The Seasiders stars will share a £5m bonus if they clinch a Premier League spot, just as they did when they beat Cardiff at Wembley two years ago.

Brett Ormerod hit the winning goal that day to shoot Blackpool into the big time.

And Ollie reckons they will have earned every penny.

He said: “The West Ham players are being paid at least four times as much as my lads — but we certainly won’t feel like second-class citizens when we walk out at Wembley.

“That £5m bonus equates to quite a bit of money, especially for the players who have figured in most of our games.

“I hope my chairman has to pay up, because these players have certainly earned it.”

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The midfielder will lead the Hammers out at Wembley today looking to add to
his success of reaching the Premier League with Bolton and Newcastle.

And apart from his rookie season as a pro, when he made only four appearances,
Nolan has NEVER failed in a promotion campaign.

He said: “I went up with Bolton in the play-off final which was a fantastic
day and the way we won the league with Newcastle was another great memory.

“Hopefully, it will be another one and it will be three times I’ve played in
this league and three times I’ve got myself out of it in fantastic
circumstances.

“It will probably be the best one as it’s a massive turnaround in a short
space of time.

“No one deserves it more than our fans or the people that work at this club,
so we need one more massive push.”

Nolan’s promotion success started 11 years ago when he was in the Bolton team
that beat Preston in the play-off final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

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WEST HAM captain Kevin Nolan says the club is in good shape for Wembley

Then, two seasons ago, he was a key man in Newcastle racking up 102 points as
champions in the second tier.

Blackpool are standing in their way today and the clash is worth an estimated
£90million to the winners.

Nolan, 29, is wary of Ian Holloway’s men having play-off pedigree after
winning at Wembley two seasons ago before only just getting relegated last
term.

And he reckons West Ham’s two wins against the Seasiders this season — the
aggregate score was 8-1 — will count for nothing.

He said: “Many of their players have been there and done it so, although
people make us favourites, they are playing on that. Our wins against them
have gone now.

“It’s now about 90 minutes and two teams. We won’t underestimate them no
matter how well we played against them during the season.”

Team-mate Carlton Cole is hoping for a double celebration.

The ex-Chelsea striker, 28, is pals with Ashley Cole and Daniel Sturridge and
is hoping they can beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

He said: “We go first and if we win that is one ticked box.

“Then if Chelsea win that is another box ticked — and a very good weekend for
me.”

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The Seasiders manager watched the Premier League drama unfold on TV and was reminded of what they are missing.

He insisted: “It really is the only place to be.”

Holloway admits he has never been through so many conflicting emotions in just a couple of hours — even though his team were already safely through to today’s Championship play-off final against West Ham at Wembley.

He was gobsmacked as he watched Manchester City’s amazing title triumph and then Bolton suffer the same fate as his team a year earlier by being relegated after things went their way early on.

Ollie said: “I was transfixed, watching it all from start to finish on telly. No wonder it’s the best league in the world.

“My kids looked after me and got me the occasional beer so I didn’t have to move from in front of the TV and I watched the whole drama unfold.

“I’ve never known excitement stay at that fever pitch for so long — and I’ve never felt as nervous in my life as I did just watching it.

“It was just an amazing day, the level of excitement, the swings and turnarounds, the quality of Aguero’s finish.

“And with it all ending so dramatically — at both ends of the table — I couldn’t help thinking back to the way it finished up for us, realising that our 39 points would have kept us up this time.

“There we were, leading Manchester United at Old Trafford with 20 minutes to go on the final day before it all went wrong.

“Who wouldn’t want to be involved in all of that again? Sign me up now!”

Holloway claims his team have exceeded his pre-season expectations simply by making the play-offs.

He had to take on a major rebuilding job with Charlie Adam, David Vaughan and DJ Campbell all moving on. But he insists he will not be happy to reflect on a brave near-miss if they lose today.

He added: “After what happened last year we needed to start again.

“With the players we lost it all looked broken — and we’ve somehow managed to glue it back together again.

“But if we don’t go up don’t try patting me on the back and saying hard luck old chum. I’ve had my fill of being a plucky loser.

“I will be very upset if we lose because I know what I want and we have made huge strides towards reaching that level again.

“What we’re doing seems to be working — so we’ll keep doing it.

“You don’t have to tell me West Ham are favourites. We know that. They scored four goals against us in both games during the regular season and outplayed us both times.

“But that doesn’t mean they are going to win. We’re used to being underdogs — and we do love a good scrap.”

Probable team: Gilks, Eardley, Evatt, Baptiste, Crainey, Angel, Ferguson, Dobbie, Ince, Taylor-Fletcher, M Phillips.

david.facey@the-sun.co.uk

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But Super Kev’s 17 goals this term have fired the Seasiders to the Championship play-off final.

And one more strike today could see Phillips, 38, spending his final year as a player in the Premier League next term.

The former England man has banged them in for Watford, Sunderland, Southampton, Villa, West Brom and Birmingham.

But he admitted: “When I signed for Blackpool last summer, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t one the supporters were too happy about.

“In fact I know that’s the case, because when you sign for a club you go on the message boards and have a look to see what the fans are saying. Any player would be lying if they told you different. You surf the net, look at the local paper and the general concensus was that I was a total washout.

“It was not just a case of them thinking my days as a top-flight striker were over.

“I think a lot of people thought my days were gone altogether.

“But I’ve never given up and the most important person who never gave up on me was the manager. Ian Holloway said he couldn’t care less how old I was when I first spoke to him about coming here.

“He just believed I could still score goals and I believed I could too.

“The season has gone pretty much how I expected — I’d play a few, be rested for a few, come on and change a game sometimes.

“So to score 17 goals is not bad for an old man as people keep telling me.”

Phillips is grateful to Blackpool boss Holloway not just for snapping him up when his contract at Birmingham expired but for allowing him to do things his own way.

The striker explained: “He has been fantastic in terms of the time he’s given me to do my own training.

“I’m still based in the Midlands and I train on my own at home and travel up to Blackpool later in the week.

“The best word to use is respect. With some players you can’t do that but he’s shown me great respect and I respect him back immensely.”

That explains why Phillips is so eager to spend his final season as a player with the Seasiders, regardless of whether they beat West Ham today.

He added: “Come what may, next season I’ll be playing for Blackpool.

“I think I could still score goals in the Premier League. It would be great to have one more crack at it.”

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Florendo and Gianna Di Matteo, along with their blind daughter Concetta, have hung a Chelsea flag in the porch of their home.

And former crane driver Florendo said: “We were immigrants to Switzerland in the early 1960’s looking for work. Things were tough for all of us but we were so proud of Roberto because he kept up the honour of the Italians in our community.

“Roberto played regularly in the youth teams and he must have been 12 or 13 when I suddenly realised that perhaps he had the talent to make it as a professional footballer.

“He started playing for the A team in Schaffhausen and then he was spotted by the bigger teams Zurich and Aarau. He won the championship with them and the Swiss Player of the Year award.

“He was really being noticed and some people were saying he should change his nationality to Swiss — but he insisted on staying Italian.

“When he made his Italy debut we were all so proud of him. It was an honour for us and for him.

“He made 34 appearances for the Azzurri and it was the best moment for us — the worst came when he suffered his leg injury at Chelsea in 2000 and it ended his career.”

The family have since moved back to Italy and live in the sleepy town of Lanciano, near the Adriatic Sea.

His mum Gianna said: “When he was younger Roberto would spend hours in the garden kicking a football and running up and down the drive. He would kick the ball against the garage door while waiting for his dad to come back from work.

“Now we will all be watching the game on Saturday.”

His sister Concetta, who has been blind since birth, added: “Everyone in the family just wants Roberto to do well — who knows if he will stay at Chelsea though. That’s a decision for the directors, all we want is for him to be happy.”

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"It's all about the 90 minutes now," said the West Ham captain.

"Everything that's gone on earlier in the season is scrapped now, it's
just about two teams trying to do their best to get to the Premier League.

"Blackpool are going to be just as up for it as we will but I'm looking
forward to it and hopefully coming out on top.

"It'll be down to whoever can execute their game plan to the best of
their ability."

Nolan has first-hand experience of winning the most expensive shootout in
football.

The midfielder was a member of the Bolton team which beat Preston 3-0 at the
Millennium Stadium in 2001.

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WEST HAM captain Kevin Nolan says the club is in good shape for Wembley

"I played in a play-off final very early in my career," he said.

"It's definitely up there with the big European nights I've played in and
the Worthington Cup final.

"This is going to be a big day and something I will always remember and
hopefully cherish if we get the right result."

The Hammers have lost just one of their last 20 games, a 4-2 home defeat by
eventual champions Reading.

"The Reading game apart we've been quite solid and have done really well,"
he said.

"Going into the play-offs we were very confident and we knew Cardiff were
going to be a tough outfit, but I thought we handled it well.

"But I don't look at this final thinking who is the favourite. Blackpool
have been here before, they've done it and have had the experience of
Wembley in doing that.

CARLTON COLE is hoping to make his first start at Wembley with West Ham

"It'll be my first time playing at Wembley — my second time
being there because I went to watch an FA Cup semi-final a couple of weeks
ago — so I'm really looking forward to getting out there,
experiencing it all.

"But at the end of the day it's just a blade of grass, I'm just going to
look at it that way."

Srtiker Carlton Cole has appeared at Wembley as a substitute for England and
is hoping to be part of the starting line-up now he's made it there in a
claret and blue shirt.

Cole said: "I'm not saying I'm starting yet, I'm not picking the team,
but hopefully I can start and make an impact and try and notch a goal.

"As long as we do our job and execute our tasks we should do it.

"Blackpool know they've not been succesful against us in the past but
they've got one day to put that right.

SAM ALLARDYCE on what a Wembley play-off win would mean for West Ham

"We've got to be able to counteract that and anything they throw at us
we'll have to deal with."

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce is under no illusions about the importance of
beating one of his former clubs to get to the "promised land".

Allardyce said: "It's the biggest game that this club has played since
the last time Alan [Pardew] took them up via the play-offs.

"It's important for the status of everybody at the club, particularly
myself, my staff and the players to acquire Premier League status again.

"It gives us all a greater standing in the game and of course it brings a
huge amount of revenue into this club and gives it worldwide branding.

"So it's important from both sides, from the football side and the
financial side."

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Drogba was branded an “outstanding actor” by Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes
— weeks after facing an identical charge from Barcelona.

The Chelsea striker was accused of play acting in their semi-final with the
Catalans.

Now, Heynckes has turned up the heat on the veteran hitman before the
blockbuster clash in Munich.

Heynckes said: “Sometimes he overdoes it a bit.

“Sometimes he’s an outstanding actor on the pitch.”

Drogba has yet to agree a new contract and looks set to end his eight-year
Stamford Bridge stint in the summer.

But Heynckes insists Drog is still a major threat. He added: “Drogba, for many
years, has been one of the top strikers in the Premier League and is
definitely dangerous.

“He can score at any moment.”

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The midfielder has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at the
club until 2016.

McArthur said: “I’m delighted to extend my stay at the club after what has
been a fantastic season for Wigan and for me personally.”

Latics boss Roberto Martinez was thrilled at the news. He added: “James has
grown since the day he arrived at Wigan.

“His attitude, desire and daily standards make him an example for any young
professional footballer.

“This season he has managed to put all the hard work in the training ground
into effective performances on the pitch, helping the team to achieve
outstanding results against the best sides in European football.

“We are all very proud of James at this moment but still very aware that at
his age the best footballing years are still to come.”

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