Paul the Octopus' cousin to predict Blackpool scores
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/blackpool/9170967.stmThe cousin of 'psychic' World Cup octopus Paul is carrying on the family tradition by predicting Blackpool's results for the rest of the season.
The Premier League newcomers are hoping Ollie can fill the void left by the death of Paul last month.
The octopus, named after Blackpool boss Ian 'Ollie' Holloway, will use the same method to guess scores, choosing between two boxes in his tank with team names on the side, both of which will contain fish or mussels.
Cousin Paul became an overnight star after correctly predicting all eight of Germany's results in this year's World Cup - including their defeat by Spain in the semi-finals. He also selected Spain to beat the Netherlands in the final.
Paul died in his aquarium in Germany two weeks ago, aged two.
Both octopuses were born at the Sea Life Centre in Weymouth, but while Paul went overseas, Ollie headed for the bright lights of Blackpool.
Natalie Wyatt, the head of tourist organisation Visit Blackpool, told BBC Sport: "It must be a family tradition. I knew Ollie had this ability because when we played Cardiff in the Championship play-off final at the end of last season, he predicted that we'd win.
"He will be doing his forecasts before every home game at the Blackpool Sea Life Centre, and in a trial run he has predicted we will beat Aston Villa and West Ham in our next two away games."
Ollie's keeper, Carey Duckhouse, said: "Paul was the first to do predictions and we thought we'd give it a go with Ollie.
"Before the football season started, we got him to forecast who would win the Premier League after putting four boxes containing the names of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool in his aquarium.
"He chose Chelsea and also predicted that Roberto Mancini would be the first Premier League manager to lose his job, Wolves would finish bottom and Wayne Rooney would be the top scorer."
Ollie, aged three, was at it again before Blackpool's first home Premier League game with Fulham in August.
Carey added: "We jokingly explained to him it could be a draw beforehand and he ignored both boxes. At the time there were three decorative footballs in the tank and he stole one of them - so we concluded that he obviously thought it was going to be a 2-2 draw - and it was!"
Fans are invited along to the Sea Life Centre at 1200 GMT on 20 November to see Ollie guess the result of Blackpool's game with Wolves later that day.
