Southern On Cloud Nine

It had to be didn’t it? Brett Ormerod to score the winning goal and Keith Southern named man of the match. It just had to be.

Two players who have given their all for Blackpool over several years, two players that have both made their names at the club, and two players who will now go down in history as having helped to guide the Seasiders into the top flight for the first time in forty years.

Yet if you speak to them both, they’re still exactly the same – just two good blokes who enjoy playing their football.

And speaking to the Blackpool Gazette yesterday, Keith Southern vowed that promotion to the Premier League would not change him or the rest of the players, despite lots of talk about the £5 million bonus that they have to share between them courtesy of club president Valery Belokon, and the fact that some of them have seen their wages increase due to clauses in their contracts regarding promotion to the Premier League.

‘It’s not about the money whatsoever – it is about being in the Premier League, something most of us have dreamed of ever since we were young lads,’ said the midfielder.

‘I’ve been here eight years and I can honestly say I never, ever thought I’d see the day when Blackpool were in the Premier League.

‘It is just unbelievable. I can’t believe where this club has come, from the day I walked through the door to where it is now.

‘It just shows what can be achieved with a lot of belief, hard work and good players. Ian Holloway is the man as far as I’m concerned.

‘We’ve got a great group of lads at this club and there is no way we will ever turn into big-timers who won’t talk to anyone.

‘It will exciting when the fixtures come out and it will be terrific to welcome all those big teams to our place. You dream of playing against clubs like that.

‘It is the greatest league in the world and there is no better feeling than to know we’re going to be playing in it.’

However, somewhat strangely, Gnashers also praised the playing surface at Wembley, despite the fact that it saw Gary Taylor-Fletcher pick up an injury:

‘I heard John Terry complain like mad about the state of the Wembley pitch after the FA Cup final – he wants to play at Bloomfield Road or in the lower leagues and see what a bad pitch is.

‘I thought Wembley’s pitch was fantastic and it certainly didn’t stop us passing the ball.’

Speaking of John Terry, Southern admitted that the Premier League will present the Seasiders with a ‘daunting challenge’:

‘We will go into the Premier League with our eyes open. We know how daunting it is and we know the quality it demands, but we’ll worry about it when the time comes.’

Given the Seasiders’ history of overcoming such challenges, you wouldn’t bet on them doing the same again come August.