One year of Ollie: How Ian Holloway has moulded Swindon Town in his own image... and that of his 'happy pig'
29.10.25, 11:00 Updated 24.02.26, 22:44 10 Minute Read
Sam Morshead
On Ian Holloway’s first official day in charge at Swindon Town, he gathered the squad together for a team meeting.
Having barely met most of the players, the first thing he did was produce from his pocket a small toy: a pig, bearing a hand-drawn smiley face. He presented it to Ollie Clarke.
This, Holloway explained, was his ‘happy pig’. And if the players didn’t look like that pig (by which he meant the creature’s smiley demeanour, rather than any other feature), they would be fined.
It was meant as an icebreaker. And it did just that. But it came with a serious message: Holloway wanted his players to recognise the privilege of their jobs and realise the importance of a positive environment.
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