Former Blackpool boss takes time out to educate students

Renowned for his passionate approach to the game, Holloway is famed in this part of the world for his memorable spell at Blackpool, during which he guided them to promotion into the Premier League.

He’s now the manager of League Two club Grimsby Town, where players and staff have been on furlough.

Holloway – in lockdown with his wife and children at their home near Bath – agreed to a virtual meeting with sports journalism students from the University of Central Lancashire because he “loves talking and I had nothing better to do.”

He was one of a series of guests for the students, including sports presenter Gabby Logan and husband Kenny, BBC commentators John Murray and Jonathan Agnew, sports producer Gary Flintoff, ITV news presenter Christine Talbot, Channel 4 reporter Clare Fallon and Accrington Stanley manager John Coleman.

The series ended with Speaker of the House of Commons and Lancashire MP, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

All told inspirational stories from their career, including Holloway who shared his memories of when Blackpool got promoted.

He told the students: “The end of the season was stressful to say the least.

“We had to get into the play-offs first of all. We had Swansea hot on our tails and had to play my arch-enemies Bristol City at home, but we got through it and the way the lads were, I just believed that we could do it.

“All I can remember from the play-off final was how hot it was and that they hit the bar, then the game was over.

“The moment the full-time whistle went is indescribable and every time I see something now, I still relive it.

“In the Tangerine Horseshoe at Wembley, there were people crying with sheer joy and euphoria.

“That feeling of getting promoted is something that I’ll never, ever, forget for the rest of my life.”

During the session Holloway proudly displayed a signed shirt and medal from the play-off final alongside other memorabilia collected during his career.

Sadly for Blackpool, the Premier League dream lasted just one season as they were relegated on the last day, having suffered defeat at the hands of champions Manchester United.

Relegation came exactly one year after the Seasiders’ promotion to the Premier League.

In the space of those 365 days, Holloway had claimed some impressive scalps including a league double over Liverpool; something of which he is still proud to this day.

He said: “To take my team to Anfield was one of, to say the least, the proudest moments of my life.

“My dad absolutely loved football and every time ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ came on, he’d sing it at the top of his lungs and have tears rolling down his face and I’m the same.

“One of their supporters shouted: ‘Come on you lot, this isn’t Real Madrid, it’s Blackpool!’ which gave me a laugh, but Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard were top class that day.

“They both came and shook my hand and told me how well my team played.”

Holloway (57) took over at Grimsby in December of last year.

League Two clubs have decided to end their season with promotion and relegation places to be decided but Holloway awaits a decision on how the other divisions will be determined.

One idea is to conclude the season by playing out the remaining matches behind closed doors; something to which Holloway is opposed given the absence of fans.

He said: “If crowds were allowed to go to games, I’d be happy to conclude the season but how can you ask us to put on a performance and not allow the people to come and see it?

“That’ll work in the Premier League because they’ve got cameras everywhere but lower down the leagues, we haven’t.

“Why would you want to risk anyone’s life when it’s not safe to be closer to someone than two metres?

“The facts are that people are dying and we have to stop that.”

Holloway has been involved in professional football since the early 1980s, starting out as an apprentice at his boyhood club Bristol Rovers and working his way up the football pyramid.

Along the way, he has enjoyed some fantastic experiences, both on and off the pitch.

As well as sharing tales of his career, Holloway also took time to offer the students advice for their respective futures given the lessons he has learned along the way.

He said: “There’s no limits in life to what you can achieve if you push yourself.

“I’ve always been adamant of that and that’s what I’ve told players who I’ve managed.

“Nobody gets lucky in life; you have to earn it.

“Do something, review it, and redo it again.”

Prior to resuming his career as a manager at Grimsby, Holloway had been enjoying working on the media side of the game.

With the students involved being journalists, he was also able to examine his time with the media and how he was able to be successful in that period.

He said: “As a manager, the best interviewers are those who make you feel comfortable.

“You’ve got to do your homework. The more preparation you do, it’s preparation for success.

“You haven’t got to be a certain person; anyone can do it if they put the work in.”