Your Ollie stories

HappyasLarry

Well-known member
Good, bad or indifferent - times you met him, observed him or have an anecdote about him?

Can imagine there’s a few tales about him.

I once saw him tear apart a Villa fan after his son had stood next to him and his Dad had taken a photo without Ollie knowing. When he realised Ollie went ballistic much to the open mouthed astonishment of everyone stood around him!
 
Met him once briefly didn't find him a warm friendly soul. Doesn't detract from my love of what he did as manager.
 
The sold out Alan Suddick tribute night in the lounge at the club. He came on to do his speech and I swear he called him Suggett as in the former Norwich and WBA player. And I don't think it was a slip of the tongue. I think at first that's who he genuinely believed he was supposed to be talking about. He was and is a first class bullshitter.
 
We were doing a sponsored event for Gary Parkinson and when he came up to the sponsors lounge one day we asked would he like to sponsor us - he replied ‘is it official or are you making a few quid from it’ - was so stunned I didn’t follow him as he walked out of the room!
 
Found him quite guarded and curiously detached when the cameras weren’t rollling or he hadn’t got an audience.

Still a legend though....but a large rung below Billy Ayre. One cup of tea with him and I’d have run through a wall for him. He had something about him as a manager and a person and he was fairly young for back then too.
 
After the postponement of the Man.U. game in the prem, we were in the club shop buying some Pool stuff for our daughter for Christmas. Ollie was in buying stuff for his kids, I bought a programme of the postponed match that were on sale and asked him if he would sign it for my daughter. He was most obliging, actually wishing her a merry Xmas etc on the prog. Chatted to him about the postponed game, and laughing he said Ferguson had called it off as they were scared of us! Yes he’s a complex character but he gave us some fackn trip!
 
He gave us an unbelievable trip of joyous lifelong memories, with Sadler as owner he would probably be still here, with a statue getting built after our recent champions league win. I think our best trip though has just begun. UTMP
 
Strange guy!! bit like Marmite in my opinion and I don’t hold any affection for him but like Hazi said, FANTATSIC ACHIEVEMENT and rightly should go down in Blackpool FC folklore. Why does like or love have to
Come into it. Give me Billy Ayre any day but the bastards killed him off when it suited.
 
Tried to hand him an invitation to the BST 5 year anniversary of promotion to the premier league and he flatly refused stating that he wanted nothing to do with it and believed BST were causing issues at the club...no I think that was the Oystons!!

Apart from Holloway and Seamus Coleman who was playing in London for Everton it was a 100% attendance from the 2010 squad.

Quite bizarre individual who has lost all my previous respect.
 
He lived in our village for a while when managing QPR and stopped to help a lady with a car problem who I was already helping. I mentioned I was a pool fan, he said nothing, climbed in his car and drove off. Moral of the story, don't expect too much from your hero when you meet them.
 
I prefer to think of him as the inspirational leader who took us to the Prem in a real life Roy of the Rovers style story. The traffic cone wearing, laugh out loud persona. On the top deck of the open top promotion parade with his wife and the players, then the speech on the headland. People packed onto the promenade and crowding onto balconies to listen to him.
He no doubt inspired that group of players above and beyond what anyone dreamed possible, then very nearly did it again. All set against a backdrop of the O’s conspiring against him and the club.

We caught him at exactly the right time: fresh, rejuvenated, full of ideas, confident and funny with something to prove. I can also understand why the players bought into it.

But he’s a complex man, possibly bipolar - up & down mood swings, egomaniac, playing to the cameras, money obsessed, erratic, ill prepared, out of his depth, mojo gone, sometimes false, sometimes selfish & sullen. A real quandary. I worry about his mental health.
 
BASIL asked Ollie if he would do a Q&A at their hotel the night before a game against Palace. He duly agreed and about 20 of us turned up. To be fair he was quite guarded (and supported by Matt W) but it was an interesting insight and he spoke really well for well over an hour. He then spent 2 hours at the bar with us, laughing and joking in typical Ollie style, signing books, pictures etc.
Whilst the manner of his departure at the Derby match still rankles a bit, overall, my view is that he is a top guy and I'll always be grateful for The Trip.
 
This is honestly true right, I was walking down Central Drive and I heard a right commotion coming from down an alley, I ventured to have a look and it was only Ian Holloway literally drowning kittens in a bucket one by one, he looked well unhinged and was laughing like an evil maniac, he also had a pile of money in a suitcase that he would momentarily turn round to and put his face in, true, it was like he'd forgotten the kitten drowning or something but then would break off and return to the bucket, god's honest truth right, anyway, best trip and that even though he sniffs money and drowns kittens. in a bucket.
 
Ollie once posed a rhetorical question as to whether he was a good manager or whether he struck it lucky coming to Blackpool with the squad he inherited. Looking at his record since what do we think?
 
This is honestly true right, I was walking down Central Drive and I heard a right commotion coming from down an alley, I ventured to have a look and it was only Ian Holloway literally drowning kittens in a bucket one by one, he looked well unhinged and was laughing like an evil maniac, he also had a pile of money in a suitcase that he would momentarily turn round to and put his face in, true, it was like he'd forgotten the kitten drowning or something but then would break off and return to the bucket, god's honest truth right, anyway, best trip and that even though he sniffs money and drowns kittens. in a bucket.
Hahaha
 
Back in April 2011 I organised a 45 year Anniversary event for students and teachers who had all been together on an OND Business Studies course at Lytham St Anne’s COFE. There were 12 of us in total. We had been to see Pool play Wigan in the Premier League and then we met up for dinner and drinks at The Grand Hotel in St Anne’s. Imagine my surprise when Ollie and his whole family came in and sat on the table next to us. I asked Ollie if he would sign a Pool home shirt for Fred Wolstencroft, the OND course Leader, for his 80th birthday. Ollie readily agreed and even went out to his car to get a black marker pen, he then joined us, signed a special message on the Pool home shirt, and happily signed autographs and willingly had his picture taken. He came over and said Goodbye to everybody on our table when he and his family left the restaurant. Pool had lost 3-1 against Wigan that day but Ollie still made our day the Perfect Day.
 
Tried to hand him an invitation to the BST 5 year anniversary of promotion to the premier league and he flatly refused stating that he wanted nothing to do with it and believed BST were causing issues at the club...no I think that was the Oystons!!

Apart from Holloway and Seamus Coleman who was playing in London for Everton it was a 100% attendance from the 2010 squad.

Quite bizarre individual who has lost all my previous respect.
Jesus - that is seriously weird.
 
This is honestly true right, I was walking down Central Drive and I heard a right commotion coming from down an alley, I ventured to have a look and it was only Ian Holloway literally drowning kittens in a bucket one by one, he looked well unhinged and was laughing like an evil maniac, he also had a pile of money in a suitcase that he would momentarily turn round to and put his face in, true, it was like he'd forgotten the kitten drowning or something but then would break off and return to the bucket, god's honest truth right, anyway, best trip and that even though he sniffs money and drowns kittens. in a bucket.
Here’s footage of Ollie in his wizards outfit sacrificing babies to bring enhanced satanic powers to his mate Karl.

9E08DB20-9BBF-40F7-9475-5DD250060545.jpeg
 
Ollie, undoubtedly gave us some of the best football and memories most of us will ever have. For a good while he was my hero. However as someone has said higher up this thread, best not to meet your hero. We had just won a night game with a late winner when not playing well and I was in corporate that night. I had invited as one of my guests a lady who had not had it easy in life, not much money, personal issues etc. Sadly after 25 years with a firm she had just been made redundant and so was very worried how she and her family were going to cope. Mad keen fan she had still travelled as always from out of town to see Blackpool.
There had been a substitution that night by Holloway of a player who was a fans favourite and so there had been a few boos. Not many but enough that he had noticed.
Anyway we had stayed late in corporate cheered by what was an unexpected win. I went downstairs later than the rest of my group and at the bottom of the stairs Ollie was laying into the lady I mention above plus a couple of others, calling us a small club (us not we), stating that we were never happy, and did not deserve the management and chairman that we had. Apparently he was incensed at the booing and for some reason laid into my party who I understand has asked him to sign a progamme. It was that bad that I called a security guy over, but Ollie would not shut up. The security guy asked Ollie's wife to ask him to calm down. She did but with little affect. In the end someone else who I did not recognise came over and apologised and said he often gets like this and suggested we just walk out. Even then he followed us to the door. It was absolutely bizzarre and ruined the night upsetting the very person I had invited in the hope it would cheer her up. I never listened to any of his talks again.
One can't fault what he achieved for us, but a very flawed character.
 
The sold out Alan Suddick tribute night in the lounge at the club. He came on to do his speech and I swear he called him Suggett as in the former Norwich and WBA player. And I don't think it was a slip of the tongue. I think at first that's who he genuinely believed he was supposed to be talking about. He was and is a first class bullshitter.
In fairness that night Ollie was better than the comedian.
 
He was a flawed genius, no doubt, I always thought he had a mania about him. Best, like with many people you come across, remember the good times, and leave the bad ones in the past. We would never have got to the Prem without him, we would never have seen that squad play so well, we would never have seen so many goals.

And working for THEM would be enough to drive anyone nuts
 
He was a fantastic manager for us. I think he is one of those working-class-blokes-done-good types though that look up to anyone with a quid more than them, and down on anyone with a quid less than them.
 
Spoke to him at the meet the players afternoon whilst in the prem. He came across as decent and approachable. I thanked him for the wonderful experiences he had given us fans. He said he was very grateful to the fans whom he said had been a contributing factor to the success. He left us with wonderful memories. Digressing a bit i also spoke to Steve Thompson that afternoon, he came across as a very likeable and humble person.
 
Long story, but my brother in law is a Boro fan, he needed a stem cell transplant to reboot his immune system as he had a generic condition which meant he would either bleed to death or get cancer at about the age of 30. He duly got cancer at the age of 30 which was his life expectancy at birth.

So before his transplant (he wasn't well) I spoke to MFC so he could get to see a game before he went in for his treatment. They were brilliant and gave him guest passes for the directors box, which meant he could go in at half time etc. They were brilliant. It was v Rotherham, the match was crap but we were treated amazingly well.

Anyway about 18 months later, after 12 months in the Freeman in Newcastle and literally twice being told to say our goodbyes, we got to play Boro. Spoke to MFC to explain the situation and they offered us a Box. So I thought it would be just to keep him warm at half time etc. but no, they treated us as though we had paid. Unbelievable by Boro. So we watched the game together, and drew 2-2.

We were able to stay awhile whilst they did the usual safety match drinks etc.

Anyway, brother in law and his son went to see the MoM presentation and MFC kindly let the lad give him the award.

Me and TSJr1 meanwhile got to see all the post match interviews. We went pitch side and asked Ollie if he would mind having his photo with us etc. He was incredibly obliging and asked us about how we were where we were. I told him, pretty much the second half of this story and he turned and said that the entire MFC establishment was a "proper club" and had been superb with how they had treated our team. So speaking as I find; he was everything I could have hoped for in his approach to me and my then 7/8 year old.

At the time I reflected how very different the approaches between the two clubs were, now I desperately hope that under our new ownership, BFC would do the equivalent and make the difference.

The story hasn't finished yet. My brother in law turned 40 this year; he'd got a medium term prognosis which isn't great, but he's had 10 years longer and counting to see his children grow up and for that we are truly grateful.
 
Very briefly at my college in 2011, just managed to say thank you Mr Holloway as he walked by
 
Shook his hand during the pitch invasion against Bristol City. Fair few people I know told me "saw you on Sky Sports news" as the camera was following Holloway walking off the pitch as it happened. Never got to bloody see it myself!

Eternally grateful for the memories from 09/10, 10/11 and 11/12. His opinions (or lack of) surrounding the Oyston's are very frustrating, I'm not sure how to feel about his recent rant about the Grimsby situation - annoyed that he couldn't speak out like that with us or happy he has learnt not what to do? Ultimately I don't hold any ill will towards him, its just disappointing he has tarnished what would be legend status as a manager for our club
 
Some good tales on there.
I never met Ollie, living in France that wonderful season.
Came over for the Final though. 😀
 
Surely it's a bare minimum to be polite and sign an autograph or whatever and be friendly. It doesn't elevate that person to a wonderful human being. We set the bar so low these days.
Never met him but just by this thread and other stories he seems a very up and down character.
 
Not about Ollie, but his wife.

When we went to Newcastle in our Prem year I was in the main foyer just having a look round and Ollie came in with his wife, indicated where the lift was and told her he would see her after the game.
I duly got in the lift with her and on the ride up she explained that the club wouldn’t let her in corporate so she had to watch the game with the rest of the fans in the top tier which, as most people know, is about a mile away from the pitch 😂
Very nice lady indeed.

Obviously Ollies claim to fame was getting little old Blackpool into the big time and for me, he will always be a legend but as someone has alluded to in this thread, it looks like he was a one hit wonder. Having a nightmare at Grimsby.
 
Back in April 2011 I organised a 45 year Anniversary event for students and teachers who had all been together on an OND Business Studies course at Lytham St Anne’s COFE. There were 12 of us in total. We had been to see Pool play Wigan in the Premier League and then we met up for dinner and drinks at The Grand Hotel in St Anne’s. Imagine my surprise when Ollie and his whole family came in and sat on the table next to us. I asked Ollie if he would sign a Pool home shirt for Fred Wolstencroft, the OND course Leader, for his 80th birthday. Ollie readily agreed and even went out to his car to get a black marker pen, he then joined us, signed a special message on the Pool home shirt, and happily signed autographs and willingly had his picture taken. He came over and said Goodbye to everybody on our table when he and his family left the restaurant. Pool had lost 3-1 against Wigan that day but Ollie still made our day the Perfect Day.
I can tell you that Fred Wolstencroft is a top bloke.
 
One can't fault what he achieved for us, but a very flawed character.
For all he achieved, and let's not forget the players were the significant reason we got promoted, he lost my respect towards the end for so many reasons. Felt he was a bully, a charlatan and a nasty piece of work by the end and was glad to see the back of him.
The reason we deteriorated so badly after he left was more down to his replacements and the Oyston's than the fact he had left us.
 
I attended a BFC Former Players Association event in the Stan Matthews suite at Bloomfield Road on Friday 16th April 2010. It was a celebration of 40 years since Pool beat Preston 3-0 at Deepdale to clinch promotion. It was a fantastic night superbly organised by John Cross. Ollie took to the stage and gave a rousing speech to a capacity audience of what Pool were going to achieve that season. He was passionate, very positive, full of belief and I came away from this event buzzing as I witnessed myself Ollie’s amazing motivational skills. Pool beat Forest at at Bloomfield Road the next day 3-1 and went on to win 6 out of the last 8 games only losing one game to clinch the final Play off spot by 1 point. The rest as they say is history but I don’t believe any other Manager, working for the Oystons with that squad, could have achieved what Ollie delivered that season which for me is still the highlight of watching Pool for over 60 years.
 
I had the privilege of working for the youth department during his tenure and sat in the next office to him with Gary Parkinson. We used to chuckle at the hilarious conversations (even with KOKO) that we could hear going on. Every morning at 10am the players would all gather in the training ground main room to be addressed by Ollie and Steve, so Gary and I would sneak out to stand and watch his address.
One morning, as we all gathered, he kicked the door open to a chorus of the famous "Go Compare" song loud and clear to the delight of the players who simply burst into laughter. He didn't need his usual motivational speech that morning!!
 
Met him and a few of the players when they were training at Myerscough about 9/10 years ago. Came across really nice, him and a few of the players stopped for a chat and to take a few pictures with everyone
 
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