I knew we were in trouble when I saw a ref high-five Drogba before our game
IAN HOLLOWAY recalls the moment he feared the romance of taking Blackpool into the Premier League would end in heartbreak.
So when the Tangerines’ defeat on the final day of the season at champions Manchester United confirmed their return to the Championship, their outspoken manager looked back on a string of controversial decisions that went against his team.
Holloway said: “The common perception is that poor refereeing decisions even themselves out over the course of a season.
“I can tell you from my own bitter experience with Blackpool, that’s utter rubbish.
“In the end, we were relegated by a single point – and to come so close to staying up made the disappointment even worse because we went out of the Premier League knowing that we would have survived if some referees had done their jobs properly.
“Against Man United at Bloomfield Road, we were 2-0 up when Luke Varney was fouled by Rafael.
“It was the most nailed-on penalty you will ever see, but the referee turned a blind eye and United scored three times in the last 20 minutes.
“Against Man City, we had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside while they scored one that should not have stood because of a foul. We lost 3-2. “There was another stonewall penalty turned down against Arsenal, and against Blackburn they scored a last-minute winner when one of our players was fouled and it should have still been disallowed for offside.
“I know it sounds like sour grapes, but it wasn’t just the big decisions that went against us. Referees were on first-name terms with opposition players. We were ‘little Blackpool’ – just there to make the numbers up.
“The day I saw one referee give a high-five to Chelsea’s Didier Drogba before the game, I knew we were in trouble. I reported my concerns and do you know what happened? Absolutely nothing.”
Holloway was not alone among the managers of the Cinderella clubs who made short-lived visits into the big time.
Barnsley officials were always convinced they didn’t get any disciplinary breaks during the 1997-98 campaign after Danny Wilson led them into the Promised Land. The Tykes were a provincial town team who made it into the Premier League on merit to challenge the establishment clubs. Burnley are still in there, fighting for all the minnows in English football. But perhaps the biggest achievement in the modern era was Blackburn hitting the top flight, staying there and actually being crowned champions in 1995. Detractors will claim that they were transformed into England’s top team by owner Jack Walker’s generous investment that helped manager Kenny Dalglish pay record fees for the likes of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton. There was never any suggestion that the Oyston family, the Seasiders’ owners, would match Walker’s largesse. In fact, they cashed in on Blackpool’s sole season in the Prem, provoking fractures with supporters that have only deepened over the years. There was still plenty for the Bloomfield Road faithful to cheer during their stay in the big time. Blackpool’s first top-flight game since 1971 saw them win 4-0 at Wigan. They did the double over Liverpool, winning 2-1 both times, and there was a victory at Newcastle and a home triumph against Tottenham to savour. “Do you know what?” said Holloway. “Despite some diabolical refereeing decisions, I loved every minute of it. “The Premier League is all that it’s cracked up to be – and much more. “Winning at Anfield was something our fans didn’t even dare to dream about. “Walking down the Old Trafford tunnel with Sir Alex Ferguson was a big moment for me. “But it was the little things that made it magic. “At Man City they produced little sticks of rock with Blackpool’s name running through them. That was class. Even when we lost on the final day at United, we took the lead after going behind and were just 16 minutes from safety. Then they scored three times and it was game over.” Blackpool won many friends with their entertaining football and nobody could dispute their positive approach. They had the best overall disciplinary record in the Premier League – just two red cards and 47 yellows. Thirdplaced City were the worst offenders with five reds and 74 cautions.