A Tribute To Ivan Hollett

Club Historian Ron Parrott has written the following tribute to Ivan Hollett, former Hereford United player who sadly passed away on Wednesday at the age of 81. 

 

“I remember Ivan joining us in January 1972 at the time of our famous giant killing feats. He was a tall man, had a great physique and certainly looked the part. He was not the bustling type of centre-forward that fans demanded in those days and in truth, he was not a popular figure with supporters, although his record of 10 goals in 33 appearances was just about acceptable. Off the field, I remember him as a very likeable man, always willing to stop for a chat and very keen on helping the youngsters. Sadly, Ivan had been battling dementia for some time and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time. RIP Ivan.”

 

Below is Ron’s pen-pic for Ivan, covering his whole career on and off the field.:-

 

Born Pinxton, Derbyshire 22nd April 1940, died 23rd March 2022

 

Ivan first came to notice as a 16-year old with Derbyshire side Somercotes Athletic and he was quickly spotted by Chesterfield. He went to Saltergate for trials in 1956 but was invited to trial for Derby County two months later and he signed amateur forms for them just before his 17th birthday. Ivan played youth football for the Rams, before being given his first taste of pro football with Sutton Town as a part-time professional. Ivan was given his chance in the Football League with Mansfield Town in August 1958, when they signed him for £300.  The Stags were relegated from the old Division Three in 1960/61 and the following season, when he only scored once in nine games, Ivan was the subject of barracking from the home crowd. His nine goals in 19 games in 1961/62, helped them to promotion again but from there on, he only played when someone else was injured. Mansfield accepted a bid from Millwall for him in June 1964 but Ivan turned it down so he stayed where he was until a tragic car accident killed Chesterfield's centre-forward Ralph Hunt and the Spireites paid £1,000 to bring him to Saltergate, having scored 40 League goals in 98 games for Mansfield.

 

Ivan ended his first season with Chesterfield as joint top scorer with the promise of more to come. In 1965/66, he was averaging a goal every other game until a broken collarbone halted his progress. A managerial change in 1966 saw an upturn in form and Ivan began to attract the scouts again, with the likes of Everton, Manchester City, Stoke City and Aston Villa making polite enquiries. In January 1967, Ivan gave up much of his spare time to run coaching courses at a school in Alfreton and a future career began to take shape. In October 1968, Ivan went on the transfer list at his own request and Crewe came in with an offer of £6,000. His three years with the Railwaymen started off badly, when they suffered relegation to the old Third Division and the following two campaigns were undistinguished. Stoke City did come back in for him at one point but he was injured in the game before he was due to sign and the move fell through. In November 1970, Cambridge United, new to the Football League but struggling to avoid re-election, came in for him in November 1970 and the U’s paid a record £5,000 for his services and he rewarded them by topping their scoring list in 1970/71 and helping them to avoid danger.

 

Hereford United player-manager Colin Addison paid £2,000 for Ivan in January 1972 but he didn’t prove to be one of Colin’s greatest successes. Ivan had great physique, height, stature, had a distinctive stride and was a good header of the ball and although he featured fleetingly in the opening matches in the Football League, he wasn't able to combine enough of these attributes together at the same time to make an impact. Unfortunately, he was not popular with fans and after scoring 10 times in 33 games, Ivan was released to join Southern League Poole Town in January 1973.

 

He later moved to South Africa to play for Durban United before returning to the UK as player-coach to Poole Town. Ivan then moved on to become player-manager with Alfreton Town in 1975. The Reds won the Midland League under his guidance in 1976/77, then along with co-manager John Harrison, he repeated the feat at Belper Town in 1976/77. Ivan then undertook management and coaching roles with several other Nottinghamshire non-league sides before returning to the full-time game as a scout and coach to Mansfield Town's youth team. In 2010, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his services to Mansfield Town and after 23 years with the Stags, he joined Derby County's backroom staff under the then manager Nigel Clough. .Ivan loved to watch non-league football in the area and after retirement, he became a sales rep for local firms involved in the mining and metals' industries. He eventually retired to live in Riddings in Derbyshire, until ill-health and dementia led to move into a nursing home, where he sadly passed away in March 2022.