In Ian Holloway’s often madcap managerial orbit, this was simply the latest in a steady succession of eccentric outbursts. Eyes bulging as he spoke, he boomed the letter “D” and promptly stabbed himself in the chest with an imaginary dagger. Next came the letter “M” alongside a blow from another invisible knife.
Finally, a “W” followed by a jab to the heart. Walking,” he declared, pausing for effect between words and briefly falling into an Oscar-worthy zombie stupor. The clip was widely shared, there is every chance you saw it this month.
The general perception, from those of a neutral stance, was that one of football’s great characters had lost the plot. To those in the room, there was a sense that it was merely the exuberant mannerisms of a quirky manager during a tricky period. But for a large section of Swindon fans, it prompted an unamused eye roll.
The circus tent is pitched firmly in town. Supporting a Holloway-led club is an interesting assignment. Within weeks of taking the Swindon job two years ago on Sunday, he began constructing a hostile wall towards fans by reminding them that they could “go bowling” if they did not like his methods.
Last December, he had to be restrained by his players during an altercation with a fan, while he has made a habit of telling them to “jog on” if overly vocal in their criticism. When his side picked up a much-needed point against Walsall last week, the goalkeeping coach held him back from another confrontation with supporters. Asked about it, he goaded reporters into putting his address online so that disgruntled fans could have it out with him: “I don’t really care anymore.” So, when season‑ticket holders found their phones pinging with amused messages containing the same viral Holloway zombie clip, their lack of laughter could be forgiven.
It’s got to the stage where you can’t even enjoy a win without Ian Holloway being unable to hold himself from criticising fans. The easy thing to do is ignore him, but it’s almost impossible because he is everywhere. He goes viral and everyone always thinks: ‘Oh, isn’t that funny.’ Well, no.
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