‘I WANTED US TO LOSE FINAL FOR OYSTONS’

BLACKPOOL legend Tony Green has confessed that the last time his club were at Wembley he actually wanted them to lose.

Four years ago the despised Oyston family were in control of Blackpool amidst a fans boycott and rancour surrounding Bloomfield Road.

The Tangerines’ dream had become a nightmare.

Only 5,000 fans travelled to witness the League Two Play-off Final victory against Exeter City. Former Scottish international Green, who is still idolised in the town for the midfield magic which led to a big-money move to Newcastle United in the early 1970s, was among those who stayed at home.

“It hurts me to say it but I was hoping we would lose,” he recalled. “I thought if we lost and had stayed in League Two it might have got rid of the Oystons.”

Blackpool won and it was another two years before Owen and Karl Oyston severed their ties with a club which in Green’s view “had become toxic”.

Now like one of the rollercoasters at the seaside resort, the club – under current owner, lifelong Tangerines fan Simon Sadler, and with manager Neil Critchley (left) steering – is back on the up.

Green, 74, said: “The atmosphere now is as good as I can remember it, certainly as good as when we got promotion into the Premier League under Ian Holloway.”

“The manager has done an excellent job especially considering that after the first few games of the season we were closer to relegation than to one of the promotion play-off spots.

“They were hardly creating any chances back then.

“I couldn’t see at first what Jerry Yates [a £200,000 signing from Rotherham] was about, but you soon discovered he’s a really good finisher.

“Once the chances were being made he was someone who could put them away.

“And then Sunderland allowed us to take Elliot Embleton on loan – they must be absolutely crackers!

“It’s a strange situation for him now. Sunderland have missed out, while we could be in the Championship.

“Hopefully, we might be able to buy him.”