Keith Holden

{{Short description|GB international rugby league footballer (1937–2006)}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|name = Keith Holden

|fullname = Charles Keith Holden

|image =

|imagesize =

|caption =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1937|7|31|df=y}}

|birth_place = Wigan, England

|death_date = {{death date and age|2006|9|10|1937|7|31|df=y}}

|death_place = Wigan, England

|height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}

|weight = {{convert|14|st|4|lb|kg|abbr=on}}

|position = {{rlp|CE}}

|club1 = Leigh

|year1start = 1954

|year1end = 58

|appearances1 = 142

|tries1 = 58

|goals1 = 0

|fieldgoals1 = 0

|points1 = 174

|club2 = Wigan

|year2start = 1958

|year2end = 61

|appearances2 = 87

|tries2 = 36

|goals2 = 0

|fieldgoals2 = 0

|points2 = 108

|club3 = Oldham

|year3start = 1960

|year3end = 63

|appearances3 = 62

|tries3 = 31

|goals3 = 0

|fieldgoals3 = 0

|points3 = 93

|club4 = Warrington

|year4start = 1963

|year4end = 64

|appearances4 = 49

|tries4 = 22

|goals4 = 0

|fieldgoals4 = 0

|points4 = 66

|club5 = Wigan

|year5start = 1965

|year5end = 68

|appearances5 = 65

|tries5 = 22

|goals5 = 0

|fieldgoals5 = 0

|points5 = 66

|club6 = Blackpool Borough

|year6start = 1968

|year6end = 70

|appearances6 = 29

|tries6 = 2

|goals6 = 0

|fieldgoals6 = 0

|points6 = 6

|teamA = Lancashire

|yearAstart = 1959

|yearAend = 64

|appearancesA = 2

|triesA = 1

|goalsA = 0

|fieldgoalsA = 0

|pointsA = 3

|teamB = Great Britain

|yearBstart = 1963

|yearBend =

|appearancesB = 1

|triesB = 0

|goalsB = 0

|fieldgoalsB = 0

|pointsB = 0

|retired = yes

|source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/keith-holden/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}{{Rugby league records |id=8963 |title=Keith Holden |access-date=12 March 2024}}

}}

Charles Keith Holden (31 July 1937 – 10 September 2006) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Leigh,{{cite web|url=https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/team_member/holden-keith|title=Statistics at leighrl.co.uk|publisher=leighrl.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}} Wigan (two spells),{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1822|title=Heritage Numbers - In Debut Order|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-date=2 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202014115/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=1822|url-status=dead}} Oldham RLFC, Warrington and Blackpool Borough, as a {{rlp|ce}}.

https://www.rugbyleaguerecords.com/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}

Background

Keith Holden was born in Wigan, Lancashire, England on 31 July 1937. He was the father of the rugby league {{rlp|sh}} who played in the 1980s for Wigan and Warrington, Keith Holden Jr.

Keith Holden died in Wigan on 10 September 2006, at the age of 69.{{cite web |title=Mr Charles Keith Holden |url=https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/6257309:60630?tid=&pid=&queryId=b66d2d89-66d4-44d0-92d5-f0514ab99301&_phsrc=Dqh7259&_phstart=successSource |publisher=England and Wales, Death Index, 1989–2022 |access-date=7 February 2024}}

Playing career

=Wigan=

Holden signed for Wigan from Leigh in 1958 for a transfer fee of £6,660 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £340,000 in 2017).{{cite news|title=Holden is back at Wigan|newspaper=The Guardian|date=2 February 1965|location=London|page=4|id={{ProQuest|185037784}}}}{{cite web|url=http://www.measuringworth.com/ukcompare|title=Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds|publisher=Measuring Worth|date=31 December 2014|accessdate=1 January 2015}} He played in Wigan's victory in the Lancashire League during the 1958–59 season,{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=537|title=Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=29 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110729070144/http://wigan.rlfans.com/readarticle.php?article_id=537|url-status=dead}} and also played left-{{rlp|ce}} and scored a try in Wigan's 30-13 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959 Challenge Cup Final during the 1958–59 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 9 May 1959, in front of a crowd of 79,811 .{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=437|title=1958-1959 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202222948/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=437|url-status=dead}}

=Oldham=

After nearly two years at Wigan, Holden moved to Oldham for a transfer fee of £7,000 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £337,200 in 2017). He made 62 appearances for the club before joining Warrington.{{cite web|title=Player Statistics|url=http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/player_stats_h.htm|work=Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust|accessdate=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723020111/http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/player_stats_h.htm|archive-date=23 July 2011|url-status=dead}}

=Warrington=

Holden made 49 appearances for Warrington, scoring 22 tries.{{cite web|url=http://wolvesplayers.thisiswarrington.co.uk/results.asp?code=496|title=Statistics at wolvesplayers.thisiswarrington.co.uk|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014422/http://wolvesplayers.thisiswarrington.co.uk/results.asp?code=496|url-status=dead}}

=Return to Wigan=

Holden returned to Wigan in 1965, he played left-{{rlp|ce}} and scored a try in the 20-16 victory over Hunslet in the 1965 Challenge Cup Final during the 1964–65 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 8 May 1965, in front of a crowd of 89,016.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=439|title=1964-1965 Challenge Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=3 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004343/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=439|url-status=dead}} Holden played left-{{rlp|ce}} in Wigan's 16-13 victory over Oldham in the 1966 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1966–67 season at Station Road, Swinton, on Saturday 29 October 1966.{{cite web|url=http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=440|title=1966-1967 Lancashire Cup Final|publisher=wigan.rlfans.com|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|archive-date=16 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716170330/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=440|url-status=dead}} He left Wigan in 1968 and joined Blackpool Borough.

=International honours=

Keith Holden won a cap for Great Britain while at Warrington in 1963 against Australia.

References

{{Reflist}}