Simon Grayson has been sacked

The club said in a statement: "Blackpool Football Club can confirm that Simon Grayson has today been relieved of his duties as first-team manager.

"The club would like to thank Simon for his efforts during his time back at Bloomfield Road and wish him well for the future.

"A further announcement will follow in due course."

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It follows last night's 3-2 defeat to Gillingham, where the Seasiders lost with the last action of the game.

The result marked Pool's seventh defeat from their last nine league outings, leaving them in 15th place in the League One table and 13 points adrift of the play-offs.

Pool did get back to winning ways at the weekend with a 2-1 victory over relegation-threatened Southend United.

But the result, which was their first win in 11 in all competitions, proved to be nothing more than a false dawn.

Grayson returned to Bloomfield Road in June for his second stint as Blackpool manager, having previously led the club to promotion to the Championship in 2007.

He replaced former boss Terry McPhillips, who had guided the club to a 10th-placed finish in his first season as a manager.

Grayson made the ideal start, winning his first three league games as the Seasiders rode the crest of the post-Oyston era wave.

After beating Fleetwood Town on December 7, Blackpool were fourth in the League One table, just two points off the automatic promotion places.

But, despite receiving an unprecedented level of backing from owner Simon Sadler during the January transfer window, Grayson couldn't halt the club's alarming run of form which saw them win just one of their last 12.