Ian Holloway full of praise for foe Billy Davies ahead of pivotal clash against Nottingham Forest - 10 years on from Blackpool's promotion to the Premier League

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be dipping into the archives to bring you STEVE CANAVAN’S Gazette reports from a decade ago on Blackpool’s remarkable journey to the promised land.

Ten years ago today, Ian Holloway was lavishing praise on counterpart Billy Davies as Pool prepared for their pivotal clash with the Scot’s Nottingham Forest side...

Ian Holloway and Billy Davies go back further than most – they played football together when they were 11.

Now as managers, they will occupy rivals dugouts at Bloomfield Road on Saturday, when Holloway’s play-off chasing Blackpool take on a Forest side already guaranteed a top-six finish.

Holloway has labelled it a massive match but has vowed to try to stay calm and is looking forward to locking horns with his old pal.

“I remember Billy when he was 11,” said the Seasiders boss.

“He was brought down from Scotland to Bristol Rovers by a youth team fella and he played against us on a Sunday.

“We were called Parkwood Juniors. We didn’t know who Billy was but he was absolutely light years ahead of us.

“He was the best player I’d ever seen in my life.

“The bloke who was in charge said: ‘That’s the standard I want you lot to get to, and if you think you’re good just have a look at him’.

“He was as close to a genius on the football field as I’ve seen and he has taken that into management.

“He didn’t get a fair crack at Derby after taking them up to the Premier League but his track record of getting clubs to the play-offs proves how good he is.”

Asked if he expected his old friend to receive some stick from Pool fans because of his former links with Preston North End, Holloway replied: “I hope so because fancy working for them! I might give him some stick as well!

“But he is a fantastic lad, a football man and he’s a bit like me. When we get excited we can become quite hostile little fellas.

“We’re both like Jack Russells really but I’m going to try to stay calm.

“It might help me that we haven’t got the multi-ball system because Billy really is the master of that.

“When the game is going against him, he finds a football and kicks it on.

“He gets the game started again before you know it.

“But if he is in front, then the ball takes so long to come back.

“It’s like going to a fast food shop and waiting half an hour for your burger!

“Billy does it brilliantly and what a fantastic record he has. I really do have a lot of time for him – he’s a proper football man.”

Holloway has called on the fans to unite behind the team in a fixture he labelled the biggest of most of his players’ careers to date.

“I just wish the fans could score for us because we might need them to if things go against us!” he said.

“What we do need them to do is actually remember how they felt when I was first appointed and what I was talking about.

“Hopefully the people who have come all season are very pleased with what they have seen. Who knows if we can do it? But we will be giving it our very best shot.”