Former City Player Brings Out New Book

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Former Coventry City midfielder Jimmy Holmes has a new book out.

As a child, growing up Dublin, Jimmy Holmes dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

Spotted in the local youth team by the great Matt Busby and invited to go to Manchester United, he was persuaded, instead, to sign for Coventry City, heralding the start of a glittering career in football.

The young Jimmy had it all ahead of him, or so he believed, but just a few years later, a serious injury brought an abrupt end to his dreams.

In this frank autobiography, Jimmy reveals how he endured years of heartache and disappointment following the accident as he struggled to come to terms with the fact that his time as a First Division footballer was over.

From being highly sought after, representing the Republic of Ireland and playing top flight football, Jimmy suddenly found himself looking for ways to continue in the game he loved, before pursuing a new career in the police force.

With forewords by Glenn Hoddle and Johnny Giles, The Day My Dream Ended tells the compelling story of Jimmy’s meteoric rise to the top of his game and beyond, and the untimely end of one of the most promising football careers of his generation.

About the authors

Jimmy Holmes: Jimmy is an former Irish professional footballer who won 30 full international caps for the Republic of Ireland.

Holmes, a left-back, began his career with St. John Bosco. He joined Coventry City as an apprentice and was a member of the FA Youth Cup Final side in 1970. He turned professional in November 1970 and became the Republic of Ireland's youngest ever full international at 17 years, 200 days when he came on as a 74th-minute substitute for Don Givens in the 4-1 defeat in the European Championship Qualifier against Austria at Dalymount Park on 30 May 1971.

He made his league debut later that year in the home game against Leicester City on 4 December and gradually established himself in the Coventry first team. In March 1977, after 6 goals in 128 games for Coventry, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur for a fee of £120,000. A broken leg ended his career at White Hart Lane after 81 league games, in which he scored twice. While on international duty, Jimmy broke his leg, and complications arose in the setting of the leg.

In February 1981, the Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League purchased his contract for £100,000. However, he played only seventeen games over two seasons. During this time he made one final appearance in the Irish national side. In October 1982 he returned to the UK, joining Leicester City on a free transfer, but played only twice before a free transfer took him to Brentford in February 1983. A month later, another free transfer took him to Torquay United, Holmes playing 25 games (3 goals) for Bruce Rioch's side. In November 1983 he moved to Peterborough United, scoring 7 times in 49 games before ending his league career.

He enjoyed a testimonial match in 1985 at Dalymount Park, when an Irish XI beat a Glenn Hoddle XI.

He later became a police officer in the Midlands. As a police officer, he was once called into duty again while on police duty at Coventry City's Highfield Road. When one of the players for a testimonial did not show, Jimmy stepped into the fray. In August 2007 he was formally commended for his bravery in July 2006.

Mike Malyon: Mike is a retired journalist, having spent 49 years with local newspapers in Warwickshire, where he was born and educated. After starting on the Nuneaton Evening Tribune, for whom he covered the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, Mike moved onto the Coventry Evening Telegraph, where he reported on a wide range of sports, including Coventry City FC, speedway and boxing. He was in the press box at Wembley when the Sky Blues won the FA Cup in1987 - beating Glenn Hoddle’s Spurs side - and followed England in further World Cup Finals, in Italy, Germany and France. Over the years, Mike was fortunate to meet many world-class sports personalities, such as Pele, George Best and Mohammad Ali, while also regularly interviewing footballers and managers from top flight clubs throughout the country. Mike became a friend of Jimmy Holmes when his former Sky Blues’ hero took over as manager of Nuneaton Borough. Mike has two grown up sons and six grandchildren and lives in Nuneaton with his wife, Lynn.

To buy this on Kindle, please click on The Day My Dream Ended

Paper back £8.99