Phil Holder

Phillip ("Phil") Holder (born Kilburn, London 1952) [Hugman, B,J,(Ed)"The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946-2005" (2005) p294 Retrieved August 19 2008] is an English former football manager and coach. He was appointed manager of Brentford in September 1990 on the departure of Steve Perryman. He guided them to the Third Division play-offs that season, only for them to lose to Tranmere Rovers in the semi-finals over two legs. The first leg was played at Griffin Park, with a last minute equaliser from Kevin Godfrey giving Brentford hope with a 2-2 draw. However, later the same week a 1-0 defeat at Prenton Park gave Tranmere the overall tie 3-2 on aggregate.

A former player of Tottenham Hotspur where he joined as an apprentice in 1969. As a coach Holder will be best remembered for his success during the 1991-92 season. He guided a Brentford side spearheaded by prolific striker Dean Holdsworth to the Third Division title and gained them a place in the new Division One.

On Boxing Day 1992, Brentford went 10th in Division One and were just three points short of the playoff zone. Holder was voted Manager of the Month for the division, and there was much speculation as to whether Brentford could mount a challenge for promotion to the Premiership. But a sharp decline set in and defeat in the final game of the season condemned "The Bees" to relegation to Division Two. Holder was sacked days afterwards, replaced by David Webb, and has never returned to management. In 2000 he joined Steve Perryman as assistant manager with J.League side Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan.

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