Ground rules for Blackpool as Premier League supremo visits: 10th anniversary of Pool promotion

We’re dipping into the archives each day to bring you STEVE CANAVAN’S Gazette reports from 2010.

Ten years ago, the Seasiders were paid a special visit...

Premier League boss Richard Scudamore has been to Bloomfield Road to welcome Ian Holloway and the Seasiders to the top flight.

The league’s chief executive and general secretary Mike Foster examined the ground and explained the rules the Seasiders must abide by.

These include a maximum squad size of 25 players, plus an unlimited pool of players under the age of 21, as well as a maximum of two loan players at any time.

“I think it was only when we sat down with Richard Scudamore (pictured right) that it actually started to sink in that we were in the Premier League,” said Pool secretary Matt Williams.

“We gave them a tour of the ground, and they measured the dressing rooms and were happy with them. We showed them where we propose to do the post-match TV interviews and that was fine.

“They looked around the stadium, looked at the boardroom.... they looked at everything really.

“We must have space for 50 journalists and 20 radio commentary positions, plus 14 camera positions around the pitch, which will double if you broadcast in 3D.”

There were also talks about the makeup of the squad. “You can have 25 players, eight of whom have to be homegrown,” added Williams.

“A player counts as homegrown if he has been registered with any club affiliated to the English or Welsh FA for a period of three seasons prior to his 21st birthday. That’s why the likes of Chelsea or Manchester United will take foreign players into their academies at, say, 16, because when they are 19 they will be classed as homegrown.

“We can have an unlimited pool of Under-21s to top up the squad. This is to give young English players a chance when clubs get suspensions or injuries.

“Our current squad isn’t exactly blessed with a big pool of Under-21s. We have Mark Halstead, Louis Almond, Stephen Husband and Ashley Eastham, so that’s an area we’ve got to look at.”

The loan system too gives the Seasiders food for thought.

“We can no longer take the likes of Seamus Coleman on a three-month loan from Everton. Those days are gone,” added Williams.

“There are no emergency loans in the Premier League, so it is either a window-to-window loan or season-long.

“You are allowed four per season but you can only have two loan players at any one time.”