Blackpool's East Stand: When was the last time it was in use at Bloomfield Road?

The East Stand at Bloomfield Road will be used for the first time since 2016 when Sunderland take on Blackpool on New Year’s Day.

Yesterday it was revealed Sunderland have been given an extra 4,800 tickets for the January 1 clash, taking their full allocation to just under 7,800.

The Sunderland fans will be housed in the North Stand as usual, but the extra supporters will spill out into the East Stand - which has remained vacant, other than the press box, for the last three seasons.

The last time it was used for a Blackpool match was in April 2016, when Wigan Athletic sealed promotion to the Championship with a 4-0 win.

The temporary stand was erected in 2010 to bring the ground up to code for the club’s debut in the Premier League.

In 2013, the club was investigated by the council after a Cardiff City fan fell through a hole in the East Stand.

In June of last year, former chairman Karl Oyston told The Gazette the club had applied to extend the planning consent.