Holloway Misses Out On Top Prize

Blackpool gaffer Ian Holloway has narrowly missed out on winning the BBC ‘Coach of the Year’ award.

The 47-year-old, who has been in charge of the Seasiders for 18 months, lost out to Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie at tonight’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards in Birmingham.

Holloway was the only football manager to be nominated, after guiding Blackpool to a quite unbelievable promotion to the Premiership. Not enough for the Bristolian, he has his side playing the most attractive football in the country and sitting 10th in the top flight.

It’s not hard to see why Ollie was in the final three alongside eventual winner Montgomerie and England Cricket Coach Andy Flower. In 48 games (all competitions) since January 1st, Pool have picked up 19 wins – most notably coming at Wembley in the Championship playoff final, Anfield, the Britannia Stadium and St James’ Park. All that on a relatively shoe string budget and getting the vest out of an average bunch of players.

Nevertheless, the year has been a strange one for Holloway. In August, there were vicious rumours that the manager had walked out on the club on the eve of the opening game of the season at Wigan.

However, he went onto sign a new two-year deal and is closer to the Blackpool public than ever before – becoming an overnight hero at Bloomfield Road.

Holloway has come from absolutely nowhere to being one of the most sought-after managers in the business in under a year. Who knows what 2011 could bring…