Former Bristol Rovers player and manager Ian Holloway discussed Bristol City’s promotion hopes when he spoke to Bristol Live earlier this weekIan Holloway has both played for and managed Bristol Rovers(Image: Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Bristol-born manager Ian Holloway admits that as a “proud” West Country person, he would be delighted to see Bristol City win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs, insisting the South West needs a club in the top flight.

Holloway, who was born in Kingswood and was a product of the Bristol Rovers academy, had three separate spells as a player with the Gas, the last of which saw him become player-manager. Although ‘Ollie’ has since gone on to manage at an array of other clubs such as Blackpool, Millwall, QPR and currently Swindon Town, the 62-year-old has remained a Rovers icon and is still fondly thought of at the Memorial Stadium.

While Rovers’ season is over following their relegation to League Two, their cross-city rivals still have at least two games to play as they face Sheffield United in the play-off semi-finals. Liam Manning’s side welcome Chris Wilder’s Blades to Ashton Gate for the first leg on Thursday evening before they travel to Bramall Lane for the return fixture on Monday.

READ MORE: I spent five-and-a-half years at Bristol City – Reds are full of confidence ahead of play-offsREAD MORE: Bristol City predicted team vs Sheffield United as Reds aim to start play-off campaign with bang

Of course, there is still an awful lot of work to be done before those of a red and white persuasion in Bristol can begin to dream of the Premier League. Though most Rovers supporters will be hoping to see the Reds drop out of the promotion race, Holloway is keen to see City get over the line.

“I’ve already said it on talkSPORT, they asked me about Bristol City,” the Swindon boss told Bristol Live. “I am a very proud West Country person. Bristol Rovers has been my team since I was nine years old because they told the truth and they made me who I am with all my training, where I went and what I did with them.

“That’s who I support, right? But I’ve had to learn how to form other allegiances with other people. I had to leave my own city to follow my own ambitions because I didn’t believe any one of them would get where I would get. I didn’t want to, but I did and luckily, Gerry Francis agreed with me and took me to QPR. If Bristol City could get to the Premier League, I would be absolutely delighted.

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“I would be delighted for everybody in this area because they could go there, see the best of the best and believe that they could copy that and do that themselves. We have a serious problem in this area. We have to drive for miles to say, ‘You can be as good as that, or ‘Why can’t you be like that?’ They’ve been trying to get there, trying to get there and trying to get there, and they haven’t got there. I would love to see somebody do it.

“Bristol Rovers fans won’t like me saying that,” Holloway continued. “I don’t really care because I’m from Bristol and I had to go and fight all sorts of things to try and get as good as I could be because there wasn’t one Bristol club or a West Country club that was good enough to do it if I stayed there.

“That isn’t good enough, so all the very best to you. You’ve sold out, your fans are turning up, and your team’s supported its manager through this horrific loss of one of his children. I couldn’t be prouder if I knew him as well. I don’t know him, but I’m wishing you all the very, very best.”

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22 points separated Liam Manning’s side and the Blades in the regular Championship season, with United’s final tally of 90 points seeing them finish closer to champions Leeds United than it did fourth-placed Sunderland. However, the Robins were competitive in both of their matches against Wilder’s side.

It took a stoppage time winner from Harrison Burrows for Wilder’s side to secure all three points on Bonfire Night at Ashton Gate, while Mark Sykes struck late to ensure the points were shared in a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at Bramall Lane.

Should the Reds go one better this time around and find their way past United over the course of the two legs, they will face off against one of Sunderland or Coventry City in a straight shootout for the Premier League at Wembley.

READ MORE: Jason Knight: ‘Still a long way to go but Premier League was goal when I came to Bristol City’READ MORE: Liam Manning under no illusions as he shares Anis Mehemti claim before play-offs at Bristol City