Play-off victory earns Blackpool a £95m payday
BLACKPOOL’S entire squad may be paid less collectively than Chelsea captain John Terry, but all that could be about to change after the unfashionable seaside outfit scooped football’s biggest jackpot of all.
The Tangerines’ 3-2 victory over Cardiff in Saturday’s Championship play-off final earned them a return to the top-flight after a 39-year absence and, perhaps more importantly, a minimum windfall of £95m.
That eye-watering sum comprises £40m, which Blackpool will take from the Premier League’s central funds even if, as bookies expect, they finish bottom next season.
And if they do go straight back down, as 11 of the last 18 play-off winners have, Blackpool will be entitled to another £48m in payments over the following four years.
The club can also expect a £7m boost in commercial earnings from being in the top flight.