Thetownend.com

FAR from being frustrated by Lee Peacock’s arrival at the County Ground, young striker Ashan Holgate is happily cleaning the new man’s boots!

Iffy Onuora’s move to capture the 29-year-old has made Holgate’s path to first team football a little more challenging yet you won’t find the Walcot youngster cold-shouldering Peacock.

Holgate, currently fighting for fitness after a knee injury, may have enjoyed a taste of action on the senior stage but he knows his place and isn’t about to let it all go to his head.

While Town’s senior players get suited, booted and head for home after matches at the County Ground, Holgate can be found sweeping the corridor outside the dressing room – even if he’s been part of the squad for that match.

Not that he’s remotely upset about it.

Chores are all part of the youth set up and Holgate, who was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Walsall, wouldn’t dream of trying to get out of them.

That includes boot-scrubbing and while Holgate and Peacock may be rivals for an attacking role, there’s no question who’s ahead in the pecking order.

Holgate said: “I’m happy Lee Peacock has come in and done well. He’s scored a goal and the fans have taken to him.

“I’m already responsible for cleaning Jamie Cureton’s boots and I offered to take Lee’s as well.”

Holgate said he’d joked to Peacock that he wouldn’t mind as long the striker did well.

It demonstrates that Holgate isn’t getting ideas above his station. He cannot afford to as he doesn’t yet know what the future holds.

He said: “At the moment I’m still a youth player.

“I’ve three and a bit months left with the youths and nothing’s been said yet.

“Whatever game you’re playing in, for the under 18s, the reserves or the first team you just have to go out there with the same attitude.”

And as for those chores, he said: “You get on with what you’re supposed to do and if someone asks you to do something else, you do it.”

There is no question that Holgate has benefited from Onuora’s guidance at the club, a manager he clearly respects.

He said: “The gaffer keeps you level-headed which is what you need.

“I think he knows us more (the youth players) than his first team players in some ways.

“Before he retired he was a striker as well and I look up to him a lot.

“I watched him a few times here as a player.”

I know that the feelings about Ash on this forum are mixed but what a fucking refreshing attitude. One that I hope will bring dividends in the long run.

 :thumbs:  :clap:

I think hes a good player who should improve with age ... and with the attitude he is showing will do well

fair play to him...the fact he wants to play for swindon is enough for me

I used to watch him as a lad when he played for Liden.............he was fucking quality then

I bumped into him in the garage on New Year's Eve (a petrol station garage, obviously, not the one where I keep my car off the road - I'd have taken a dim view of that) and told him I thought he was doing dead well. And he looked at me like I was potty - that alone earns him my undying respect.

Plus he's getting more savvy about not getting muscled out of the game, and will be a boss act.

Reading that warms the cockles of my heart,what a great attitude :)

I agree paul................if he could spend some time on the weights and beef himself up a bit he will be a class act for the future

it's good to see local lads playing for the town.
he has potential, and will get better.

nice one kiddo, cant help but like him!

5 things to love about Holgate

1) Wants to play for the Town
2) Very good potential
3) Doesn't look uncomfortable in the first team
4) Won't go off in a pissy Thorpe stylee
5) The hair!

i love the famous Ashan Quote: "being a swindon player i dont really like Oxford" legend! "Ashan, Ashan Holgate" (same tune as run, run, run reading)

He's a clever lad. Plays 'the game' well. Good to see such a young player adopting so professional an atttude. Good on you son!

He was always a jumped up shit at school!! :shock:

oh he certainly knows how to endear himself to the fans, theres no doubting that!

very true :nod: now all he needs is a professional goal!

If that's true maybe he grew up a bit. Happens to a lot of people when they leave school, even half the rudeboys start to realise there's more to life that hanging around outside the school gates, starting fights and smoking ciggies at the bottom of the field. Sadly the other half do not.

Yep, people are very capable of change....

So was Paul Rideout .................... the thing is they are a big fish in a small pond at school ................. judging by the article though seems Iffy has managed that out of him.

Holgate is far too lightweight.

Hes still a boy.

I prescribe 10 pints of Guiness a day that'll fill him out. :D

I would go as far as saying he was v poor when he came on v Donny

He was cack. Very disappointed, just didn't seem interested. Still, they all have a bad game sometime.

I expect thats the first time he's been brought on to hold the ball up because are winning by the one goal.

Not really suited to that is he....

I don't think holgate is crap. He is a young player and lacks experience, When I have seen him play before he's been fairly good. I think that when he came on yesterday there was maybe a bit of pressure on him to score as people probably wanted a third goal to seal the win. I think he got caught up in it and was a bit nervous like everyone else looked towards the end of the game. He is a young lad though.

I don't think anyone thinks Holgate is crap, but he certainly wasn't an ideal replacement for yesterdays game. Then again, i would have said Gurney was, but he was poor as well :?

It was completely the wrong situation to bring him on. Blame Iffy not Ashan was a daft substitution.

Peacock was injured, he had a choice of Bulman, Stroud, Miglioranzi or Holgate....

Could have brought Migz on and gone 4-5-1 I suppose

That's what I'd have done as he pushed Curo back anyway.

Benjamin would have been ideal...

but was injured.

I can see why he went striker for striker....because 4-5-1 just invites pressure because you dont hold the ball in their half....just Ash was the only other striker

dont forget he is only half fit still has a knee injury

My 'problem' with Holgate is he seems a bit lightweight in certain situations.

But as already said, he is young and should he read this he should be upbeat about his prospects because he has shown enough to think he may have a bright future.