Grimsby Town manager Ian Holloway has resigned from his position, he confirmed on Twitter this morning. The former Blackpool and Crystal Palace boss cited ownership changes as the reason for his departure just under a year after taking over at the club. He leaves the Mariners 20th in League Two having won just five of 19 league matches so far this season.
Ian Holloway Leaves Grimsby Town
‘Time for a Fresh Start’
Holloway confirmed the news on his own Twitter page before any statement was released by the club.
He said: “To all the fans, it is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my resignation as manager of Grimsby Town Football Club.
“New wannabe owners are hovering over GTFC and John [Fenty, majority shareholder] has told me he is selling his stake in the club. So it’s time for a fresh start across the board for this great club.
“As I said recently, I intend to be fully honest with you, the supporters. Contact was made by the new owners to me on several occasions before the takeover, which I felt was inappropriate, and told them as such. This is the key factor in my decision.”
He continued: “Why? The relationship between the incoming new owners, board and manager is so, so important. It needs to be strong for a club to succeed, and we got off on the wrong footing. Therefore, that relationship will be strained from the off, which is bad for the club.
“This is a club that, if everybody has its best interests at heart, can progress onwards and upwards. That is their challenge. That is their honour. I sincerely wish them all the best going forward and I implore them to communicate regularly and openly with the fans.”
To all the fans,
It is with a heavy heart that I am announcing my resignation as manager of Grimsby Town Football Club.
— Ian Holloway (@IanOllie7) December 23, 2020
Holloway’s Time With Grimsby
Fifty-seven-year-old Holloway took over at Grimsby in December 2019 with the club 21st in League Two. He eventually guided them to a 15th-place finish in the shortened campaign, with the table decided on a points-per-game basis due to COVID-19.
Since the current campaign began, though, there have been questions over the ownership of the club, which Holloway has been vocal about on his social media pages.
It appears the uncertainty has affected the team’s form and, as such, they have won only five of their matches this season.
Holloway’s last match in charge proved to be Tuesday night’s 2-1 home defeat to fellow strugglers Bradford City.
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