Nick Holmes (footballer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Nick Holmes | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicholas Charles Holmes | |
| Date of birth | November 11, 1954 (age 52) | |
| Place of birth | Southampton, England | |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in | |
| Position | Full back, Midfielder | |
| Professional clubs* | ||
| Years | Club | Apps (goals) |
| 1972-1987 | Southampton | 444 (56) |
| Teams managed | ||
| 2002- | Salisbury City | |
|
* Professional club appearances and goals |
||
Nick Holmes, born Southampton 11 November 1954, is a former footballer, who won the FA Cup Final with Southampton in 1976 and is currently the manager of Salisbury City
Nick was educated at St. Mary’s College, Southampton and was an apprentice with Southampton in the early 1970s.
Contents |
[edit] Southampton
He made his first team debut on 2 March 1974 away to Arsenal.
A natural left-sided player, he was equally at home at full-back, midfield, centre-back or sweeper. A loyal, one-club man, Nick Holmes spent 14 years at The Dell. David Peach and he are the only two players to have played in two Cup Finals for Southampton. Naturally left-sided, Nick could play at left-back or midfield and was a thoughtful, yet thrusting, player who was as reliable as he was skilful.
He played at left-back in the 1976 F.A. Cup Final against Manchester United which Saints won 1-0, and also played and scored in the 1979 League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, which was lost 2-3. Between these two Wembley appearances, he was an integral member of the Southampton team that gained promotion from Division 2 at the end of the 1977-78 season.
An urbane man, he became club captain in March 1980, and on his 400th appearance for the club, Lawrie McMenemy praised his “reliability, dependability and flexibility”, adding that he was “a man for all seasons”.
Holmes was a constant when Southampton finished second in Division 1 in the 1983-84 season and was part of a midfield that was probably the best in the club's history.
In 1986 (August 16) Saints recognised his loyalty by awarding him a testimonial match against John Mortimore’s Benfica, which was won 4-1, with Holmes scoring one of the goals.
International honours eluded Nick, although he was picked for England under-23 only for injury to prevent him playing.
His last appearance for Southampton was on 14 Feb 1987 at Tottenham Hotspur. A pelvic injury forced him to retire from the game in May 1987, by which time only Terry Paine and Mick Channon had made more appearances for the Saints. In total, he played 543 times for Southampton, scoring 64 goals.
[edit] After Southampton
After leaving Saints he spent the 1987-88 season with East Cowes Vics, before spending a season as coach back at Southampton working with manager Chris Nicholl.
In 1989 he quit football and bought a general store at Winterslow near Salisbury. In 1999 he emigrated to Florida to set up a property management company, which he sold in 2004.
[edit] Salisbury City F.C.
In July 2002, he was tempted back into football when he was offered the manager’s job at Salisbury City.
Under Holmes’ management, Salisbury gained promotion to the Conference South in the 2005-06 season by finishing top of the Southern League Premier Division.
He also holds a general management role at the club and his side have reached the second round of the 2006-07 FA Cup.
[edit] Honours
[edit] As a player
With Southampton
- FA Cup winner 1976
- League Cup Runner Up 1979
- Division 1 Runner Up 1983-84
[edit] As a manager
With Salisbury City
- Southern League Premier Division championship 2005-06
[edit] References
- Jeremy Wilson (2006). Southampton’s Cult Heroes. Know The Score Books. ISBN 1-905449-01-1.
- Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number - A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
- Tim Manns (2006). Tie a Yellow Ribbon: How the Saints Won the Cup. Hagiology. ISBN 0-9534474-6-4.
