Jim HOLMES

Jim Holmes signed for Spurs from Coventry City in March 1977 for £100,000, as a replacement for the injured John Gorman. In what proved to be a dreadful season for the London club, Holmes appeared 10 times, scoring his first goal for his new side in a 2-0 home win over Leicester City on the last day of the season. The win couldn't prevent Spurs from suffering relegation, which had been confirmed the week before in a 5-0 drubbing at Manchester City. The Irish defender played in 38 games during the 1977-78 season, helping Spurs regain their 1st Division status at the first attempt. On Spurs' return to the top flight in 1978-79, Jim helped Keith Burkinshaw's side to a respectable 10th place finish. With the signing of Argentina's Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa, and the emergence of the wonderfully gifted Glenn Hoddle, it was exciting times at White Hart Lane.

Holmes appeared in 33 league games, his only goal coming in May's 3-1 win at Bolton Wanderers. The Dubliner also played in all seven of Spurs FA Cup matches, ending in a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United in a quarter-final replay. The two games had been seen by more than 106, 000 fans. Holmes played a further eight times for the Repulic throughout 1978-79 before disaster struck when breaking a leg in the game against Bulgaria in May '79. The sub-standard treatment Jim received for the injury in Bulgaria did not help matters and it was eleven long months before he would play again. By that time Chris Hughton had established himself in the starting line-up and Jim was unable to oust the youngster on his return from injury. Holmes moved to Vancouver Whitecaps for a fee of £100,000 in February 1981 before returning to English football with Leicester City in October of that same year. (Tony Smith)