Great leaders – are they born or made? Is it nature or nurture?
Depending on your historical source, it seems there are good arguments for both. In Grant Holt’s case, it was definitely the latter.
Quote time. The great American football coach Vince Lombardi probably said it best:
“Leaders aren’t born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that’s the price we’ll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”
And boy, when it came to goals, did Holty deliver the goods. And he was well worth the reported £500,000 City paid for him back in 2009.
Yesterday marked six years since Bryan Gunn acquired the signature of Shrewsbury’s top scorer of the previous season. That same day, two other not quite so celebrated signings were made – Rhoys Wiggins (now at Charlton) and Simon Whaley (now retired through injury).
While Wiggins and Whaley managed three appearances between them, Holt of course went on to forge legendary yellow and green status at a level achieved by so few in the soon to be 80 years of competitive action at Carrow Road.
I can only think of former captains Ron Ashman and Duncan Forbes perhaps who have made that same connection with the faithful in their time. Perhaps Darren Huckerby also has a strong case to be included.
Ashman was well before my time but his record and everything you read about his exploits points to a true legend. Similarly with Forbes whose career just overlapped with my first conscious football memories.
Of course we had great players between Forbes and Holt, but arguably none who scaled the heights in terms of the aura they managed to cultivate at the club.
Holt’s time at Carrow Road was far more than simply the goals he scored – 78 in 168 games – as crucial as they were in the club’s renaissance from those dark days in League One. Of course, others contributed hugely to the successive promotions and splendid Premier League season of 2011/12.
Clearly, the Lambert-Holt partnership was a special one, both galvanising in those dark weeks after the Colchester catastrophe and subsequently inspiring the club to long forgotten heights.
We all have our favourite Holty moments no doubt. Magnificent goals at Anfield and Goodison Park along with that hat trick against Roy Keane’s boys stand out for me.
So many late, late goals that gained crucial points and made the fans feel like with captain Holt on the field, the game was never lost.
It feels a bit like that at the moment with Alex Neil on the side-lines, although on the field we’ve still not really found someone who has filled Holt’s metaphorical boots. As good as Neil is, he cannot put the ball in the net when it’s most needed.
You don’t need me to remind you that Holt’s departure was tinged with controversy and bitterness, with many supporters feeling he still had more to offer, but Chris Hughton decided new legs were needed.
Was it the right decision? Probably, in my opinion, as borne out by Holt’s subsequent struggles at Wigan.
Lured by the Northern air and carrot of the Europa League, Holt failed to make an impression under first Owen Coyle, and then especially under Uwe Rosler who effectively confined our former hero to training with the Latics’ development squad.
An undignified fall from grace.
Brief loan periods at Villa and Huddersfield followed before long term injury curtailed any thoughts of recapturing the glory days.
A Twitter post from the man himself yesterday alluded to a possible return to League One action at the DW in September. Surely though, the dreaded permanent hanging up of the boots is just round the corner?
The tweet before that one acknowledged the sixth anniversary of his arrival in Norfolk.
Just as we will never forget his time with us, clearly he will never forget the high point of a career, which looked to be going nowhere for its first decade but could and should have culminated in an England call up.
To quote Mr. Shakespeare:
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.”
I leave it to you to decide which one fits Grant Holt in the yellow and green.
Can go back to Ron Ashman’s days and he was a legend but nowhere near the charisma of Big Dunc, Hucks and Holt but in any list of legends Kevin Keelan has to be in there!
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Excellent article. A club legend without doubt, and all done in just four seasons. Too many great goals to choose, but my personal favourite was the equaliser at Anfield. Just because of where it was and when. At that point I really began to believe that we’d do the impossible and stay up. And yes, he deserved a call up. Without any doubt.
What the fans recognised, I believe, was that willingness to give it all. It just worked between Grant and the fans.
One name I would like to throw in to the ring is Iwan. For similar reasons.
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Holt was a great player for us and a great captain. He epitomized the nature of the Lambert team punching above their weight and harassing the ‘big boys’ of the Premier League who were unused to him. However, and this will be controversial, he was not NCFC through and through. He did not relocate to the area with his family and was keen to move on. This is a sharp contrast to Hucks for example who could have moved on for big money but stayed and said he would never play against us. Others have come back and helped the club after their playing days have finished and they are my true legends as they feel the club the same way we do.
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I would say without a doubt Holty had the biggest impact on the club in its history a born leader a born goal scorer and absolute LEGEND !!!
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Agree with Hucks as far as relating to the club and fans are concerned-he came,loved it and wanted to stay, virtually ordering his agent-who wasn’t so keen, wonder why?!-to work to make it happen.
Liverpool and Celtic wanted to sign him when he was at his pomp here but he wasn’t interested, much to, with regard to the latter, Gordon Strachan’s astonishment.
Holty was a real thrownback, a footballer who was all about character and hard work rather than style and image. For that and his mix of honesty, that hard work and determination to make something of himself, it made him ‘unfashionable’ and meant he never got the England call up lesser players had and have since.
Whatever else we need this Summer, someone with his drive and attitude would be more than welcome.
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As a statistician, I go into spasms and foam at the mouth when I hear of someone giving 110%. From the inverted commas in the headline, though, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.
Holty attracts that kind of phrase because of his obvious whole-hearted commitment. Duncan Forbes is a natural comparison for the combination of charisma and leadership; Hucks wasn’t a leader, but had the same kind of rapport with fans. These kind of players are three-dimensional in a world where most are two-dimensional.
Two quick points to add. First, we clearly saw Holt’s best years. By his own admission he wasn’t the most assiduous trainer, and his capabilities were always likely to decline after he turned 30. His tame performance at Norwich for Huddersfield last year was a bit sad to watch.
Finally, let’s not undervalue a different sort of leader – less colourful but sometimes equally effective. For every Duncan Forbes there’s a Dave Stringer; for every Holty a Russell Martin.
Now, has Brady signed yet?
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Good assessment of a fine servant to the Club. What Holty had in spadeloads was character. From behind the goal (front of Upper Barclay) as I am, the joy of watching (and sometimes hearing) him wind up his marker was something special. Whoever said we had his best years is utterly correct. I would go as far as to say we had his only truly impactful years. And of course the obligatory salute to Hucks comes from me as well.
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Cheers for all of the comments. Good points made and of course the ‘legend debate’ could go on until the cows come home.
I guess there are different ‘shades’ of legends. Dave Stringer is arguably top of the legend list having had a lifelong and successful association with his local club at all levels – he ticks all the boxes, some of which others including Holt don’t.
But of course Holty is freshest in the mind, scored goals and we were at our lowest ebb for 40 years.
Can’t see him wearing that 3rd kit though. Horizontal stripes and a ‘large’ frame are not a good combination..I know from personal experience.
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From the same era as Ashman,although I was a youngster then,I remember two strikers from that time who were top players.I’m talking about Terry’s Alcock and Bly.Prolific in their day & you knew you would get 100% from them.You’ve taken me back to ’59 & that wonderful fa cup run which I believe began the journey to today’s heady nights.Too many players in between to choose the best it’s a matter of personal choice.
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