Tangerine Dreaming

This may have been lost in all the pre-World Cup hysteria but a grand old club of the English game has made it back into the top flight for the first time since 1971; Blackpool FC have been promoted to the English Premier League after beating Cardiff City in a scintillating Wembley play-off last weekend.

The Seasiders were the club of the legendary Stanley Matthews , the Wizard of Dribble, and have a long, proud, history.

Having admitted some time ago that I don't follow a team in the EPL I'll defintely be keeping an eye on the results of Blackpool FC. Like my own club Wellington United they play in a luminous orange which shines like a beacon in the cold winter sun; and provides a great dash of colour on the terraces.

They are truly an underdog success story, and they'll be a commentator's dream, with such set ups as 'Blackpool rock the Premiership' and 'the Blackpool defender towers above the striker,' and 'what a Rollercoaster return for the Seasiders!'

Their current manager, Ian Holloway, has achieved a minor miracle getting them back to the top flight. He is good value for commentators as well, his no-nonsense approach and his honesty makes his press conferences an entertaining string of sweary sound bites, social commentary and non-sequiturs!

So despite their monochromatic name Blackpool will add a dash of colour to the English Premiership; that is if they buck the trend of clubs yo-yoing between the Premiership and the second tier. Cynical supporters of other failed Premiership clubs such as Bradford City, Blackpool's would be 'piers' if you'll humour me, have set up an impromptu supporters club to warn them of the dangers of returning to the big time-It strikes me as a piss-take, but the point is still relevant.

But the Tangerines won't be dreaming about that over Summer, rather they'll be looking forward to entertaining the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and the other, more famous 'Pool at Bloomfield Road next season. Leave them to dream; and let's remember when the Tangerines ruled the green: