We're on our way to Wembley: Ian Holloway and Jimmy Armfield's final words before Blackpool set off for the 2010 play-off final

It’s 10 years since the greatest achievement of Blackpool FC’s recent history: promotion to the Premier League for a season feasting on unforgettable football at the English game’s top table.
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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.

On the eve of the play-off final against Cardiff City at Wembley a decade ago, we reported the thoughts of Jimmy Armfield and manager Ian Holloway...

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Jimmy Armfield would love nothing more than to see Blackpool return to the big time 39 years after he hung up his boots for good.

Charlie Adam boards the team bus at Bloomfield Road bound for WembleyCharlie Adam boards the team bus at Bloomfield Road bound for Wembley
Charlie Adam boards the team bus at Bloomfield Road bound for Wembley

When Armfield retired in 1971, after making more than 560 appearances for the club during a 17-year playing career, the Seasiders had just been relegated from the top flight.

He could never have imagined it would take almost four decades for them to have the chance to return.

And anyone who says the club, which had an average attendance of 8,611 this season, is too small for the Premier League will get short shrift from Armfield.

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He said: “ People should actually be thrilled. The most important thing in football is that it must remain a democratic league.

“If the teams on the ladder can’t get to the top, then it is not worth anything.

“That is why you can still get crowds of five and six thousand in the lower divisions – you don’t get that in any other country.

“That door has always got to be open for a team to get through. If you close it, you will close the door on a lot of football people.

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“You can think of teams like Burnley, who got up last season, and I am sure it has been a great experience for them. They have probably stabilised the club and will go back to the Championship stronger to have another bash at it.

“I just hope Blackpool can do it. It would be very beneficial to the whole town.

“When I was playing we were always in the top flight and the town always did well as well. You always live in hope something like this could happen.”

Manager Ian Holloway says Blackpool may never have a better opportunity to make it to the Premier League.

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As 37,500 people prepare to depart the Fylde for Wembley, Holloway is the man tasked with masterminding victory over Cardiff in the £90m winner-takes-all contest.

The boss, set to name an unchanged team for the sixth successive game, has the hopes of the town resting on his shoulders and he said: “It’s crunch time. We could do something absolutely marvellous, something that no-one expected. This is our time to step forward and show what we’re made of.

“ I don’t think we’ll ever have a better chance to do something that hasn’t been done here for 40 years.

“And if you do it here at this club they remember you. They might even put a statue to you outside because the fans here are absolutely spot on for showing respect towards the older players who did something special for the club.

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“ We will certainly try our best. We’ll go to Wembley and play attacking football whatever.

“That’s why I think it could potentially be one of the best ever games in the Championship play-off. “ If it ends 5-4, I don’t care as long as we’ve got the five.

“That’s how we’re approaching it and I know (Cardiff boss) Dave Jones will be the same because his team don’t know any different either.

“It will be a stressful 90 minutes because we know the prize at the end of it, but we’ve already experienced stress twice in the semi-finals against Forest and we won twice. That made me very proud.

“Now we have to do it again on the biggest stage of all.”

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But Holloway admits defeat could make it difficult for the club to hold on to some of its better players.

“You look at someone like Charlie Adam, who he has used the Championship stage to show his skills,” he added.

“If we’re not careful the vultures will come flying about and pick our bones.

“If we win the game... totally different scenario. But if we lose, then I might well have my bones pecked!”