Palace Join Holt Race

[Dave]

PALACE JOIN HOLT RACE
OPTA
Thursday, January 4, 2001

CRYSTAL PALACE are the latest English club to join the race for Kilmarnock midfielder Gary Holt.
The Nationwide First Division side sent coach Ray Houghton to check on Holt on Tuesday during Killie's 6-0 hammering by Celtic, according to a report in the Daily Record.

But the former Republic of Ireland star is still likely to have been impressed by the strong running 27-year-old, who was one of the few Kilmarnock players to escape boss Bobby Williamson's wrath.

Holt has only just returned to the Rugby Park side after an injury lay-off and then a spell on trial at Leicester City where Foxes boss Peter Taylor would prefer to wait until Holt becomes a free agent in the summer before taking him to Filbert Street permanently.

However, the fact that the Scotland international is now free to talk to other clubs and can sign a pre-contract agreement could intensify the race for his signature.

Holt had seemed poised to move to England several months ago but was twice dogged by bad luck when moves seemed possible.

A £400,000 transfer to Barnsley was set after ex-boss Dave Basset watched Holt score in Kilmarnock's fine 3-0 win at Rangers, but the player then injured himself and Basset later quit the Yorkshire club.

A fee was also agreed by the Killie board with Norwich City and Holt met with then-boss Bryan Hamilton, but just days after Holt headed for Carrow Road to look over the set up, Hamilton was sacked.

Kilmarnock would prefer to sell the midfielder they bought from Stoke City in 1996 rather than risk losing him for nothing under the Bosman ruling at the end of the season.

by Phil Gordon

------------------
Like Uri Geller I'm a good speller.

Smithy was at the Scottish game as well as Ray. They weren't impressed by what they saw...

[Chillo]

But for those of you who are looking to get rid of AS, if we did put in an offer ..........

"A £400,000 transfer to Barnsley was set after ex-boss Dave Basset watched Holt score in Kilmarnock's fine 3-0 win at Rangers, but the player then injured himself and Basset later quit the Yorkshire club.

A fee was also agreed by the Killie board with Norwich City and Holt met with then-boss Bryan Hamilton, but just days after Holt headed for Carrow Road to look over the set up, Hamilton was sacked."