Olly

A few years back pre Palace away (the "old ladies" game), Ollie agreed to a Q and A session with BASIL and guests at a hotel in Croydon. Sat alongside Matt Williams, who lets say "advised" on some answers, he gave a very interesting but somewhat straightforward talk.

He then spent the next 3 hours with us in the bar laughing and joking, telling stories, signing books and whatever. He even got his missus on speakerphone at one stage.

Bipolar? probably but I wouldn't know. Legend? Absolutely in my eyes, gave me the best trip of nearly 40 years following this team.
 
Junior_BentsPlatformShoes said:
At the age of 48, whilst I'd like to think we will see the likes of what we saw with those seasons with Holloway again at some point in the future, a part of me thinks I've seen the best football and times already. The belief in the team and the fans at that time was amazing and will be hard to equal. Whatever Holloway did or said when it started to go sour should not overshadow what he and the players achieved.
Statue one day?
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Junior,
While I agree with all your sentiments I wonder if a statue would diminish the merits and longevity of the two people who currently have statues.
 
basilexile said:
Junior,
While I agree with all your sentiments I wonder if a statue would diminish the merits and longevity of the two people who currently have statues.
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Possibly. I do think some form of recognition is needed one day, perhaps when he is no longer around. The most successful manager in my lifetime.
 
GJJW said:
I'm not gonna lie. I was gutted, angry and resentful when he left. Wasn't happy when he didn't condemn Karl. However, I'm a bit older and wiser now, and can look back with complete gratitude about the memories he and that team gave me.
He's still no King Billy mind!
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He's no king Billy and King Billy is no Ollie. I've a lot of time for both of them. All Blackpool fans should really appreciate what they both gave us.

When Ollie left I wrote a hand written letter to him thanking him for what he'd done cos it was sensational and nothing short of miraculous and I never thought I would live to see anything like it. I don't recall sending any other hand written letter in the last 20 years. To anybody. I felt really strongly about it and I didn't want him to think every Pool fan saw him as a Judas or a bad person or whatever.
 
Junior_BentsPlatformShoes said:
At the age of 48, whilst I'd like to think we will see the likes of what we saw with those seasons with Holloway again at some point in the future, a part of me thinks I've seen the best football and times already. The belief in the team and the fans at that time was amazing and will be hard to equal. Whatever Holloway did or said when it started to go sour should not overshadow what he and the players achieved.
Statue one day?
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Same here, I think that's the best I'll see, which is fine, at least I got to see it with my Dad.

On the plus side the club is a much better club now.
 
voyeur said:
He's no king Billy and King Billy is no Ollie. I've a lot of time for both of them. All Blackpool fans should really appreciate what they both gave us.
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Fully agree pal. I feel privileged to have had both at the top of my club.
 
For me, he was, like all football managers, a mercenary, but that doesn't mean he was a bad guy, after all, The Magnificent Seven were mercenaries

Still the best trip (with the possible exception, my first away trip as a 6-year-old to Deepdale on that historic day I chose as my user name)
 
A stand or statue is too much. He's Karly boys mate and he wasnt here that long.

Maybe the beer bottle counter max could be named after him to recognise the achievement.

Its a shame but he said some stupid some which alienated him from the fans.

Yes he gave me the best times as a football fan but he also supported an owner who gave us some of the worst.
 
If anyone told me that a manager under the Oystons would get us into the premier league and then beat Liverpool
home and away, reach the play-off-finals for the premier league twice, and do it all while playing the best football I have seen
at Blackpool, I would never have believed them. He was magnificent the best manager that Blackpool has had in the last 50 years,
and so what if he left the club, he deserved to be rewarded financially for doing so well at Blackpool and he would never
get paid that well at Blackpool, especially with the Oystons in charge. Plus a manager is only in demand for a limited time.

As for his relationship with Karl, he probably respected the fact that he did not interfere with the team, that he gave him artistic license
to do things his way, and that he was blunt and honest with him about recruitment and lack of funds. Obviously, when he left he
didn't publically condemn the Oystons, especially during the boycott, but that will have probably been down to a non-disclosure
in his contract plus what would he have gained by being indiscreet or slagging them off? It is a small-world football and
potential new employers will respect someone who keeps quiet about their previous employer or talks about the more positive
aspects of working for their previous boss.
 
Some great emotion on this thread. (Me included.)
It was a wonderful time to be a Blackpool fan. My eldest lapped it up.
Will we get more “sunshine” sooner or later? It will happen sometime. That’s football.
Thanks Ollie.
 
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