My Time At Town - Rick Holden: “I look back on it with great affection”

Rick Holden had only played one senior game before joining Halifax, but when he left, it was to replace John Barnes at Watford.
Holden celebrates scoring against Newport at The Shay in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden celebrates scoring against Newport at The Shay in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden celebrates scoring against Newport at The Shay in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

The winger’s transformation from rookie to prized-asset in less than two seasons took place in a Town side that finished 15th and then 18th in the old Fourth Division.

Burnley’s loss was Halifax’s gain when Holden left Turf Moor in 1986, and he quickly became a favourite with his unorthodox running style belying his ability to beat defenders and deliver tantalising crosses into the box.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I was at Burnley and Brian Miller wanted me to go full-time but I was studying at Carnegie College (in Leeds) and there was no way I was jacking in my studies, so I left,” he says.

Holden takes on an opponent away to Bolton in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden takes on an opponent away to Bolton in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden takes on an opponent away to Bolton in September 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

“Then I got a call out of the blue from Billy Ayre, who invited me down to training.

“I played in a game up at Emley Moor against Emley Town and they signed me.

“It was good fun. It was a professional club.

“I didn’t get in the team for the first six games and they had an absolutely horrible start, I think they might have won the first game and then lost five on the spin.

Holden receives the player of the year trophy for the 1986-87 season. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden receives the player of the year trophy for the 1986-87 season. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden receives the player of the year trophy for the 1986-87 season. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Then finally they played me against Burnley, I did alright, and then I scored against Northampton on my home debut.

“Then I set-up the winner when we beat Swansea 1-0 in my third game, and then we took off from there, we went right up the league and got up to about tenth.

“The lads were good, there some real characters like Phil Brown, Mick Galloway, Dave Robinson, Dave Longhurst, bless his cotton socks.

“I used to catch the train from Leeds to Halifax and Phil Shapre would be on there from Garforth to Halifax. He was smoking a pipe from about 19, on the way to the ground.”

Holden tries to flick the ball on against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at The Shay. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden tries to flick the ball on against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at The Shay. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden tries to flick the ball on against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at The Shay. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Holden joined Halifax on a non-contract basis, and spent both summers after signing for The Shaymen working at Webb’s chicken factory in Keighley.

Indeed, running short of a bite to eat would never have been a problem for him while at Halifax.

“I got sponsored by a local fish and chip shop, for every goal I scored I got some fish and chips,” he recalls.

“In the programme, when they interview you for a player profile and ask what things you like, for food I put fish and chips.

Holden half-volleys a goal at home to Rochdale in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden half-volleys a goal at home to Rochdale in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden half-volleys a goal at home to Rochdale in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“This local firm spotted it, and I saved them up. I think I scored 10 goals in that season, so at the end of the season I got 10 sets of fish and chips for the lads and we all sat in the dressing room and ate them.”

Holden had helped Town recover from a poor start to the season and climb to the fringes of the play-offs, producing dangerous crosses for the likes of Dave Longhurst and Russell Black, and he was deservedly named the supporters’ Player of the Year.

“I remember scoring the winner against Peterborough and Mick Jones had left for Peterborough, and we beat them 1-0, and he had to present me with the player of the year trophy!” he recalls.

“That stuck in his craw!

“I was lucky in my career that I was involved with a couple of clubs that had real characters and Halifax was one.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I remember Dave Longhurst coming in late, as was his wont, and he parked his car at a really obtuse angle in the car park.

Holden on the ball away to York City in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny MeynellHolden on the ball away to York City in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell
Holden on the ball away to York City in August 1987. Photo courtesy of Johnny Meynell

“Billy Ayre came in the dressing room and told him to go move his car, so he went out and moved it about a foot.

“Billy said ‘I thought I told you to move your car?’

“Dave said ‘I did, you didn’t specify where to move it to’.

“Him and Jonesy (Mick Jones) had all that stuff to contend with, but they dealt with it OK.

“One of the real top class players we had was a guy called Mick Matthews, who played in midfield and had played top flight football for Wolverhampton Wanderers and scored the winner against Liverpool and things like that.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He was an excellent player, and all he did was get the ball down and shift it sideways to me on the left and Paul Sanderson on the right.
“So we did play with a lot of attacking width and it was very much a crossing and shooting sort of approach.

“That’s exactly how Oldham and Watford played. I was signed by Watford to replace John Barnes as a winger, which took some doing.

“So I was always lucky that people who bought me wanted to play wing-play.

“It could be hard graft because you could run up and down for 30 minutes and not see the ball.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Holden saw more than enough of the ball to forge an affinity with the Town fans though.

“We used to average about 1,800 and they were all on the far side,” he says.

“When I scored I used to do ridiculous dances for them, like penguin or monkey dances, which used to amuse them.

“Halifax was really friendly on the social side. I used to bring friends and relatives, and my father and his mate used to come quite often, and they were welcomed into the players’ lounge. There was no edge to it, it was just a friendly club.

“We once went eight weeks without being paid.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“John Madeley (chairman) used to come in, stand there in the dressing room and say ‘we’re working behind the scenes lads, we’re working behind the scenes’.

“I’d say ‘could you do some work in-front of the scenes please John?’
“They bumped me up onto a decent wage in the end, I was the highest earner when I left, so I’ve no complaints, they looked after me.”

Life as a winger in the battleground of 1980’s lower division football could be fraught with danger though.

“I always remember the Nottingham Forest game when we played them in the FA Cup,” Holden recalls.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I went onto the other side for a bit and took Stuart Pearce on. It was my first encounter of many over the years with him.

“I knocked the ball past him and went round, sat him on his arse, and he said in his Wealdstone, southern accent ‘if you do that again I’ll break your f***ing legs’.

“Phil Brown heard him and and said ‘if you break his legs I’ll break your f***ing neck’.”

”That was disappointing because we battered Burnley and lost on penalties.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

During that 1987-88 season, Holden linked up with Neil Matthews and Wayne Allison in the forward line and helped Town to the northern semi-final of the Sherpa Van Trophy against Burnley, of all teams.

“We were unlucky,” Holden recalls. “We really should’ve won that, and gone on to Wembley.”

Town lost the match on penalties and within three weeks Holden was sold to Watford for a then club record fee of £150,000 fee.

“Jonesy left after the first year and then Billy took over, then I cleared off to Watford, but I had no choice in the matter,” Holden recalls.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I got told ‘You’re off to Watford’, which I didn’t mind because I had relatives in Hemel Hempstead.

“I knew there were people sniffing round. There were rumours Leeds were having a look and all sorts of clubs, York City for example.

“The Watford one came out of the blue, and then Steve Harrison, their manager, got a bit of a Halifax fetish because he signed Lee Rchardson and Wayne Allison as well.

“We played Scunthoroe away at their old Showground and I got the top mark in The People of an eight, got man-of-the-match for Halifax.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“A week later I was making my debut for Watford against Everton, who were the current First Division champions, and I got man-of-the-match in that, and got an eight in The People.

“So I’d breached the Fourth to First Division gap in a week against two England internationals in Trevor Steven and Gary Stevens.
“In those days, if you had the ability, you could do it, you could step up. But I was a confident lad.

“Halifax gave me the springboard to become a professional.

“I was always a fit lad. I used to win the school cross-country and get back before the teachers and be accused of cheating.

“The speed endurance qualities you need for football, you don’t get that unless you play regularly.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“You can’t get it in reserves or training. Giving me the opportunity to play week-in, week-out got me into professional fitness, and allowed me to blossom.

“Once I was professionally fit then my abilities could use that as a basis to perform.”

Holden’s remarkable progress in just 18 months at The Shay was the bridge between part-time and top-flight football, with the winger going on to play in the Premier League with Manchester City and Oldham.

“I look back on it with great affection. I wrote my autobiography and I’ve since started my own publishing company and written several other books on football. And I always give Halifax a good mention.

“It springboarded me and it was good fun.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I was still a student for most of it (at Carnegie College studying Human Movement).

“It was a precursor to sports science. I was playing for Carnegie College at the same time.

“Halifax didn’t stop me, which was good. It got me fitter because I was training in the evenings.

“I couldn’t always make training in the mornings because I’d have some important lectures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Some lectures I could dodge, like the biochemistry lectures, because it was two per cent of the whole blasted course, and you used to make the formulas up anyway.

“But because I was playing and training with the college, it made up for it. But they were very laid back about it.

“Great times, and I was disappointed to leave actually.

“I was disappointed when the side broke up because I thought we could’ve gone on in the third season and probably got promotion.”

Thanks to Johnny meynell for his help with this article.

A message from the editor

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.
In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.
Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.
Thank you
Jean MacQuarrie
Editor-in-Chief

Related topics: