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Friday, 30th July 2010

Premier bonus promise from Belokon

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Published Date:
18 December 2009
IAN Holloway has revealed that Blackpool FC president Valery Belokon has promised his players an "unbelievable" cash incentive to win promotion to the Premier League.
As the Seasiders prepare to do battle with second-placed West Brom at Bloomfield Road tomorrow, Holloway's immediate concern is a crippling injury list which has ruled out Charlie Adam, Ben Burgess, Billy Clarke and Marcel Seip.

Hamstring victim Alex Baptiste is 50-50, while David Vaughan is suspended.

Holloway said: "I always said this season would be a good test of our squad.

"Everybody is saying how well we are doing but the reality is that you need a good start, a good middle and a good end if you are going to do anything spectacular, so this will be a good test for us now."

Holloway's aim for the season is to keep the club at the top end of the table – and he says Belokon is dangling a major carrot.

The manager added: "These boys will be unbelievably rewarded if we do get promoted, much better than other teams.

"Mr Belokon has given them a prize at the end of it, which I think is fantastic, and that's our target.

"He has given them a cash pot to share out if we get promoted – it's pro-rata, based on how many games each player has played.

"I can't tell you how much it is but it is so generous it is frightening and I keep reminding them of it.

"At the end of the day, if you do well you need a reward and they'll certainly get one.

"But more important than money will be the fact that we'll have made a difference. That's all I want to do – to make a difference.

"What Mr Belokon has given us is unbelievable. He has made it a realistic dream to get to (the Premier League) and everybody is focused on it."

Holloway admits he may have to rethink his tactics because of tomorrow's absentees.

He said: "I might have to go with a slightly different formation because I felt that other formation really suited Adam and Vaughan.
They could interchange.

"I might have to think about what different personnel can give me in those roles and tweak it slightly. But that will be down to me."

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  • Last Updated: 18 December 2009 12:53 PM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Blackpool
 
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DaveBambersDiscoPantsAreTheBest,

18/12/2009 09:24:06
"Tweak it slightly".....not like you Ollie! After last weeks drubbing then the formation has to change for sure. Bring Brett back in. Like a pro he is waiting patiently in the wings but Euell is under performing so give him a start tomorrow with Nardiello.

Interesting article but not what the fans wanted to hear. Maybe Belekon should rubber stamp a cash incentive to the fans with either discounted season tickets for the remaining games or reduced match ticket prices in general. If we want to the promotion fantasy to roll on we need to make Bloomfield Road a bit of a fortress,similar to the great late Billy Ayre era. Getting backsides on seats - particularly in the new South - is the only way.

It's a case of digging deep this month and next and we really have to take a gamble in the next transfer window.

***REALITY CHECK*** We are the 7th in the league and above our bitter rivals. Ollie is well liked and has respect in the footballing community. The South is to be open for business soon and the playing surface is decent. We are not in debt and have a generous investor. We are now an established team in the CCC and players are willing to play for us.

Lets keep it going lads. Up the Pool.
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Mr President,

Washington DC 18/12/2009 10:57:39

Interesting article but not what the fans wanted to hear.
....................................................

You ARE joking, aren't you?

Apart from our current players - any potential Blackpool target, will look at Mr Belokon's 'carrot' and think " I'd like to have a bite of that."

Ollie, certainly appears amazed by the offer, so I can only imagine that it's ONE MASSIVE CARROT.

Good on Valery, I say.

UTP
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DaveBambersDiscoPantsAreTheBest,

18/12/2009 11:14:37
Mr President

I have no doubt that other clubs have incentives for their players.

The point I am making that as supporters we have to stump up alot of money to watch the football at Bloomfield Road - prices that are above the average and more than some Premiership clubs. A majority of the 8000 Seasiders fans are "die hard" and want to go but it would be nice to experience a bit of appreciation from the club for our support over the years.We are still in a crippling credit crunch at the moment. Surely you agree we need more supporters through the turnstiles? Its about time the club acted in good faith. There are numerous transfer deals that have made the club alot of profit a majority of which has been sucked out by the Oystons.

Some of the players are currently playing well below par so why should we have to pay high match day prices for them to potentially pocket lucrative bonuses?
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Mr President,

Washington DC 18/12/2009 11:30:13

Point taken DaveB.

However, if the club was to reduce it's prices by, let's say £5 per head - it would cost us £40,000 odd, each match day and towards £500,000 by the end of the season, in lost revenue.

This is cash that could go towards funding a goal scorer. And we desperately need one of those.

Hopefully, if we can attract a decent striker and we do manage to do a Burnley/Hull and go up - the fans reward will come next season - with packed gates, reduced prices and Premier League footy.

A price worth waiting for - surely?

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Wizaard,

Bradford 18/12/2009 11:52:37
As someone who paid £33.50 at Ipswich last week, £26 at Middlesbrough and £27 at Derby next week, our prices more than fair and are below the average for the Division even at the max of £25. £20 is a bargain for Championship football and is easily obtained at that price if you are a member of BSA which costs £5 per annum, while giving you a saving of 10% off all items in the club shop.
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AnthonyB,

Poulton 18/12/2009 12:08:42
Well said Wizaard.

The fact that Blackpool's attendance is so small etc is not primarily down to the price or even the amount of seats! Its down to the amount of loyal supporters. We are a VERY small seaside town... we can't really muster more than 10,000. Thus when the south stand opens I think ticket prices should reduce slightly (supply & demand) but not by a great deal as this would probably be to the detriment.
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DaveBambersDiscoPantsAreTheBest,

18/12/2009 12:15:33
I agree Mr P but we need to harness the extra revenue that could be created through the South Stand for the remainder of the season. A match price reduction could be used to attract fans back to the gtound. A slight reduction will be outweighed by the South income surely.

I take your point Wizaard too but if it was such a decent price why do we always struggle to sell our home allocation? Its only the decent away support that swell the crowd but still it is below 10,000. We play CCC football and we fit in well but we do not have a decent following, even though we are probably the nosiest. We need to get more numbers behind the Pool and make incentives for "new" fans to come back.

I have supported the Seasiders for the last 29 years, having a season ticket for 25 of those. I love what is happening around the place at the moment and is tis the best level of football I have seen Blackpool play. I just want them to continue to make progress and improve further but I feel we need to improve our fan base.
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WestHertsUnsocialClub,

Dublin 18/12/2009 12:17:03
God knows what some will think about prices at Premiership clubs if we should get promoted. To say that some of the players are playing well below par is an easy thing to say. We are having our best period on the pitch for thirty years, yet a so called supporter thinks the fans should be compensated.
Get in the real world, without offering win bonuses,higher wages and better contracts how the hell will we attract better quality players.
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DaveBambersDiscoPantsAreTheBest,

18/12/2009 14:03:39
We aren't in the Premiership yet and in the mean time we should address the current state of our support.

The "so called supporter" slate is a bit petty.Judging by your location can I take it you don't attend many games? If you are so deep rooted a supporter maybe you can tell me where all the transfer income has gone to over the years.

A majority of my supporting days have meant enduring many a dull game in the South Stand, hundreds of journey men footballers and fustrating off the field antics. It's about time there was a decent football standard and positive outlook for a change.

Are you saying that none of the money we so called supporters are putting in to the club is not being used for player wages and bonuses? Who comes first - the fans or the players? When we get players like Euell (who I expect is on a fair whack considering his past cv) who play below par then as fans we have a right to express our opinion.

The whole point of the arguement is that bonuses, etc. should be kept under wraps. More thought and more articles should be aimed at improving attendances. I am sure that BFC can come up with some ideas.....

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zaki ,

STAINING SEASIDER 18/12/2009 15:15:28
Give olly some really serious money in jan to complement our squad with some real quality,i believe in the team we have got at the moment but promotion maybe a little bit of wishful thinking until we can afford to lose the likes of adam and vaughan and be able to replace them with equal quality.Good luck to you SEASIDERS tomorrow (if the match is on).
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