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Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:23 pm

seems to do well at clubs whereby the expectation level is low.

Cardiff expects - I dont think he would be suited at Cardiff TBH.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:24 pm

Totally agree. A few years ago he would have been good. Now i think it would be too much for him.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:25 pm

ah I see Gareth wilts has posted a similar opinion further down.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:27 pm

Joff wrote:seems to do well at clubs whereby the expectation level is low.

Cardiff expects - I dont think he would be suited at Cardiff TBH.


I personally would love to see him come here, but i agree i dont think he would ever be offered the job and quite possibly would never handle the expectancy level of the fans.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:28 pm

the guy is a idiot, he has the IQ of a nursrey child

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:29 pm

:lol: he also looks like a dart

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:29 pm

Ben wrote:the guy is a idiot, he has the IQ of a nursrey child


Well the idiot is doing wonders at Blackpool.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:29 pm

WHAT....Look what he has done at blackpool

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 9:35 pm

shit record at larger clubs -

Bristol Rovers
Holloway took over a club that was struggling both on and off the pitch. In his first season in charge of Rovers, he led the club to 17th place in Division Two (now League One). The next season, however, Bristol Rovers gained fifth place and made the playoffs. Despite taking a first-leg advantage of 3-1 against Northampton Town, Rovers subsequently lost 3-0 in the second leg and went out 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals. The 1998-99 season ended with a somewhat disappointing 13th place. Holloway retired as a player following that season, having played more than 400 matches for Bristol Rovers, to concentrate fully on management. In 1999-2000, his last full season at the club, Rovers finished 7th, narrowly missing the playoffs.

[edit] Queens Park Rangers
In February 2001, midway through the 2000-01 season, Holloway was appointed manager of QPR, where he was given the seemingly impossible task of keeping the now-struggling team in Division One. He failed to do so, as QPR finished second from bottom and were relegated to the third level for the first time in 34 years. Despite the relegation, Holloway stayed on and rebuilt the side. After steadying the ship in 2001-02, and a near miss in 2002-03, Holloway and QPR were promoted back to the second level in 2004, finishing second behind Plymouth Argyle.

Holloway's first full season in The Championship ended with a respectable 11th place, and during the following season 2005-06, the club continued to hover around mid-table.

Ian Holloway was suspended (sent on gardening leave) as manager by Queens Park Rangers on 6 February 2006. The reason given by the Q.P.R board was that the constant rumours linking Holloway to the vacant managerial position at Leicester City were causing too many problems for the club.[1] As it turned out, the Leicester job went to Rob Kelly, and QPR went on to finish 21st, just one place above the relegation positions.

[edit] Plymouth Argyle
On 28 June Holloway became the manager of Plymouth Argyle, and promised to take the club to the Premier League.[2] On 12 August after Plymouth beat Sunderland away 2-3, in celebration of his first away win as manager Holloway offered to buy every one of the 700 fans who made the 805-mile (1,296 km) round trip a drink: "Anyone who travelled up there please send me a letter. I would love to buy you a drink.".[3] On 10 October 2006, Holloway made a remarkable return to football, playing for Argyle's reserve team against South Western side Liskeard, however he only did this due to a number of players being injured, and has since vowed to hang up his boots permanently.

[edit] Leicester City
Following press speculation, on 21 November 2007, Holloway submitted his resignation to the Plymouth Argyle board, with speculation that he was about to be offered the vacant managerial position at Leicester City.[4] The Plymouth board issued a statement saying he was still employed by Plymouth and tied legally to his contract, and the board's decision on whether or not to accept his resignation would be made on Friday, 23 November. Having agreed a compensation package for his services, he was announced in a press conference by Milan Mandarić as Leicester manager on 22 November, signing a three and a half year contract. His departure, however, was met with negativity from Argyle fans.[5][5] Holloway made history when he became the first Leicester manager in over 50 years to win his first league game in charge, beating Bristol City 2-0.[6]

On 7 February 2008, in a build up to a match against Plymouth Argyle at the Walkers Stadium, chairman Paul Stapleton spoke negatively of Holloway for allowing several high-profile players to leave the club before joining Leicester. A total of five players left Plymouth in the January transfer window, which he claimed was all Holloway's fault.[7] Holloway, stunned by the claims, had his lawyers look at the statements, while Mandarić accused Stapleton of "sour grapes" over Holloway's move to Leicester, saying Plymouth Argyle should be thankful for what he had achieved during his time there.[8] Plymouth won the match 1-0 as Holloway's former charges came back to haunt him.[9] Winning just nine out of 32 games, Leicester were relegated from the Championship on 4 May 2008.

On 23 May 2008, following the club's relegation, Holloway and Leicester City parted company by mutual consent. Reflecting on his time at Leicester, he said "Leicester City is a marvellous club and I am as devastated as anybody that this great club suffered relegation. I gave 100% to the cause but unfortunately we ran out of time. The fans here are a different class and deserve a lot, lot better. I'd like to wish everyone connected with Leicester City well for the future - the club will always remain close to my heart."[10]

[edit] Blackpool
On 21 May 2009, it was reported that Holloway was set to be announced as the new manager of Blackpool following the departure of their caretaker manager Tony Parkes. The appointment was confirmed later the same day with Holloway signing a one-year contract with the Blackpool.[11] His first league game in charge of the Seasiders was a 1-1 draw with his former club Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road on 8 August 2009, the opening day of the 2009-10 season.

[edit] Stress test
In June 2004, Holloway took part in the BBC series Stress Test. The documentary addressed the fits of rage which were disrupting Holloway's home life, with the help of psychologists and an anger management expert. Holloway said afterwards: "If I hadn't done that programme, I wouldn't be sitting here now. Before I did it, I believed that I was a person who was kind, considerate, and believed in free speech. The anger management expert showed me I was a jumped-up, obnoxious little git who wouldn't listen at home because of what happened at work. If I'd carried on the way I was, I would have destructed everything I had." As a result he changed his attitude, and painted Promotion, an abstract canvas in the style of Jackson Pollock which hangs in the lounge of the family home.[12]

[edit] Personal life
Holloway met fellow Bristolian Kim when she was aged 14, and after marrying nursed her through Lymph cancer. The couple have four children: William, twins Eve and Chloe, and Harriet. The twins were born profoundly deaf, as both Ian and Kim had a gene which means that they were more likely to have deaf children. The doctors told them that there was only a remote possibility of any other children being deaf, but Harriet was also born deaf.

With three children in one family deaf, it has challenged Ian and Kim to get their children the best education. But the couple made the choice to put the children first, meaning that for the last three years of his QPR career, Holloway commuted daily from Bristol to London so the children could attend a deaf school in Bristol. They then moved to St Albans when the children were of secondary school age, for the same reason. Holloway has learned to communicate via sign language, and his quirky media-loving quotes have made him a high-profile campaigner on deaf issues and concerns.[13]

Holloway is well-known for his many strange and bizarre comments in post-match interviews, which are often quoted in the national media. His creative use of metaphors has made him one of the most popular interviewees and one of the cult personalities in English football. In June 2005 a book of his quotes, "Let's Have Coffee: The Tao of Ian Holloway", was published; and in June 2006 he came 15th in a Time Out poll of funniest Londoners.[12] He has developed a keen interest in self sufficiency, to such an extent that he keeps chickens and has even built his own hen coops.

[edit] Managerial stats
As of 26 December 2009.
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L Win %
Bristol Rovers 13 May 1996 29 January 2001 247 90 70 87 36.43
Queens Park Rangers 26 February 2001 6 February 2006 252 100 81 71 39.68
Plymouth Argyle 28 June 2006 21 November 2007 71 28 23 20 39.43
Leicester City 22 November 2007 23 May 2008 32 9 8 15 28.12
Blackpool 21 May 2009 Present 25 11 7 7 44
Total 627 238 179 210 37.96

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:00 pm

Ben wrote:the guy is a idiot, he has the IQ of a nursrey child



We give away so much about ourselves when we speak. That's because we have to rely on experience. ;)

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:06 pm

Ian Holloway seems a top bloke, down to earth

I have his autobiography and it is a top read

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:08 pm

He is a top bloke , well he appears to be , but I dont think he is a manager who suits our needs.

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:09 pm

Thomas Fish. wrote:Ian Holloway seems a top bloke, down to earth

I have his autobiography and it is a top read


Yes Thomas its a cracking read, but i will be biased and say its not as good as Shattered Dreams. :ayatollah:

Re: Ian Holloway

Tue Dec 29, 2009 10:30 pm

nobby wrote:
Thomas Fish. wrote:Ian Holloway seems a top bloke, down to earth

I have his autobiography and it is a top read


Yes Thomas its a cracking read, but i will be biased and say its not as good as Shattered Dreams. :ayatollah:


Im only on chapter 7 of shattered dreams as I had it for christmas so I cannot say anything yet but so far so good :ayatollah: