Too often, football managers are guilty of churning out the same old cliches when interviewed by the media - but not former Bristol Rovers manager Ian Holloway.
Holloway is one of football’s biggest characters who, despite being out of work since leaving Grimsby Town in 2020, still graces his welcoming presence on our television screens thanks to his punditry.
Holloway, who grew up in Cadbury Heath and attended Sir Bernard Lovell School, began his career at Bristol Rovers, before a move to London for Wimbledon and Brentford. He returned to Rovers ahead of a £230,000 deal to QPR.
In 1996 he came back to Bristol again, and became play-manager. In his spell he almost got the club promoted from League One to the Championship - the closest being a play-off semi-final in 1998.
His managerial career then saw him go on to no fewer than seven other clubs including QPR, Plymouth Argyle, Leicester City and Crystal Palace. Throughout his career, he has been known for his amusing interviews, here’s a selection of his best lines:
1. Ian Hollloway on a QPR win over Chesterfield
‘To put it in gentleman’s terms, if you’ve been out for a night and you’re looking for a young lady and you pull one, you’ve done what you set out to do. We didn’t look our best today but we’ve pulled.'
2. Ian Holloway on QPR’s chance of beating Manchester City
‘I am a football manager. I can’t see into the future. Last year I thought I was going to Cornwall on my holidays but I ended up going to Lyme Regis’
3. Ian Holloway on Plymouth defender Hasney Aljofree after a goal celebration in front of opposing fans at Peterborough led to bottles being thrown at the player
‘To celebrate like that was a disgrace and I would have thrown a bottle at him myself'
4. Ian Holloway on watching Dukes of Hazzard while on gardening leave from QPR
‘There was a woman in it who was quite well-endowed and two boys who used to get drunk and have a fight - it had everything in it for me'