| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Melville George Holden | ||
| Date of birth | 25 August 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Dundee, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1981 (aged 26–27) | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| – | Preston North End | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1972–1975 | Preston North End | 72 | (22) |
| 1975–1978 | Sunderland | 73 | (23) |
| 1978–1979 | Blackpool | 3 | (0) |
| 1979 | PEC Zwolle | ? | (?) |
| Total | 148 | (45) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Melville George "Mel" Holden (25 August 1954 – 1981) was a Scottish professional footballer who played as a forward. Active in both England and the Netherlands, Holden made nearly 150 career League appearances, scoring nearly 50 goals.
Born in Dundee, Holden played for the youth team of Preston North End, and made his senior debut in 1972. He later played for Sunderland and Blackpool, before moving to the Netherlands to play with PEC Zwolle.[1]
Holden died of motor neurone disease in early 1981. After his death, Preston player Peter Litchfield donated £1,000 he had received for winning a Man of the Match award to a motor neurone charity.[2]