For the first time in almost four decades, Blackpool Football Club will grace the top flight of English football after beating Cardiff City in the Championship play-off final at Wembley. They finished six points behind the Bluebirds in the league and only secured their play-off berth on the final day of the season yet came through a tough semi final against Nottingham Forest before shocking the pre-match favourites.

The Carling Cup demolition of Premier League Wigan Athletic signalled the intent of manager Ian Holloway to make a mockery of the relegation favourites tag. They went out in the next round to more Premiership opposition in Stoke City but only after leading 2-0 and 3-2 prior to their extra time exit. Ipswich put paid to any thoughts of similar heroics on the FA Cup in the 3^rd round but the old cliché of ‘being able to concentrate on the league’ certainly worked in their favour.

A gradual climb became a spring towards the end of the season. A 5-1 drubbing handed out to Swansea City sparked a late surge with five wins from the last seven matches which included a victory over Forest ensuring they went into the play-offs in good form albeit it in sixth place in the league. A 2-1 home leg win was followed by a fantastic 4-3 win at the City Ground thanks to a DJ Campbell hat-trick.  That took them to Wembley where an end-to-end first half saw Brett Ormerod fire them into a 3-2 lead that they would retain.

Blackpool is famous for many things – Premier League football hasn’t been one of the. Until now.