Bristol Rovers legend Ian Holloway has been named the new manager of Swindon Town after the Robins announced the sacking of Mark Kennedy on Friday morning.
Holloway, widely known as ‘Ollie’ has been out of football management for almost four years, resigning from his last position at Grimsby Town in December 2020 and has now been entrusted to guide Swindon up the League Two table after a poor start to the campaign.
The Wiltshire outfit have won just two of their opening 13 league matches this term and sit just three points above the relegation zone. They did, however, thrash a much-changed Rovers side 4-0 in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy earlier this month.
Upon his return to management, Holloway told Swindon’s club media : “I’m delighted to be back working in football after a period out of the game as I wanted to get back into it if the right opportunity arose which, with this opportunity, I feel is the perfect fit for me.
“Conversations happened very quickly and both sides were very keen to get the deal done and of course, I was delighted to engage with a club like Swindon Town, a club of whom I know a lot about due to my location and knowledge of the local area.
“I want to be able to bring everyone together to deliver success and positivity on and off the pitch and I’m delighted to be at The Nigel Eady County Ground tomorrow to meet you all for the first time as Swindon Town Manager and I look forward to a successful time working together.”
The 61-year-old came through the youth ranks as a player at Rovers and enjoyed three separate spells with the Gas during his 19-year playing career. The final three years of his tenure saw the Kingswood-born Gas legend take up the role of player-manager before hanging up his boots in 1999 having played over 400 times for the club and continuing as manager full-time.
Missing out on the Division Two (now League One) play-off final to Northampton Town in the 1997-98 season is widely seen as one the club’s best chances to get promoted to the second tier over the last couple of decades, having not played above third tier level since 1993.