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Belokon: 'I'm 100 per cent sure we will stay up'
STEVE CANAVAN caught up with Seasiders president Valery Belokon during Blackpool's trip to Latvia.
Here's what Belokon had to say...
How do you think Blackpool will perform in the Premier League?
Since I have been involved in Blackpool, for the last four years, every year I have heard the same – the club will go down. Now we are in the Premier League it is no different.
I am 100 per cent sure that we have a good chance to stay in the Premier League.
Of course there is this wide gap between the rich clubs and the not so rich, between the top six and the rest. But for the remainder of the teams the difference is not so major.
That's where I share my philosophy with Karl, that there might be a wide gap between the price and wages for players but the actual performance on the pitch is not so wide.
How nice is it to go to stadiums like Arsenal, when it used to be Crewe and Chesterfield?
I simply feel pride for what we have achieved. I didn't do this so I could go to posh boardrooms. The best thing about being in the Premier League is that we've actually achieved it.
Nice rooms are all very well but it's not the point. I felt quite happy at League One clubs.
Why did you decide to give Ian Holloway a transfer kitty of 1.6m last summer, enabling him to bring in the likes of Charlie Adam?
My business is to understand people. I have had talks with many managers in different businesses and I have to understand them. With Ollie I asked him to prepare a list of players he has sold – purchase price and sell-on price – at the different clubs he has been at.
I saw a very substantial profit that Ollie has made at all the clubs he has managed, maybe 10m or more.
After speaking two hours with him, I thought 'OK I'll give him a fund'. It is like a venture fund.
And for me what is really interesting is that – and this is the strangest thing – Ollie hasn't spent all the money, and yet we've still had the results.
It is a big surprise. But if he really needs the money he'll take it.
And Karl (Oyston) fits into this relationship very well. It is really interesting because we have a fund so can buy players. That is one amount. Then there is another amount spent on salary and wages. Karl is the expert on wages!
Do you have the final say on transfers?
I work directly with Karl. We discuss with each other targets. Then we inform the board members. Then we come to a common decision. I cannot tell which player to take but I have the veto power, I can say 'Definitely not this player for this money', for instance.
All the key people involved are very different but makes quite a good puzzle – myself, Karl, Owen, Ollie … Because of the different characters it means there are many discussions and various situations. They don't always feel the need to call me. It's a system that works.
FOR MORE FROM VALERY BELOKON PICK UP A COPY OF TUESDAY'S GAZETTE.
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Weather for Blackpool
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Temperature: 1 C to 3 C
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