Planet Swans Archives| Here are some of the high (and low) lights of the three years. | |
| 1998/99 | |
| The team start the John Hollins reign with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Exeter City at the Vetch. Martin Thomas, on his Swansea league debut and Steve Watkin score the goals. However, four league defeats in the next five see the side heading the wrong way down the table. Several wins and draws see them moving back up towards mid-table and higher. A cup run that begins with a comprehensive destruction of Millwall and then a win against Stoke sees Swansea pitted with West Ham. A late error from Roger Freestone salvages a draw for the Premiership side at Upton Park before Martin Thomas sends a packed Vetch wild as Swansea win the replay 1-0. Derby narrowly scrape through against us in the 4th round. |
Happier Times For John |
| As the league campaign goes on, Hollins is criticised for not getting in loan signings as the club scrape into the play-offs. Injuries to people like Roger Freestone and Steve Jones cost what many see as a potential automatic promotion spot. In the play-offs, Swansea are beaten over two legs by Scunthorpe. | |
| Hollins says the experience will do the players a world of good and that they will bounce back next season. | |
| 1999/2000 | |
| The summer passes with no new additions to the team with Hollins claiming that ‘the squad is good enough’ John Cornforth had been on trial with the Swans pre-season but was released by Hollins amid rumours that the manager was worried about his popularity with the crowd. | |
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Championship at Rotherham |
The season starts with a 1-0 defeat at York and after 18 games, Swansea find themselves with just 26 points. Mike Lewis issues rumours that one more defeat, at Chester, will see Hollins shown the door and replaced in all likelihood by Leighton James. A Nick Cusack goal saves Hollins’ bacon and the team break the club record by winning nine games in a row, 6 of them by a 1-0 margin. This is to become the trademark of the season as Swansea win the third division championship at Rotherham on the final day of the season with the tightest defence in the football league.
The championship success is marred by the news that Swansea fan, Terry Coles, was trampled by a police horse and later died in hospital. |
| Hollins is rewarded for the championship with a new three-year contract. | |
| 2000/2001 | |
| This season was to prove to be the biggest test of Hollins’ ability. Many fans had called for his head in the previous two seasons and Hollins had effectively proved them wrong at the time. Again, no new signings of note during the summer months but a reasonable start to the season saw Swansea in mid-table come October. | |
| The arrival of Giovanni Savarese and David Romo sparked new life into the team and after a superb defeat of Stoke City at the Vetch on October 14, things looked rosy for John. | |
| However, the Swans were to win just once in the next 22 league games and pressure mounted on Hollins but the club were cash strapped and unable to rid themselves, victims of their own decision in awarding the contract.
As relegation loomed nearer and nearer, fans started to get more frustrated with Hollins’ apparent inability to turn things wrong and his after match interviews sparked more ridicule. Swansea are relegated with time to spare with one of the worst records in the club’s history. To rub salt into the wounds, Rotherham, the side we pipped for the third division championship, are promoted to the First Division as we head backwards. |
Pondering where it went wrong |
| 2001/2002 | |
| Hollins admits that he feared for his job during a summer in which Mike Lewis took charge. However, he is still there on opening day as the Swans win 3-1 at Macclesfield to briefly top the table. | |
| A 0-0 draw at Oxford and two defeats, against Peterborough and Lincoln see Lewis making moves to replace Hollins and a defeat against Cheltenham will be the end. Swansea throw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 but then beat Exeter 4-2 at the Vetch in his last home game in charge. | |
| Finally, the speculation increases that Peter Nicholas will be put in charge of the team, and Lewis misses the trip to Plymouth to sign off the deal with Nicholas.
After 1,169 days and 192 games in charge, John Hollins tenure as Manager of Swansea City has come to an end. Glad or sad? Tell us your thoughts on the Message Board |
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