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‘Pool Fined For ‘Understrength Team’

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Blackpool have been fined £25,000 by the Premier League following an investigation into the team selected by ‘Pool manager Ian Holloway for last November’s away game against Aston Villa.

Ollie made a raft of changes for the game which ‘Pool lost 3-2 to a last minute goal, prompting the Premier League’s investigation.

However, the manager vehemently defended his selection to both the media and the Premier League, famously stating that he would tender his resignation should he be found guilty of playing a weakened side.

It was believed that the issue had been swept under the carpet after Arsenal were not investigated for making eight changes against Wigan (a game that they drew), but the Premier League has found BFC guilty of breaching rules B.13 and E.20 after considering the team fielded by the Seasiders in other Premier League games this season as well as the side fielded against Southampton in the FA Cup earlier this month.

‘Pool have been given a fortnight to appeal the decision, but more interesting will be manager Ian Holloway’s reaction – will he stick to his guns and tender his resignation?

As always, we’ll have all the news as it happens on Vital.

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20 comments

  • Jerry says:

    Complete and utter joke. Nothing will be done with Arsenal, I assume? All because the media made nothing out of their 8 changes. It’s OK, because they do it all the time and their backups are stronger than ours…
    The whole situation is wrong.

  • glennamy says:

    I think this stinks and if it stands then the scum should get the same punishment! I hope BFC appeal this decision & good luck! COYS

  • Stourbridge Villan says:

    Course he wont resign, all bluster this clown, he can pay it with the dodgy back hander from the Charlie Adam sale!

  • Teddy_KGB says:

    I’m sick of this rule that only seems to apply to smaller squads. Fine ManU or Arsenal, then come talk to me. Ridiculous!

  • P.Avfc says:

    The fine itself is very stupid as the 25man squad doesn’t make much sense then? But last year they fined mick mccarthy for doing it so it would be very unfair if they did not fine holloway. Wouldn’t surprise me if he retired the mans an idiot.

  • ljkal says:

    Appaulling decision. You could very easily of beaten us that day and what would the idiots say at the FA then? You’re right, one rule for the Sky 4, another for the rest. FA idiots, idiots, idiots as usual.

  • spu 4 life says:

    I don’t know how big your squad is, but to lose 3-2, to a last minute goal, hardly indicates a weakened team, they should ban that bloody ref, who never gave you a pen vs manure, any other part of the pitch, he would have given a foul, but bottled out….Rafael’s brother say’s; he does not remember a lot, shame he ever got up. little $hit…………………

  • jacpool says:

    ha ha .. funny as…. spu…. , well what do u expect, refs alwys bottle it when fergie around.. as to the fine…. wtf is that about… what is the rule… can you change 8…9… or 10 ,at what point do u get fined , does anyone know??? and…. if you changed 7 at the started then subbed 3 in the first half would you still get fined…. what a load of *********… may as well scrap the 25 man squad…. oh, see we still got the bitter villa fans on here…. going on about adam….. ya had a lucky 2 wins on the trot…. ya still below us and played more games….. i think the villan who put on here want houllier wants, houllier gets looks a dick now…. lol

  • P.Avfc says:

    Children these days ^^

  • lordjohnny says:

    Totally correct decision. Don’t give me all the nonsense about squads. The Premier League has to focus on a fair league. If a team makes 10 changes they will automatically be the focus of a ‘weakened team’ approach. What if this happened on the last day of the season and a team with 10 changes (as in this case with their best player (Charlie Adam) as substitute) lost to save the team they were playing and send another team down, would all managers accept that? I’m sure the manager of the relegated team might have a different opinion. All Premier League clubs signed up to the rule at the beginning of the season. As far as Arse or any other club is concerned, the same rules apply. Fine ’em all.

  • lordjohnny says:

    Oh, and I thought you were going to resign, Holloway? Or, perhaps you are waiting for your cut of the transfer from the sale of a player who was only worth a subs place rather than the 11 you put out to face Villa? So that means you’d hold out for a cut of the transfer of all 25 of your squad, given they are all as likely to play as each other, irrespective of talent or form? Hmmm…. I won’t hold my breath.

  • nunu says:

    Lord Johnny – Wind your neck inmate!
    Why have the 25 squad rule if your not allowed to use the 25!
    who decides what is a weakend team? What does the fa say about our players who nearly beat Villa – Are we now not allowed to play any of them as they were part of a weak team therefore they must be weaker- Its an absolute Joke! The powers that be cant even get their rules right. How can the FA decide the previous team that played are stronger as they might be shattered from the previous game – maybe some had niggles etc. The only persons who know how the players are is the management team.
    I think they should have consulted their Legal advisors before introducing this rule!
    I hope we take it all the way through the courts to show up these unelected paid with our money officials of the FA. No wonder we didnt win the world cup bid with these clowns in charge

  • lordjohnny says:

    nunu- By the way I’m not an inmate. Ingrate perhaps. Hoover this up. They had a chance to consult their legal advisors, and still signed up to the rule. It does appear arbitrary, but it applies to all clubs. If Charlie Adam is available, as he was against Villa, why was he on the bench? The same with Gerrard, Fabregas, Torres et al. It is about FAIRNESS. I understand your ire when the likes of United and Arse appear to get away with it, and they should be hammered. Every club that plays a team that is transparently weak should be fined. Don’t give me the squad players are all of the same ability. If you turned up and the team had ten changes, what would you think?

  • nunu says:

    The Fa officials are really intellectually disadvantaged from the poit that we have been fined under Rule E20. They havnt a hope in hell if we proceed to court as the wording is exactly this “Full Strength Teams
    20. In every League Match each participating Club shall field a full strength team.” The problem for the FA is the legal interpretation of this rule as its so open to interpretation that it could leave the FA with Eggs on their face ! I suggest they suspend the fine like they did for Wolves – The other problem they have is they have stated that they took the FA cup into consideration. They have no juristiction in this area and is another flaw in the FA’s argument.
    I have to spend a lot of time studying UK Law and EEC directives and I feel Blackpool could expose the FAs weaknesses. It could be Bosman all over again

  • lordjohnny says:

    Then you’ll lose unless you declare Charlie Adam a worse player than the one who took his place against Villa. Ditto others. Liverpool take note, as you may acquire Adam on the cheap as a a result. Most fans realise what constitutes their best team and you can’t have it both ways, especially when other clubs approach your best players. You cannot then say it’s a squad game. I do agree that ALL clubs should be scrutinised, and action taken against clubs who abuse this rule, and play a weakened team.

  • diggerman says:

    It still doesn’t alter the fact that each club is allowed a squad of 25 players , yet certain clubs aren’t allowed to utilise that squad.
    What is the cut-off point? Blackpool get fined for making 10 changes , yet nothing gets said about Arsenal’s 8 changes v Wigan.
    As a supporter of an “unfashionable” club , (Middlesbrough) – i know that the top clubs get all the decisions – on and off the pitch – and have done for years.

  • lordjohnny says:

    Agree-and they should be hit with big fines. It’s about time we had a truly fair league. I’d also stop this ridiculous system that allows parent clubs of loaned players stipulating they cannot play when playing the parent club. If you loan a player, you should have no say in when or where that player is available.

  • TheFamousNo7 says:

    lordjohnny if you want a player on loan you have to accept the stipulation that the parent club puts in order, if you don’t like it, you don’t get the player on loan.

  • TheFamousNo7 says:

    This is a joke and something that really****e5 me off. Who actually defines someones best team? Is it the best individuals or is the team that plays best together? In our (Man U) case, is it weaker or stronger if we were to play Nani wide left and Valencia wide right than if it were Giggs wide left and Valencia wide right? The FA aren’t the managers and so should keep their noses out of what team the manager sees fit to play, regardless of the motivations of the manager. If the FA get to decide a teams strongest eleven why have managers? Why not just get the FA to hand out a list of players who must be played each week? Why introduce a 25-man squad rule if you’re not allowed to use all the players available to you? The FA try to promote using home-grown talent but if you do are you in breach of the rule? This rule is far to wide to interpretation and completely contradicts what the 25 man squad rule is trying to enforce.

  • lordjohnny says:

    So No7, clubs make up the rules to suit their loan criteria. Very fair.

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