Seasiders reach promised land

IAN HOLLOWAY was hailed as a managerial genius by his players after leading Blackpool to the Barclays Premier League after a dramatic 3-2 Coca-Cola Championship play-off final win over Cardiff on Saturday.

When the charismatic Bristol man arrived at Bloomfield Road last summer, the unfashionable Seasiders were being tipped for relegation to League One, a fate that Holloway suffered as Leicester boss in 2008.

Yet a year out of the game has re-energised the 47-year-old and Blackpool reaped the benefits in remarkable fashion at Wembley as they secured a lucrative promotion to the top flight.