Sponsored by
John Holmes: Leeds RL legend remembered
Rugby League legend John Holmes was such an unassuming man he kept his medals in a shoebox underneath his bed and his old playing shirts in the loft.
* Click here for latest Leeds Rhinos news.
He worked as a printer throughout his rugby career and after it had ended continued working, eschewing the spotlight to the end.
* Click here to sign up to free news and sport email alerts from your YEP.
These and many more stories about one of Leeds's finest players, who died last September aged 57, are to be brought together in a biography, aptly titled Reluctant Hero: The John Holmes Story.
* Click here to follow the YEP on Twitter.
Written by Holmes's brother Phil Snr and nephew Phil Jnr, it details the highs of his career including 625 appearances for Leeds, 20 caps for Great Britain, and being in the World Cup winning squad in 1972.
* Click here for latest Leeds United news.
PE teacher Phil Jnr, 35, of Wetherby, said: "He was so reclusive and unassuming that no-one knows all the stories about him. He tried to stay out of the limelight even when he did play.
"He was on TV once and afterwards he said 'never again'"
* Click here to watch the latest edition of the YEP's rugby league programme The Sin Bin.
"His medals were in a shoebox under his bed; his playing shirts were in the loft and one of his brothers found a lot of his silverware tipped into the laundry basket.
"He had a few trophies in a cabinet but he would never have spoken about himself. He was a gem of a bloke; very humble and that was another reason to write the book."
Holmes was crucial to Leeds's dominance of the game for much of the 1970s and early '80s, playing in 19 finals and winning 14.
* Click here to watch latest YEP news and sport video reports.
He was at his best in the epic 1978 Challenge Cup final when his sensational drop goal helped Leeds to a 14-12 victory over St Helens.
* Click here for latest YEP news and sport picture slideshows.
His widow Karen said she was delighted a book had been written about
his life. They married two weeks before his death in a ceremony in their Kirkstall garden.
"John was asked to write his autobiography and he said 'no.'
"But I think this is lovely. He would have been really proud. He loved watching rugby on TV but even though he had a season ticket, he only went about twice," she said.
"One time he'd got on the bus to go into Leeds and all the fans saw him and he was really embarrassed so he got off at the next stop. He was a really shy person."
* Click here for latest Castleford Tigers news.
Karen said after he died she was overwhelmed by the tributes and honours bestowed on her husband.
* Click here for latest Wakefield Trinity Wildcats news.
"I knew he was good but when he died and it came to light, I couldn't believe it. I had lived with him all these years and I hadn't known because he just didn't talk about it
"We were together for seven and a half years and it was the best years of my life. I miss him greatly."
The book is to be published in May by Leeds independent publishers Scratching Shed.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 0 C to 5 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North west
