Holland out for Chasetown glory
Fork lift truck driver Craig Holland has no worries about Chasetown going out of the FA Cup – he's terrified about the letdown of facing smaller crowds again.
Fork lift truck driver Craig Holland has no worries about Chasetown going out of the FA Cup – he's terrified about the letdown of facing smaller crowds again.
Midfielder Holland was the toast of the first round proper when his 20-yard belter clinched the Scholars a second round tie at Port Vale on Sunday after they beat Team Bath 2-0.
The 25-year-old former Willenhall player is a fork lift truck driver by day but faces elevation in front of a nationwide audience on Sunday.
Holland lives in Hixon, just 15 miles from Vale Park, and admits being the centre of attention is something he's adapting to.
"I'm a fork lift driver at Robert Fredericks in Hixon, near Stafford. I live in Stafford with my fiance," he said.
"Two of my work-mates are footballers who play for Newcastle Town – Paul McMahon and Dave Woodvine – and they're just dead happy for me.
"But the worst comedown won't be going back to work – it's playing the next league game after being watched in the Cup by 3,000 of our fans because a team like Cinderford get watched by about 250, which is still good for our standard.
"When we went to Team Bath, I think their average was 100-150, whereas we had 1,400 against Nuneaton and we took over 1,500 to Bath which was brilliant."
Holland's famous strike completed a rollercoaster ride of emotions after admitting he almost quit Chasetown through frustration after failing to earn a regular place.
"I've only recently got back in the team and now I want to keep the shirt for the season," he said. "I couldn't get a game last season and I went on loan back to my old club Rocester and it was hard.
"I thought long and hard about what to do in the summer. Luckily I stayed and I ended up scoring in the first round of the FA Cup.
"I thought things through and spoke to a few clubs – Rushall and Newcastle Town rung me up, and Rocester have always looked after me.
"But something was telling me to stay because I didn't prove myself last season and I wanted to show what I could do here.
"I didn't show the club or the fans that I can play football." Now he's relieved he stayed with Charlie Blakemore's side.
"Not many people at our standard can say they have scored in the first round of the FA Cup and won as well because it wouldn't have been the same if we'd lost," he said.
"I know it sounds daft because we're in the second round of the FA Cup, but I could easily have left. Luckily it's all worked out for me so far.
"I never got close to anything at a pro club, but Rocester signed me up and then I went to Willenhall and then Charlie gave me a call last summer.
"I couldn't say it didn't work out – it was just that when I played, I didn't play as well as I knew I could, that was the frustrating thing. I played right-wing back last season and midfield, but I prefer midfield. Now I've got to keep it up – I hope I can pull it off in every game."
