Ian Holloway restrained by his own players after heated argument with Swindon fan

12/15/2024 06:38 AM

Swindon Town boss Ian Holloway had to be restrained by his own players after a heated exchange with a supporter.

Swindon succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Bradford City on Saturday in what was the club’s 10th loss in League Two this season.

Holloway’s side failed to register a single shot on target throughout the contest and one of the several hundred travelling Swindon fans, who made the 213-mile journey to Valley Parade, made their feelings known about the performance.

However, Holloway wasn’t having it.

The former Crystal Palace and Blackpool boss went to the barrier in front of the away support and appeared to be rather irate.

Three Swindon players had to step in and restrain the manager before leading him away.

After he was moved back, Holloway moved forward once again for a second spray and aggressively pointed in the direction of the fan.

In his post-match interview, Holloway revealed it was a single supporter that sparked his fury as the fan was ‘blaming everybody again’.

“It’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous,” Holloway said.

The 61-year-old then looked down the camera and appeared to address the supporter in a passionate rant.

“We’re not going to get out of trouble if you do that, mate,” Holloway said.

“And even if you have come a long way, any chance of encouraging us? I saw more than enough there to encourage me. Maybe you need to see it with my glasses on.

“But if you’re upset with it, I’m sorry, don’t come away again if that’s how you feel. Because I don’t want that. I don’t want my team having that when I felt they tried as hard as they possibly could.

“And yeah, I could go and get them to do different things, but I’m looking right at you. You weren’t very happy, you didn’t make me very happy because you’re not helping, in my opinion.

“And anybody else who was around him, am I going to give you a cherry for coming all the way up here? No, that’s your choice. It’s my choice to be here and I want people who are going to actually cheer us on no matter what, provided they give me that sort of effort.

“Big, big difference from what you’re moaning about, in my opinion.

“And if that fella wants to come in and sit down and have a cup of coffee at the training ground, please do. But I think you’re wrong. That’s how I feel.

“Can’t help if I have passion, can you?”

Although Holloway is only 10 games into his stint at Swindon, it has been rather eventful.

In fact, the 61-year-old bizarrely claimed the club’s training ground was haunted by supernatural spirits and tasked his wife, Kim, with removing them.

Unfortunately for Holloway, it appears he’ll need much more than a cleansed training ground if he is to keep Swindon afloat in the fourth tier.

The loss to Bradford left Swindon in 22nd on the ladder, one place and two points clear of the relegation zone.

Tricky fixtures await the Robins as they host seventh-placed Grimsby Town, Holloway’s last managerial stop, on December 21.

Swindon then travel to AFC Wimbledon five days later.