Keith Holliday

Wakefield Trinity career

One of the most under-rated players in Wakefield Trinity’s history is three-time Wembley winner, Keith Holliday. The wily scrum half was one of the club’s great servants and ranks sixth on the club’s all-time appearance list, with ten winner's medals, as well as county and international recognition.

Holliday's Trinity career spanned fourteen years (1952–66); he played 438 times. Only Neil Fox has played more post-war Trinity games. He was an outstanding local product and arrived at Belle Vue via Cathedral School and Eastmoor. He progressed through the intermediate and A-teams before making his début in the first match of the 1952–53 season, scoring a try in a 30–21 victory over Doncaster.

Holliday made steady progress, starting out as a stand off and alternating in the centres and within four years of his debut, he represented Great Britain, partnering Don Fox, in an unofficial 18–10 victory over France at Bradford in 1956. He added to his representative honours a season later when he was stand off for Yorkshire, in defeat by Cumberland at Whitehaven.

By the late 1950s, Trinity were coming out of the wilderness on the domestic front, reaching their first major final in five years. A 23–5 Yorkshire Cup Final victory over Hunslet gave Keith the first of his cup winner's medals in 1956. He had now formed a formidable half back partnership with Ken Rollin and it was not until 1958 when he moved to scrum half when Harold Poynton became his half back partner.

The try-maker turned try scorer with two scorching tries at Wembley in 1960, when Trinity defeated Hull, 38–5 to win the RL Challenge Cup. It was the first of three Challenge Cup winners medals for Keith as he was at scrum half, again, in 1962 and 1963 which went alongside four Yorkshire League Championship winners medals (1959, 1960, 1962 and 1966) and two further Yorkshire Cup winners medals (1961–62 and 1964–65). He was also one win away from the League Championship on two occasions after final losses in 1960 and 1962; Keith playing in nine major finals for Trinity, winning six.

Keith remained the major tradesman at scrum half throughout the early 1960s, the club being one win away from winning ‘All Four Cups’ on 1961–62 and being rewarded with a testimonial season in 1962–63. He gained his second county cap in 1961, captaining Yorkshire in defeat by Lancashire at Leigh. He moved to loose forward in 1964 before playing his last game for Trinity, in defeat by Hull, in March 1966. He then moved to Bramley as player coach.

He finished his career with 94 tries and was also club captain in the 1957–58 season, being voted the supporter’s player of the years two years running in 1961–62 and 1962–63 … a true club legend. He was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame in 2015.

International honours

Keith Holliday played stand-off/five-eighth for Great Britain while at Wakefield Trinity in the 18–10 victory over France (non-Test match) at Odsal Stadium, Bradford in 1956.

Along with Billy Banks, Ted Cahill, Gordon Haynes, Billy Ivison, Bob Kelly, John McKeown, George Parsons and Ted Slevin, Keith Holliday's only Great Britain appearance came against France prior to 1957, these matches were not considered as Test matches by the Rugby Football League, and consequently caps were not awarded.

County honours

Keith Holliday was selected for Yorkshire County XIII while at Wakefield Trinity during the 1956/57 season.

Championship Final appearances

Keith Holliday played scrum-half/halfback in Wakefield Trinity's 3–27 defeat by Wigan in the Rugby Football League Championship Final during the 1959–60 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 21 May 1960.

County League appearances

Keith Holliday played in Wakefield Trinity's victories in the Yorkshire county league during the 1958–59 season, 1959–60 season, 1961–62 season, and 1962–63 season.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Keith Holliday played scrum-half/halfback, and scored 2-tries in Wakefield Trinity's 38–5 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1960 Challenge Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773, played scrum-half/halfback in the 12–6 victory over Huddersfield in the 1962 Challenge Cup Final during the 1961–62 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 12 May 1962, in front of a crowd of 81,263, and played scrum-half/halfback in the 25–10 victory over Wigan in the 1963 Challenge Cup Final during the 1962–63 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492.

County Cup Final appearances

Keith Holliday played stand-off/five-eighth in Wakefield Trinity's 23–5 victory over Hunslet in the 1956 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1956–57 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 20 October 1956, played stand-off/five-eighth in the 20–24 defeat by Leeds in the 1958 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1958–59 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 18 October 1958, played scrum-half/halfback in the 19–9 victory over Leeds in the 1961 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1961–62 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 11 November 1961, and played loose forward/lock in the 18–2 victory over Leeds in the 1964 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1964–65 season at Fartown, Huddersfield on Saturday 31 October 1964.

Notable tour matches

Keith Holliday played left-centre, i.e. number 4, in Wakefield Trinity's 17–12 victory over Australia in the tour match at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Monday 10 December 1956.

Testimonial match

Keith Holliday's Testimonial match at Wakefield Trinity took place against Huddersfield in 1962.

Contemporaneous article extract

"Wakefield Trinity have a proud record in grooming local talent, and there is an illustrious line of players who have come, over the years, via Trinity's own Junior teams from Wakefield City Schools' football. Keith Holliday is one of them. His career started at the Cathedral School, then on to Eastmoor Juniors and Trinity's own "Nursery" before signing for the Club in 1952. Gained Yorkshire county honours and a Great Britain place against France at off-half, and had experience also at centre for his Club before changing to the scrum-half berth. Captain of Trinity in their Yorkshire League success of 1958–9".

Genelogical information

Keith Holliday's marriage to Betty (née Simpson) was registered during January→March 1956 in Lower Agbrigg district. They had 3 children; the future Scrum-half/Halfback who played 8-matches during the 1980–81 season for Wakefield Trinity, Barry Holliday (birth registered during April→June 1956 (age 60–61) in Wakefield district), Lestrene Holliday (birth registered 21 July 1957 (age 59–60) in Wakefield district), the mother of Luke Patel, a cricketer who played 7 First-class games from 2010-13. Their youngest son Kevin Holliday (birth registered during July→September 1960 (age 56–57) in Wakefield district), at the time of his death, Keith had six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral

Keith Holliday's funeral took place at 11am on Monday 3 April 2017 at Wakefield Crematorium, Crigglestone.