Tony Parr is a lifelong Blackpool fan who has been on the mic at Bloomfield Road for over nine years.
He has been through the highs or lows of the club during that time, and he tells Football FanCast about his role at the club…
FFC: How long have you worked for the club?
TP: I worked at the club between 1990 and 1996 and then left to go to St Helens, but I have been on the mic for nine years. I started in 2006.
How did it start?
It’s a funny story really. Chris Hull who was on the mic before me had been doing the job for 28 years before he decided to retire.
He’s a good friend but after the Blackpool Gazette did a piece on him leaving I went to see him. He tried to convince me to do it during a Saturday match and I was adamant that I was not going to take over but by the Tuesday night I had been convinced.
The club agreed and the rest is history.
What is the favourite game you were on the mic for?
The three Wembley appearances [Yeovil, Cardiff and West Ham] were incredible. On all three occasions I was given the chance to be on the pitch.
Obviously, the Cardiff one was a dream come true. Just to play a small part in that day is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. Wembley, apart from my daughters being born, was the best day of my life.
Who is your favourite Blackpool player?
John Burridge. He was a boyhood hero of mine and I was lucky enough to meet him a few times.
What is your match day routine?
It’s not the most exciting role in the beginning. I arrive about an hour before kick-off and get the team sheet. My first job is to go through the names and check if there are any that are hard to pronounce. It’s usually the away team but the occasional loan player can get me stuck too.
I then hang around until we start making announcements on the pitch about 2.30pm on a Saturday match. I chat to the crowd, announce any upcoming events the club have given me, get the mascots on the pitch. I love the role; it’s great to be so close to the action!
Do you think Ollie [Ian Holloway] will be coming back?
I am 99.9% sure he will not be making a return to Bloomfield Road. I think he is creating a media hype around himself to keep other clubs interested in him.
I will never take away what he did for the club but people are always shocked when they hear that I think Ollie’s run was down to luck not judgement. If you think about the players that were so influential were already at the club when he came.
When he left we had 47 players on the books and then most of them were out of contract on the same day. It was bad management! I love him but he won’t be coming back.
Will you be back next season on the mic?
As usual with Blackpool they have a unique way of doing things. Every season I get to the end and that is it. I never get asked if I am coming back so I just turn up on the first day and presume I am.
People were telling me to go out on a bang last season and say something controversial on the mic but I would never do that. My loyalty is to the club not to the people in it. It doesn’t matter if the team were playing on Stanley Park I would still be there.
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