, which is around two miles away.
Virgin Trains services from London Euston go directly to Blackpool North.
To get to Blackpool South, use Virgin Trains services from London Euston to Preston and change.
The Supporters’ Association will be running coaches to every game this season – details of times and prices will be announced in due course.
THE FIXTURES
Brentford will play Blackpool away from home on Tuesday August 19, the third Championship fixture of the season.
The Bees then welcome Blackpool to Griffin Park on Tuesday February 24
THE RECENT HISTORY
Blackpool are set to begin their fourth successive season in The Championship in August, having narrowly avoided a second relegation in three years.
The Lancashire side climbed from the lower reaches of the Football League, where they spent almost three decades, and reached the Premier League in 2010.
But it took a few results going their way on the final day of the season to prevent them heading back.
Blackpool were one of the country’s premier clubs in the post-war years and did not leave the top two divisions until 1978.
But it took them until 2007, when they won the League One Play-Offs, to get back in to the upper reaches of English football.
They climbed in to the Premier League in 2010, again winning the Play-Offs – their fourth such success, and came close to staying up, only going down by one point after a final day defeat to Manchester United.
They almost bounced straight back a year later, losing the Play-Off Final this time, and after a mid-table season in 2012/13 had a poor season in 2013/14.
After winning five of their first six games and losing one of their first 14, they went from December 3 to March 11 without winning a Championship fixture.
A win away at Wigan Athletic on the penultimate weekend of the season took them out of the relegation zone and they escaped despite losing to Charlton Athletic as neither Doncaster Rovers nor Birmingham City could win.
THE MANAGER
José Riga was appointed as Blackpool boss earlier this month.
He replaced Barry Ferguson, who had been in post as caretaker manager from January 2014 until the end of the 2013/14 season after Paul Ince was sacked.
Belgian Riga, 52, came to England as Charlton Athletic boss, officially head coach, in March 2014 and kept the South London side up.
He left Charlton in the summer and was given the Blackpool job.
He has previously managed Royal Standard de Liège among others in his home country.
THE TOP SCORER
Tom Ince ended the 2013/14 season as Blackpool’s top scorer, despite leaving the Lancashire side in January,
The attacking midfield player hit seven goals in 25 games for The Seasiders, all of them in The Championship.
Ince joined Premier League Crystal Palace on loan in January for the rest of the season.
He is out of contract at the end of the month and can leave, albeit Blackpool would be entitled to compensation.
THE KEY MEN
There is set to be a large turnover of players at Blackpool this summer, with most of the 2013/14 squad released at the end of their contracts.
The Seasiders ended the 2013/14 season with only six players signed on for the upcoming campaign.
Of those, midfield player David Perkins played 20 games after signing from Barnsley in January and striker Tom Barkhuizen scored one Championship goal in 14 appearances, most as a substitute.
Striker Steven Davies scored three goals in 28 Championship games while attacker Bobby Grant played seven games before joining Fleetwood Town on loan and defender Charles Dunne spent the season on loan at Wycombe Wanderers.
The other contracted player was central defender Gary McKenzie, who played 35 games in 2013/14.
Right back Tony McMahon, who played 18 games after arriving from Sheffield United, has signed a new deal but midfield players Neal Bishop and Chris Basham, who were regulars in 2013/14, have moved on.
Defender Kirk Broadfoot, who played 33 Championship games, and back-up goalkeeper Mark Halstead have also left while loanees Stephen Dobbie, Jack Robinson, David Goodwillie, Andy Keogh and Andy Halliday, who featured towards the end of 2013/14 have returned to parent clubs.
Striker Ricardo Fuller has been offered a new contract as has captain Matt Gilks, who was ever-present in goal for Blackpool in 2013/14, midfielder Isaiah Osbourne and defender Craig Cathcart.
THE FIRST MEETING
November 4 1933, Football League Division Two – Blackpool 3 Brentford 1
Brentford line-up: Baker; Astley, Adamson; Watson, James, Burns; Hopkins, Scott, Holiday, Muttitt, Fletcher
Brentford goal scorer: Muttitt
A first half goal from Ernie Muttitt was not enough to give Brentford victory in Lancashire
THE LAST MEETING
February 3 2007, Coca-Cola League One – Blackpool 1 Brentford 3
Brentford line-up: Abbey; Wilson, Osborne, Frampton, Tillen; Ide, Mousinho, Pinault (sub Carder-Andrews), Keith; Kuffour (sub Griffiths), Shipperley
Subs (not used): Masters, Willock, Brooker
Brentford goal scorers: Frampton, Kuffour (2)
Three first half goal gave Brentford a win at promotion-chasing Blackpool.
THE MEMORABLE DAY
October 13 1979, Football League Division Three – Blackpool 5 Brentford 4
Brentford line-up: Bond; Salmon, Kruse, Fraser, Tucker; Carlton, Graham, McNichol, Phillips; Smith (sub Alder), Holmes
Brentford goal scorers: Carlton, Phillips, Holmes, McNichol
Brentford lose nine-goal thriller.
THE ODDS
Sky Bet is offering 66/1 on Blackpool winning The Championship next season, making them the division’s outsiders.
Those who back The Seasiders can get ¼ of the odds if they finish in the top three.
Every bet you make with Sky Bet benefits Brentford FC – click here to see the Championship market.