Ten-year anniversary of Blackpool's promotion to the Premier League: Jimmy Armfield unveils new stand before Blackpool fight back to draw with Crystal Palace

Over the coming weeks Gazette football writer MATT SCRAFTON will be dipping into the archives to bring your our reports from a decade ago on Blackpool’s remarkable journey to the promised land.

On this day 10 years ago, the Seasiders came from behind to draw 2-2 with Crystal Palace at Bloomfield Road – and this is how we reported the events:

An angry Ian Holloway admitted he was gutted he couldn’t win three points and make it a perfect day for Jimmy Armfield.

With Armfield given an emotional and rousing reception as the South Stand named in his honour opened, the only thing missing was a victory.

Pool recovered from a two-goal half-time deficit to claim a draw courtesy of goals from Charlie Adam and a last-gasp strike from Ben Burgess.

But Holloway focused only on a below-par opening 45 minutes when he accused his players of “swanning around” and playing like “powder puffs”.

“I have told the players a few home truths because I just can’t believe what I saw in the first half,” said the boss.

“I would have loved to have won for Jimmy. With the stand opening he was at the game and it was a very proud moment for him.

“He is a massive Blackpool fan but I feel the first half performance wasn’t worthy of wearing the tangerine shirt, I have to say that.

“The ones I played seemed to swan around and think they could just walk about and win the game, and you can’t do that in the Championship.

“We well and truly got smashed off the park, and I am absolutely devastated to say the least.

“It’s definitely two points dropped and I have lost my cool about it. At full-time I was at them like an irritated Jack Russell – and they deserved that.”

After Armfield had been given a guard of honour onto the pitch and an ovation from the supporters so rousing it made the hairs stand up on the back of the neck, the Seasiders produced an opening 45 minutes that were unimaginably drab.

Much fanfare and fuss beforehand, then at half-time 2-0 down and booed off the pitch. Only at Blackpool...

The jeers were justified for if Armfield himself, now 74 but still sprightly, had laced up his boots and played the first period he would have done no worse than most of the players in Tangerine. It really was poor stuff.

However, after what was reportedly a tongue-lashing and a half from Holloway during the break, the Seasiders emerged a much improved outfit and salvaged a share of the spoils.

It ensured Jimmy’s big day wasn’t ruined and that the club’s play-off challenge just about remains intact, though they really must put together a string of victories soon if they are to force their way into the top six.

The first half was a mystery. Pool have played brilliantly all season but on Saturday, on Armfield day, when the media from all over the country converged on Bloomfield Road, they threw in a shocker.

Holloway made six changes from the team which had lost at Sheffield United, giving full debuts to Stephen Husband, signed from Hearts on deadline day, and Seamus Coleman, from Everton.

While Coleman had a very decent game and looks a player, Husband had a start he couldn’t have envisaged in his worst nightmares, subbed after 39 minutes with Pool trailing 2-0.

The team’s poor performance wasn’t the 19-year-old’s fault though, and he mustn’t let his head drop.

And it didn’t have to be Husband taken off. Holloway could have substituted pretty much any of his players as everyone struggled.

Palace had the honour of scoring the first ever goal in front of the new stand, and what a cruddy strike it was.

With barely three minutes on the clock, Nick Carle managed to shin in a shot from six yards.

Had Ian Evatt, in good nick on his return after injury, not produced a brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny Carle it would have got worse soon after.

As it was, the visitors had to wait until the 36th minute for their second goal. It was scored by Darren Ambrose, grabbing his 13th of the season. His finish wasn’t too convincing but it went through the legs of Matt Gilks.

Holloway took action. Husband was sacrificed, Burgess came on to add some presence up front. But half-time arrived with no further excitement and the crowd made their feelings known.

Goodness knows what Armfield, sitting in the directors’ box, made of it.

Thankfully after Holloway had words (“Can you tell us what you said at half-time?” asked a reporter afterwards. “No, you wouldn’t be able to print it” replied the manager), there was a response.

Adam, strangely anonymous until this point, profited from good work by Burgess, Billy Clarke and Stephen Dobbie, to drill a low shot into the bottom corner 78 seconds after the restart.

It got the crowd going and gave Pool hope. Holloway’s men, undoubtedly playing better, didn’t exactly roar forward and pile on the pressure.

Indeed, after Burgess missed a golden chance on 51 minutes, failing to connect properly at the back post with Dobbie’s fine cross, they didn’t really threaten again until Evatt’s shot from distance was tipped behind by Julian Speroni 17 minutes from the end.

Brett Ormerod and Gary Taylor-Fletcher entered the fray and suddenly, in the final five minutes, the Seasiders went through the gears.

Unfortunately Speroni also upped his game, proving as adept at keeping the ball out of the net as he was at timewasting.

The Palace keeper saved when Taylor-Fletcher broke through, then tipped Coleman’s chip over the bar.

A shame about the latter for how appropriate would it have been, on Armfield Day, for a right-back to score?

In the nick of time, though, Speroni was beaten. Adam crossed well from the right, Evatt knocked the ball into the danger zone and Burgess rammed a 90th minute close range shot into the net.

Taylor-Fletcher, Dobbie and Ormerod were all denied by brilliant Speroni saves in stoppage time.

The Palace keeper’s heroics meant we didn’t quite get the fairytale end to a fantastic day off the pitch. But it was a lot better than it could have been considering the nonentity that was the first half.

“We must do better,” said Holloway afterwards. He was spot on. Credit to the team for battling back, but the opening 45 minutes, not that they’ll need telling, weren’t good enough.