John Hollins died today at the age of seventy six years, once manager of Swansea City and yet another ex employee of the club who fell in love with the Swansea coastline so much so he never really went away. He was at Swansea City between 1998 and 2001.
Born in Guildford, Surrey his brother, David, actually played for Wales but it was John who flourished in the very top flight. Only Peter Shilton made more first division appearances than Hollins making the Chelsea man the record holder for an outfield player with 714 appearances. That’s an incredible feat, and possibly could remain an all time record. It really does put Wilf Milne’s achievements in to the shadows albeit a one club Swans man over seventeen years and 586 appearances.
For some football fans of a certain age Hollins will be remembered for his contribution in the 1970 FA Cup win over Leeds, a game which went to a replay at Old Trafford, the first FA Cup final to do so. He will also be remembered for beating Real Madrid in Athens a year later. Maybe the one England cap tells you more about the English selection process to represent their country than Hollins lack of ability. At a time when England couldn’t qualify for a World Cup he remained ignored by a succession of ‘managers’ gaining his only cap in 1967. Maybe something he pondered on in later years. However he wasn’t alone in that, many top quality England players went unrecognised as tournament qualification passed them by.
John also plied his trade at Arsenal, again extremely successfully playing 127 games for the north London club. Queens Park Rangers were another club he played for over 151 games. His managerial career was extensive but littered with controversy at times, just the way we believe he would have liked it. He stuck to his guns over a contract at Rochdale after leaving Swansea City and was unceremoniously sacked by fax.
It has to be said John really did cut his teeth as a manager and coach at Chelsea where he spent nearly three years. In 1986 he was initially a success with the club looking like title contenders in his first season. They eventually finished sixth. Hollins relationship with Steve Hamer, then a part of the Silver Shield consortium which purchased the Swans in 1997 saw him given the managers role in 1998. A tumultuous time at Swansea which eventually led to administration in 2001. Despite getting the team promoted under after ‘that’ game at Rotherham United in 2000 he was sacked the season after when the Swans came straight back down to the bottom division. However, it has to be said, the total lack of investment did nothing to assist John that relegation season.
John moved on to Raith Rovers with the assistant managers role given to him when Claude Anelka was manager, they soon fell out over team selection and tactics though. John did apply for the managers role at Swansea again in 2007 but was usurped by Roberto Martinez at a time when the Swans were about to display their total football philosophy to the lower leagues. He had stints at Crawley, Stockport and Weymouth but really John will be remembered for being an exquisite footballer during the sixties and seventies. A genuinely amiable man who is deservedly remembered for his contribution to football and for his time at Swansea City FC.