WHAT’S OCCURRING
IAN HOLLOWAY
In 2009-10, ‘Ollie’ took over Blackpool a year after suffering the drop at Leicester – then inspired the fourth favourites for relegation to their first top-flight season since 1971. Now, FFT’s columnist relives the delight...
Usually, I didn’t really do any homework on future bosses before meeting them, but I did with Karl Oyston. Before I became Blackpool manager, I wanted to interview him.
He arrived late, wasn’t wearing a suit and I bought the coffees: I told him I wasn’t waiting for him to get them, because I’d heard about his reputation. He had a jab back at me, and club secretary Matt Williams started laughing.
I knew how to talk to him from there. I asked Karl why he’d built a hotel behind the ground, but not a new stand. He told me it was just good business, and would pay for the stand eventually – but why should he explain it to supporters when it had nothing to do with them anyway? He answered my questions so brutally honestly that I thought, ‘I know where I stand with this bloke’.