Falkirk announce Gary Holt as their new manager

FALKIRK have confirmed former Kilmarnock and Norwich midfielder Gary Holt as their new manager.

Gary Holt still bears a tattoo on his leg in honour of his 1997 Scottish Cup triumph with Kilmarnock, and the former Scotland international insists it was the reaction of the losing Falkirk fans that day which also left a lasting imprint.

The 40-year-old, who has been appointed as Steven Pressley’s successor, was part of the last Kilmarnock side to lift the famous old trophy, defeating the Bairns 1-0 in the final at Ibrox.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Holt fondly recalls Falkirk’s vociferous support in Govan remaining in situ as the trophy was paraded around the stadium, a memory he cites as an emotive career highlight.

“My cup win was only mentioned towards the end of the interview, thankfully,” he said with a smile. “It was a great day and great occasion for those involved in it. It was probably the most friendly game of football I have ever been involved in. Both sets of supporters were there to enjoy the day and both sets of fans celebrated together at full-time.

“The Falkirk supporters stayed behind and applauded Kilmarnock winning the cup, which is something you are not used to as a footballer. It was special parading the trophy around a full stadium rather than just around a horseshoe of fans.

“That was one of the best memories of my career, and I am fortunate enough to have quite a few good memories. I always hark back to those celebrations and the Falkirk fans clapping and cheering – it was surreal.

“It sticks with me and I mentioned it a few times to the board during my interview.”

Holt will take up his post on Monday, leaving technical director Alex Smith and coaches Stevie Crawford and Robbie Neilson to take charge of the side against Cowdenbeath on Saturday.

It means the flame-haired coach’s first match in charge will be the Scottish Cup semi-final against Hibernian on April 13.

After breaking Falkirk hearts in the final 16 years ago, he is relishing the opportunity to make immediate amends.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Holt continued: “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me but it is going to be a great occasion to come straight into, and it is one the boys here should embrace.

“It is a fixture for them to highlight what they are good at. There is no pressure on them. It’s not about trying to win the league, it is a one-off game where Hibs are the favourites. I want the players to showcase their talents and impress people who are there and enjoy the day.”

A more long-term aim for Holt, who joins Falkirk having left his role as head of professional development at Norwich City, is guiding a youthful Bairns outfit back to the SPL.

Indeed, he believes a place among Scotland’s top ten clubs should be the expectation as he embarks on his first – and long-awaited – managerial opportunity. “I had applied for every job under the sun,” Holt added. “That is one of the downfalls of going down the coaching pathway when you finish playing. I always wanted to be a manager and thankfully Falkirk have given me that opportunity. I now want to take Falkirk to the highest level I can, whatever league reconstruction may put us in or where we end up. I want to be a top-ten side and, if we become that, we will be in the right league, that is for sure. That is where I want to go.”

Falkirk’s technical director Alex Smith believes Holt’s army background gives him the ideal credentials for management. The midfielder bought himself out of the forces to begin his playing career with Celtic in 1992.

“His background before coming into the game was as a professional soldier and that builds a certain character,” beamed Smith, who was a member of the selection panel which handed Holt the job at the Falkirk Stadium.

“I think that early period between leaving school and becoming a footballer was a great grounding for this type of job. That wee bit of discipline he can bring to the role pleases me.”

Falkirk chairman Martin Ritchie insists Holt was the stand-out candidate to replace Pressley, despite a plethora of more experienced options.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We had many applications, including well-known names and a number of players who had terrific playing careers with Falkirk,” he said.” Gary was the man who stood out during the recruitment process.”

From Army chef to the commander of young talent

GARY Holt’s work with Norwich City over the past three years made him the right man for the job in the eyes of the Falkirk board.

In his relatively short coaching career, the former Scottish international has exclusively trained and taught young players in his role at the Norfolk club. His position as head coach of Falkirk will be a continuation of this: developing the career progress of those who emerge from the club’s much- heralded youth academy.

Similar emphasis on youth 25 years ago would have avoided a peculiar route for Holt into professional football. After being told that he would never make it as a footballer by his home-town club, Kilmarnock, the midfielder shrugged his shoulders and insisted he wasn’t that bothered; he wanted to become a chef and was going to join the army to do so.

Five years later, he decided to give football one last chance, signing for Celtic under Lou Macari after agreeing to buy himself out of the Army. Initially, it didn’t appear to have been an intelligent gamble, with Celtic and then Stoke City releasing him before he’d even kicked a ball for the senior squad.

Kilmarnock ensured they wouldn’t pay for their earlier error in judgment by picking up the free agent in 1995. Within two years, he was a regular in the Rugby Park team and his first professional goal, in a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen, cemented the club’s survival in the Premier Division. Two weeks later, he secured his first medal, playing 90 minutes as Kilmarnock defeated Falkirk 1-0 in the Scottish Cup final.

A Scotland call-up finally arrived in 2000, Holt entering the international scene as a 89th minute substitute in a World Cup Qualifier against Latvia. It would be the first of ten appearances for the national side.

Norwich signed him for £135,000 in March 2000, with former manager Nigel Worthington later calling it one of the “best value-for-money signings this club has made in recent years”. He was awarded fans’ player of the year in his first full season and helped the club win promotion back to the Premier League at the end of the 2003/04 season.

After one disappointing campaign in the top flight, he would move to Nottingham Forest, before dropping down the leagues over the subsequent years and retiring to concentrate on his coaching in 2010.