Born in St. Just in 1919, Nicky as he was known to all, was unquestionably, the finest sportsman ever to emerge from this mining town.

Son of the late Mr. Walter Holman, Nicky was educated at Probus school, and later at St. Lukes college, where he was on the "books" of Exeter City Football Club.

"During the late thirties he played several times for Cornwall, and in the War years 1940-45, he was stationed in South Africa, where his football saw him represent Queenstown, the Cape Province, and finally at international level he played for South Africa against Rhodesia."

In the immediate post war days, he was back in his native Cornwall, teaching at St. Austell. Nicky played in the St. Just team that won the Cornwall Charity Cup in May 1946. His pinacle was achieved in March 1947, when he was chosen to play for England at amateur level, on their Continental tour of France, Luxembourg, and Holland that May.

Unfortunately, in 1948, his skills were not to be seen in this country again, an appointment as headmaster, took him back to the African continent, to Rhodesia, where he has lived for the past 31 years.

As a footballer, Nicky had a phenomenal gift in being able to read a game, he had amazing ball control, coupled with a remarkable ability to make deft passes of uncanny accuracy. One of few people to hold the unique record in that he represented two countries, as a footballer.