How to Be a Football Manager: Enter the hilarious and crazy world of the gaffer

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The charismatic manager, who previously guided both Blackpool and Crystal Palace to the Premier League, was in charge of the Mariners for less than a year, having taken over on 31 December 2019. The books featured on this site are aimed primarily at readers aged 13 or above and therefore you must be 13 years or over to sign up to our newsletter. He got QPR promoted from Division Two in 2003-04, then achieved promotion to the Premier League with both Blackpool (2009-10) and Crystal Palace (2012-13). From our lofty perches, it seems like child’s play, but former QPR and Blackpool manager Ian Holloway has been there, done it and got the stories to prove it’s a lot harder than it looks.

On 6 January 2014, Holloway signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Millwall; this was terminated in March 2015.

After steadying the ship in 2001–02, and a near miss in 2002–03, Holloway and QPR were promoted back to the second level in 2004, finishing second behind Plymouth Argyle. After all, when it’s all going pear-shaped, we often wonder how hard can it be to pick eleven players, to get them passing ten yards, to not concede yet again? During his third spell back at Bristol Rovers, he became player-manager before ending his playing career in 1999. Football management is like being a potato – you’re never too far from the sack and everyone is constantly chipping away at you.

Ian Scott Holloway (born 12 March 1963) is an English professional football manager, former player, media personality and television pundit who was most recently the manager of Grimsby Town. In February 2020, majority shareholder John Fenty announced he was going to be taking a step back and allowing Holloway more freedom and autonomy to run the club both on and off the field. Holloway hit out at the consortium by saying that he was finding it increasingly hard to do his job.Holloway was suspended (sent on gardening leave) as manager by Queens Park Rangers on 6 February 2006.