His managerial journey began in 1996 when he took on a player-coach role at Bristol Rovers. After leaving the club, he went on to manage Queens Park Rangers, Plymouth Argyle, and Leicester City, before taking over at Blackpool in 2009. When Holloway arrived at Blackpool, the club was expected to face relegation, with many writing off their chances of survival. However, in just nine months, Holloway led them to promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs – the first time the club had competed in the top flight for 30 years.
Holloway became a breath of fresh air in the Premier League, renowned for his candid honesty and witty, memorable press conference responses. Despite a strong start to the season, Blackpool struggled to maintain their place in the Premier League and were relegated on the final day of the season following a defeat at Old Trafford against Manchester United.
Following their relegation, Holloway remained with the club and managed to guide them to the playoff final, though they were narrowly beaten by West Ham United at Wembley. In 2012, Holloway chose to leave Blackpool and subsequently took over at Crystal Palace, leading the Eagles back into the Premier League.
Since then, Holloway has held managerial roles at Millwall and returned to Queens Park Rangers, before retiring from professional football. With decades of experience in the game and an impressive management career behind him, Ian Holloway boasts a wealth of knowledge, expertise, and enough anecdotes to fill an entire encyclopaedia.
