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Brett: Of course i'd celebrate!
THERE has been a recent trend in football whereby players choose not to celebrate when they score against their old club.
'What a great sport' the public and media proclaim when someone like Richard Dunne nets for Villa against Manchester City but doesn't show any emotion.
So if Brett Ormerod should strike against former club Preston, will he refuse to throw his arms in the air and go mad?
Not a chance of it!
Ormerod knows exactly what a Blackpool-North End derby means and he will celebrate with gusto should he hit the net at Bloomfield Road on Monday.
It's not a sign of disrespect to his former employees, who he speaks highly about, just that he's a striker and loves scoring.
"Of course I'll celebrate if I score – I celebrate any goal," said the 33-year-old.
"I'll celebrate with the Blackpool fans, though. I wouldn't try and rub it in with the Preston fans. I had a good time there. The fans were always superb with me and it is a fantastic club.
Click here for all the build-up to Monday's big game.
"But I am a Blackpool player again now. I'm happy and I am really enjoying it, and we are aiming for another home win come Monday."
Ormerod is a veteran of this Lancashire derby. He made his first appearance in a Pool-Preston showdown almost 12 years ago, on December 20, 1997.
He was a raw 21-year-old then, still finding his feet as a professional footballer after leaving Accrington Stanley and packing in his job in a factory to try to make a name for himself with the Seasiders. Ormerod replaced Junior Bent in the 75th minute of that game. The Seasiders were already 2-1 ahead thanks to goals from Andy Preece and Lee Philpott.
Ormerod didn't have a dream debut. He didn't score but he did help a Tangerines team managed by Nigel Worthington to hold on and claim the points.
And next season Ormerod was to pencil his name into the history books.
Still inexperienced and often finding himself on the substitutes' bench, Ormerod was given a start at Deepdale in the derby clash of April 1999.
It proved an inspired selection. With the scores locked at 1-1 (Kurt Nogan cancelling out Adam Nowland's opener) and time almost up, Ormerod flung himself at a John Hills cross to score a dramatic winner and become an instant terrace hero.
"That was probably the highlight for me in derby terms," he admitted. "It was probably the one that kickstarted my Blackpool career and endeared me to the Blackpool fans all those years ago. It was a good day but it means nothing now – an awful lot has happened since."
That's an understatement.
Ormerod battled back from a broken leg to become a goalscoring legend at Bloomfield Road, eventually securing a 1.75m move to the Premier League and playing in an FA Cup Final.
He wound up at Preston in 2006, where a three-year stay was badly disrupted by another leg break sustained in a play-off defeat to Leeds.
After loan spells at Nottingham Forest and Oldham, the frontman's career came full circle when he signed on loan for Pool at the start of this year.
He was brought in on a short-term basis initially, an attempt by Tony Parkes to steady the ship after Simon Grayson's shock departure.
But Ormerod proved he still had a bit of the old magic, scoring twice in 15 appearances and producing a string of hard-working displays.
When Ian Holloway came in during the summer, and watched DVDs of Pool in action, he had no hesitation in offering Ormerod a permanent deal.
"It was lovely to return to Blackpool after all those years and I remember when I came on at Crystal Palace in my first game back – it was a really emotional moment. I actually had a tear in my eyes because the fans gave me a great reception," added Ormerod.
"Last season we did well. The players and the staff put in a lot of hard work and we more than deserved to stay up. I eventually got my contract sorted over the summer and this season has been fantastic, amazing really.
"The manager has been a breath of fresh air. He is very honest and when he makes a decision he tells you why he has done it. He sticks by those decisions and as a player that is all you can ask for.
"Everyone he has brought in has done a job and done it really well, and the team isn't upset by the number of changes he makes because everyone knows their job. He needs everybody to be together and to be able to do a job if and when they are called on."
Holloway's policy of altering his starting 11 for almost every game – particularly his front three – means Ormerod is far from guaranteed a place in the side against North End.
But he scored last time out in defeat at Reading and will have his fingers firmly crossed for Monday, especially given what the fixture means to him.
"You always want to play in a derby game, especially this one," said Ormerod. "I've played in a few for Blackpool against Preston and always loved them.
"I never actually played for Preston against Blackpool, so I don't know what that would have been like.
"They are two fantastic clubs, with great sets of fans, and I am looking forward to it. Preston have a fantastic squad and a good manager – and the same goes for Blackpool. I'd like to play but you'll have to ask the manager – it is out of my hands."
Fingers crossed, then. And if Ormerod fancies popping up with another last-minute winner, I'm sure none of us would argue.
DON'T MISS TUESDAY'S GAZETTE FOR ALL THE REACTION TO THE BIG GAME.
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Weather for Blackpool
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
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Temperature: 12 C to 20 C
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