Ian Holloway blames Swindon’s bad fortune on ‘haunted’ training ground

Swindon Town boss Ian Holloway has suggested that a “haunted” training ground could be to blame for his side’s poor form.

The Wiltshire side are languishing third from bottom in League Two having won just twice all season.

It was hoped that the appointment of veteran manager Holloway in October would spark the Robins into life, but the club are yet to win since his installation.

Misfortune, meanwhile, befell Swindon’s captain Ollie Clarke after he ruptured a tendon while training last week.

“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’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.”

Swindon host fellow strugglers Morecambe at the County Ground this weekend as they seek a much-needed win.

The 61-year-old Holloway is managing his tenth club after a 28-year managerial career that has encompassed nearly 1,000 games.

He will not, however, be taking a page out of the book of former Birmingham boss Barry Fry, who claimed to have urinated in each corner of the pitch at St Andrew’s to clear a curse on the club before a run of seven wins in ten games.

“I don’t want to do what he [Fry] did... 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.”