HOLDER, James Michael
DATE OF BIRTH: 7 May 1986, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
BRITISH
CAREER: (2008) Isle of Wight; (2009) Newport; (2010) Stoke, Somerset; (2011) Somerset.
RIDER
LINKS: Son of Mick Holder. Nephew of Matt Holder. Brother of Chris Holder (born:
24 September 1987, Appin, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia).
2011 STARTING AVERAGE:
4.00 (PL).
ADDITIONAL INFO: The elder of the Holder brothers linked with Newport in
2009 and was also named as Eastbourne’s No. 8 rider but, prior to making any appearances
for the Eagles, he was replaced in the role by Chris Schramm in May.
Holder’s battling
qualities made him extremely popular on the terraces at Queensway Meadows and he
was the only Wasp to remain ever-present in what was an otherwise difficult season
for the Welsh club, which had re-opened under new management.
In November, Stoke announced
that they had acquired the Aussie’s services for 2010. But he was to be released
by the Staffordshire club early in May and replaced by Lee Smart, as promoter Dave
Tattum sought improvements to his side. He had ridden in just nine official meetings
for the Potters, from which he had notched 34 points for an average of 3.73.
He wasn’t
without a club for long, though, as shortly afterwards his services were acquired
by Somerset, initially as a 28-day injury replacement for Tommy Allen. But, he was
to sustain a dislocated collarbone in only his third meeting for the Rebels, when
they appeared at Redcar in a league encounter on 20 May.
That occurred in heat two,
when his rear wheel was clipped by home rider Gary Irving, with both men being catapulted
over the high side and the Somerset signing coming off worst in the ensuing mêlée.
Having recovered, the Aussie went on to total twenty official appearances for the
Rebels, which yielded 108 points and a 5.15 average. With the addition of his earlier
meetings for Stoke, it gave the Aussie a seasonal tally of 142 points from twenty-nine
matches and an overall real-time average of 4.70.
On 3 December, in front of a packed
Oak Tree Clubhouse, the Aussie was named as a starter in the Somerset side for 2011.
The forward-looking club named all seven team members on the night, with Holder being
one of five riders from Down Under in the septet – his fellow countrymen being Sam
Masters, Cory Gathercole, Dakota North and Travis McGowan.
Later in the month, it
was confirmed that Holder had been appointed team skipper and, after he recovered
from again dislocating his shoulder in his first meeting back in Australia at Kurri
Kurri, he was honoured to lead the Rebels into the 2011 campaign.
However, the Aussie was injured shortly after the season had got underway in a home
league fixture against Rye House on 1 April. In the reserves’ race, Holder aggravated
the shoulder he had injured the previous year. The race in question took two attempts
to start, as visiting rider Tyson Nelson had jumped the gun in the first running.
In
the re-run, the Rye House representative again bolted out of the traps and led from
the Rebels’ pair of Dakota North and Holder. Towards the end of the second lap, Holder
took an innocuous looking slide off, whilst in third place.
Rockets’ No. 6 Ben Morley
quickly laid down his machine, but couldn’t avoid sliding into the prostrate Somerset
captain and his bike. Although he was soon on his feet, Holder subsequently withdrew
from the remainder of the night’s racing.
