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Ian Holloway is now in charge of League Two’s Swindon Town, with the former Blackpool and QPR boss having turned their fortunes around since his arrival.
In his first job since a 2020 stint with Grimsby Town, the now 62-year-old has overseen a rapid rise. The side were 22nd when he took charge but they have been in play-off level form since October 25 and risen to 14th.
| Position | Club | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Points |
| 5 | Port Vale | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 46 |
| 6 | Notts County | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 45 |
| 7 | Grimsby Town | 28 | 13 | 5 | 10 | 44 |
| 8 | Swindon Town | 28 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 43 |
| 9 | AFC Wimbledon | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 42 |
| 10 | Bromley | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 42 |
Holloway is a seasoned English football manager with a colourful career spanning various clubs. He began his managerial journey at Bristol Rovers in 1996, a role he held for five years, before moving to QPR for the first time in 2001.
His real breakthrough came when he joined Blackpool in 2009. Holloway achieved incredible success with the club, culminating in Premier League promotion in 2010 in one of the best play-off finals ever. His time at both Blackpool and QPR was perhaps most significant for bringing both stability and success in guiding them through a crucial phase of the club’s development.
Now, he is working wonders again in the EFL. This time in League Two and not the Championship. But Holloway’s managerial career, with stints at other clubs like Millwall and Crystal Palace again in later years, was marked by his infectious and charismatic personality. He has also had his fair share of iconic moments in his 1000+ games managed. too.
Swindon Town’s improvement could be explained by Ian Holloway’s strange request
A 4-0 win away to Fleetwood Town was the latest result for a resurgent Swindon side under Holloway’s tutelage, meaning they have scored more goals than anyone else in the division since his appointment. His eccentric nature can be explained from plenty of occasions this term.
He signed a new four-year contract last week having calmed any relegation fears. However, back in November, he had yet another unconventional idea to turn around the club’s fortunes.
He called in his wife to ‘cleanse’ Swindon’s ‘haunted’ training ground after noticing ‘strange things happening’ around the club in that time.
Via the Daily Mail in November, Holloway said: “I’m absolutely devastated so I’m going to try and cleanse the training ground area because people are telling me it’s haunted.
“There’s a graveyard somewhere near. Honestly, I’m not joking.
“I think our training ground is very close to an ancient burial site so I’m going to get my wife to come up and say sorry to all these people and hopefully we’ll have a bit more luck.’
“I’m going to get my wife to come up with her sage. I’ve done the Glastonbury stuff and the hail and welcome – great if you believe it.
“Do I? Really I’m not sure but I’m going to get it just to help because there’s some strange things happening.”
Whatever you think to his irregular and often peculiar methods, it has taken Holloway far in a long and successful career. He is the second-oldest manager in the EFL after Steve Bruce, but the oldest in the fourth tier of English football as well.
He may be irregular or even old fashioned in some aspects, but Holloway has the nous and the experience required if a club meshes well with him; that is exactly the case for Swindon this season, who should be excited for what is to come in 2025/26.
Ian Holloway’s funniest moments
Holloway’s best bits and funniest moments have lit up our screens for decades now, but perhaps one of his best (or worst) came at QPR when he spoke post-match to reporters following a scrappy win. He said: “I have said it before that a win is a win.
“To put it in gentlemen’s terms — if you on a night out and you are looking for a lady and you pull one, some weeks they’re good-looking and some weeks they’re not not the best.
“Our performance today would have been not the best looking, but at least we got in a taxi with her. If that makes any sense.
“I don’t mean any disrespect for that to my good lady because I never go out on the pull. I only try to make you understand what it’s like.”