Teddy Holland
Encyclopedia
Teddy Holland is an Irish
retired Gaelic football
manager
and former player. He played football with his local clubs Ballinascarthy
and St. Finbarr's
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1970. Holland is best known in recent times for his short-lived managerial appointment of the Cork senior football team during a period when they were on strike
.
However, Stiles went some way to clearing this up in his autobiography. In it he says "Ted was fantastic young player, marvellous engine and a huge heart. In many ways he reminded me of my old friend Duncan Edwards. The rumours that he was booted out by Sir Matt after he decked me in a training game were absolute poppycock. Of course there was a physical element to those games and Ted certainly wouldn't have been shy in that respect but that was never the reason he left United, no way. In truth, I suspect the lad was homesick".
By all accounts that was the end of Teddy Holland's soccer career, he returned to Ballinascarthy in early 1965 and was promptly called onto the Cork minor panel. In a 2007 interview with 96fm presenter Neil Prenderville Holland spoke about his love of soccer saying "no doubt about it soccer was my first love but I have no regrets, I have some wonderful memories and have had some fantastic achievements in Gaelic Football".
Prenderville asked Holland as to whether he could envisage himself as a soccer manager "I'm sure if the right opportunity came along, be it cross-channel or somewhere closer to home then it is something I couldn't say no to. I'm confident I would have the knowledge of the game and the leadership qualities required to make it as a soccer manager. Given my managerial experience in gaelic games I see no reason why I wouldn't take to it like water to a duck, who knows where the future lies".
side. He also lined out with the Carbery
division in the county senior championship before moving to the famous Cork club St Finbarr's
club in the early 1970s. It was with 'the Barr's' that Holland enjoyed much success. It was here that he won his first Cork Senior Football Championship medal in 1976. He won two further county medals in 1979 and in 1980. The latter victory was converted into a Munster Senior Club Football Championship
title as well as an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
title. Holland won a fourth county medal in 1982.
titles, however, the team failed to capture an All-Ireland crown. Holland later moved onto the Cork under-21 team where he worked as a selector again. In 1998 Holland took over as manager of the Cork minor football team. His first season in charge brought a surprise loss to Limerick
. The following year saw Cork win the Munster title before going on to be defeated by Mayo
in the All-Ireland semi-final. Holland's team retained their provincial title in 2000 before going on to win the All-Ireland title.
He was appointed manager of the Cork football team in 2007 while the players were on strike
protesting about the process for picking selectors. The players refused to play under Holland as he was appointed during the strike. The player strike lasted until February 18, 2008 when he resigned as manager as one of the conditions of resolving the strike without ever actually working with the players. He was succeeded as team manager by Conor Counihan
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
retired Gaelic football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
manager
Manager (Gaelic games)
In Gaelic games, a manager or coach is an individual involved in the direction and instruction of the on-field operations of a team. Managing, or coaching, entails the application of sport tactics and strategies during the game itself, and usually entails substitution of players and other such...
and former player. He played football with his local clubs Ballinascarthy
Ballinascarthy GAA
Ballinascarthy GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the village of Ballinascarty in Cork, Ireland. It is affiliated with Cork GAA and Carbery divisional board. The club participates in both Gaelic football and hurling competitions.-History:...
and St. Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
and was a member of the Cork senior inter-county team from 1969 until 1970. Holland is best known in recent times for his short-lived managerial appointment of the Cork senior football team during a period when they were on strike
2007-2008 Cork players strike
During the 2007-2008 Cork players strike Gaelic footballers and hurlers in County Cork, Ireland refused to play for the Cork County board. The cause of the strike was the issue of deciding who should pick the senior teams' selectors. The players believed the manager should pick the selectors....
.
Soccer career
Holland spent a brief spell as an apprentice at Manchester United in 1964. Although he was widely touted as a successor to Bobby Charlton, Hollands time at United was cut short. At the time there was some speculation that Holland and United parted company following a training ground fracas involving Holland and the fiery tempered Nobby Stiles.However, Stiles went some way to clearing this up in his autobiography. In it he says "Ted was fantastic young player, marvellous engine and a huge heart. In many ways he reminded me of my old friend Duncan Edwards. The rumours that he was booted out by Sir Matt after he decked me in a training game were absolute poppycock. Of course there was a physical element to those games and Ted certainly wouldn't have been shy in that respect but that was never the reason he left United, no way. In truth, I suspect the lad was homesick".
By all accounts that was the end of Teddy Holland's soccer career, he returned to Ballinascarthy in early 1965 and was promptly called onto the Cork minor panel. In a 2007 interview with 96fm presenter Neil Prenderville Holland spoke about his love of soccer saying "no doubt about it soccer was my first love but I have no regrets, I have some wonderful memories and have had some fantastic achievements in Gaelic Football".
Prenderville asked Holland as to whether he could envisage himself as a soccer manager "I'm sure if the right opportunity came along, be it cross-channel or somewhere closer to home then it is something I couldn't say no to. I'm confident I would have the knowledge of the game and the leadership qualities required to make it as a soccer manager. Given my managerial experience in gaelic games I see no reason why I wouldn't take to it like water to a duck, who knows where the future lies".
Club
Holland played his early club football with his local BallinascartyBallinascarthy GAA
Ballinascarthy GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the village of Ballinascarty in Cork, Ireland. It is affiliated with Cork GAA and Carbery divisional board. The club participates in both Gaelic football and hurling competitions.-History:...
side. He also lined out with the Carbery
Carbery GAA
Carbery GAA are a divisional team from the south-west division of County Cork, Ireland, in ancient Carbery. They compete in the Cork Senior Football Championship. They competed in the Cork Senior Hurling Championship up to and including 2010. They did not enter a hurling team in 2011...
division in the county senior championship before moving to the famous Cork club St Finbarr's
St. Finbarr's GAA
St. Finbarr's National Hurling and Football Club is a Gaelic Athletic Association club based in the Togher area of Cork city, County Cork, Ireland....
club in the early 1970s. It was with 'the Barr's' that Holland enjoyed much success. It was here that he won his first Cork Senior Football Championship medal in 1976. He won two further county medals in 1979 and in 1980. The latter victory was converted into a Munster Senior Club Football Championship
Munster Senior Club Football Championship
The Munster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament played between the hundreds of senior football clubs in Munster. The winners will represent Munster in the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship. East Kerry were the first winners of the Munster senior...
title as well as an All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football tournament run since 1971, played between the thousands of senior football clubs in Ireland. The current champions are Crossmaglen Rangers of Armagh, who defeated St. Brigid's of Roscommon on March 17, 2011 to win their...
title. Holland won a fourth county medal in 1982.
Early experience
Holland's time off the field with Cork GAA began as a selector with the county senior football team in 1993. It was a great era for Cork as the team captured three successive MunsterMunster Senior Football Championship
The Munster Senior Football Championship is the premier "knockout" competition in the game of football played in the province of Munster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Munster Council and are played during the summer months...
titles, however, the team failed to capture an All-Ireland crown. Holland later moved onto the Cork under-21 team where he worked as a selector again. In 1998 Holland took over as manager of the Cork minor football team. His first season in charge brought a surprise loss to Limerick
Limerick GAA
The Limerick County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Limerick GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Limerick...
. The following year saw Cork win the Munster title before going on to be defeated by Mayo
Mayo GAA
The Mayo County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Mayo GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Mayo and the Mayo inter-county teams.-History:...
in the All-Ireland semi-final. Holland's team retained their provincial title in 2000 before going on to win the All-Ireland title.
He was appointed manager of the Cork football team in 2007 while the players were on strike
2007-2008 Cork players strike
During the 2007-2008 Cork players strike Gaelic footballers and hurlers in County Cork, Ireland refused to play for the Cork County board. The cause of the strike was the issue of deciding who should pick the senior teams' selectors. The players believed the manager should pick the selectors....
protesting about the process for picking selectors. The players refused to play under Holland as he was appointed during the strike. The player strike lasted until February 18, 2008 when he resigned as manager as one of the conditions of resolving the strike without ever actually working with the players. He was succeeded as team manager by Conor Counihan
Conor Counihan
Conor Counihan is an Irish Gaelic football manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Cork senior football team....