Blackpool boss still pinching himself after promotion: Ten years on from the Seasiders reaching the Premier League

We’re dipping into the archives each day to bring you STEVE CANAVAN’S Gazette reports from a decade ago on Blackpool’s remarkable journey to the promised land.

Ten years ago, Ian Holloway was still coming to terms with winning promotion...

Ian Holloway says he is still waking up with a smile adorning his face almost three weeks after the Wembley triumph.

The Seasiders boss pulled off what many thought was impossible when he guided the club to play-off final success and the Premier League.

Holloway is knuckling down to the hard work of preparing Pool for a crack at the big boys next season but he’s doing it in the best of spirits.

“Every morning I wake up, I can’t get this smile off my face,” said the boss, who has been linked with dozens of players in the media in the last few weeks – the latest, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake from Wolves.

“What a fantastic challenge we’ve got ahead of us but we shouldn’t be fearful of it – we should embrace it.

“I don’t want the enthusiasm that’s around this town ever to end because it feels so good.

“When you walk down the main street and see what it means to everybody, and what it’s going to do for their businesses and what it’s going to do for the area, it’s great.

“People can write us off, because it is a hard challenge but they can’t take away that we’ve done it and that’s a lovely thing to be able to say.”

Holloway has admitted that winning at Wembley was an emotional moment for him, and he talked about his late father Bill.

“I’m welling up a bit even now talking about it because I remember on the pitch at Wembley, after the full-time whistle, I was thinking about somebody who isn’t here – I was thinking about my dad and what he would have thought,” said Holloway.

“Then I thought about Blackpool fans who aren’t here any more and what they would have felt, all those who watched 40 years ago when we last got to the top flight.

“I can’t tell you how absolutely astounded I was by the sight of all those Blackpool fans.

“I was in a tangerine wall of noise and there was sheer ecstasy among the fans.

“The players were thanking them. It was just so genuine.

“I wanted to treasure that and I swear to you now I’ve got goosebumps on the back of my neck thinking about it – it was absolutely magnificent.

“I’ve seen some photos since, things that I missed, the Blackpool balloon with the flag underneath it and smoke going off around it.

“One of my daughters got an absolutely magnificent picture of that and nobody can ever take these things away – it is something I’ll never forget.

“When I walk upstairs at the club next season I want to see pictures of those celebrations. I’ve seen the ones of when Simon Grayson did it last time and I was a bit envious of that.

“Now I’ve done that myself and taken them to the promised land and no matter what happens, we are going to try and improve everything on and off the field.

“It’s not going to be easy but I like a challenge.”