Last day of a crazy season – a look back

Phew as Last day Dramas go that was something Quite Special

The romantic flame that Burnt for Blackpool at times threatened at times to keep on burning but was at the final point extinguished by a unfortunate own goal and a classic Owen Finish. We had Birmingham the Carling Cup Holders who seemed to freeze on the last day intent on getting a draw and realised too late the importance of a win and now a  tour of far flung places in Europe beckons for a team in the championship.

Blackpool despite the Claims of their manager will be missed. They were a second team for many a club that shouldnt have any right to be in the nouveau riche of the premier league. With the lowest wage budget by far in the premiership hardly any money spent on the transfers. But they had something about them many pundits out there and Journos only tipped them to get 12-15 points this season. The fact that they got 39 showed what a remarkable season that they had.

It was a fantastic ride ,when Blackpool fans look back in 20 years they can in my book reflect this as one of their great seasons. Yes they’ve gone down but they certainly didn’t go down with any lack of heart  or passion . It was down to a refusal to go against a principle that Holloway had long installed in his team to entertain, to score more than the opposition no matter how many you can concede. They showed no fear in the way they played they led United 2-0 at Bloomfield ultimately they lost 3-2 but they went for united and nearly had them. Had they shut up shop more in the season played more defensively would they have stayed up? it’s a arguable point but the ride would have been a lot less thrilling.

They played to the last even hitting the post in the last-minute at old Trafford and should have scored with a sitter in the first minute it was symptomatic of the way they played . A small squad ultimately couldn’t sustain their early season form and tailed off with injuries and suspensions.

 For Birmingham things were very different a wave of apathy seemed to cruise through their time on the last day . It looked as if they were playing for a draw then the sudden panic set in when Hunt scored for wolves and frantic waves from Mcleish on the Bench were too late and In Vain. Like Blackpool Birmingham have a bright young manager in Mcleish but it’s almost for some time as if he has been managing with one hand tied behind his back.

The bright new wave of hope that came under Carson Yeung has now gone long ago promises of millions to spend has long gone and seem like now mere whispers in the wind. Birmingham have even have to have had a  12 million pound injection this season just for basic operations to keep going.

 West Ham had a calamitous year with the picking of the wrong manager at the very start . Visibly unable to inspire his players to any decent looking stretch of form they badly limped from game to   relegation was a like a release for the club that had been struggling from day 1. West Ham deserved to go down from the lack of management from the board to the clueless management of Avram Grant even after the horses bolted sacking of Avram Grant proved what a tired and  classless season they had.

This was drama in football as it’s best even neutral fans had a match on  tv the internet and the radio on to keep up to date. The bottom three changed many times during the day and in the stadiums fans had phones and radios glued to hear and expressions were changing minute by minute . The contrasting pictures between joy and despair and heartbreak on the last day defined a day that in many ways defined a season .

The premiership is seen as a cartel, a playground for the rich and that’s why the story of Blackpool resonated so much the nature of small club operating on a tiny budget beating liverpool at anfield and taking on united they will surely be missed.

As for Blackpool the likelihood is we wont see them again. Holloway knows the team will be broken up  and he wont be able to get another team like that together again. In many ways Holloway is right Blackpool could be a case of a team that captured a moment  where players and managers came together at the right time . Holloway will look past on the season with regrets yes But I for one hope that he can take a lot of pride and joy for a team that gave it all refused to give it up to the last.