By BBC (Sports) | Created at 2024-11-18 10:54:58 | Updated at 2024-11-25 13:50:18
1 week ago
Image source, Rex Features
Ian Holloway took over at Swindon at the end of last month and has yet to oversee a league win
Swindon Town boss Ian Holloway has claimed their poor run of form could be down to the training ground being haunted.
Holloway said there were "some strange things happening" after Robins captain Ollie Clarke ruptured a tendon in his ankle during training last week.
The 63-year-old added he would be asking his wife to "cleanse the area" with sage as it is close to an ancient burial site.
"I'm absolutely devastated so I'm going to try and cleanse the training ground area because people are telling me it's haunted," Holloway told BBC Radio Wiltshire.
"There's a graveyard somewhere near. Honestly, I'm not joking.
"I think our training ground is very close to an ancient burial site so I'm going to get my wife to come up and say sorry to all these people and hopefully we'll have a bit more luck."
The Robins came from behind to draw 2-2 away to Accrington on Saturday, the first league point they have picked up since Holloway took over at the end of October.
'I won't do what Barry Fry did'
However Holloway said he would not be taking things as far as former Birmingham manager Barry Fry, who reportedly urinated on all four corners of the pitch at St Andrew's to ward off a reported curse on the club.
"I don't want to do what he did, I think he had to urinate on the corners of his pitch but I'm going to get my wife to come up with her sage," Holloway said.
"I've done the Glastonbury stuff and the hail and welcome - great if you believe it. Do I? Really I'm not sure but I'm going to get it just to help because there's some strange things happening."
Manager Ian Holloway on first League Two point of his tenure
Swindon remain 22nd in League Two, one point above the bottom two and have yet to win in the league since Holloway was appointed at the County Ground.
They next play bottom of the table Morecambe at home on Saturday.
"We've got to win more games and I'd prefer to do it now, straight away, because then we'll all feel a bit better," Holloway said.
"We've got to take everything out, polish it up and be brutally honest with them because they've had some from me [Saturday] because that wasn't good enough first half."
