[2] Moving to Totton in the Hampshire League he came to the notice of Southampton, whom he joined in September 1931 as an amateur, before signing as a professional in October 1932.
[2] He made his first-team debut away to Manchester United on 7 January 1933 as centre-forward in place of Ted Drake, who was suffering from influenza.
[2] In the following season, he established his place in the side, playing as an inside-forward alongside Drake, Dick Neal, Tommy Brewis and Fred Tully.
It soon became obvious to manager George Kay that in Holt and Drake "Saints possessed two extremely promising young forwards".
[9] His first game in the following season was against Leicestershire at Leicester, with Holt scoring his maiden first-class first century, making 116 and partnering Neil McCorkell in an opening stand of 101.
[7] His best return came during the 1946 season, with Holt scoring 891 runs at an average of 24.75, though he did not manage to make any centuries in his post-war cricket.
[13] With the post-war emergence of younger batsman such as Gilbert Dawson, Jimmy Gray, Leo Harrison, and Neville Rogers, Holt retired at the end of the 1948 season.
[6] In 1949, Hampshire coach Sam Staples was taken ill and his health rapidly declined,[6] resulting in his death in June 1950.
[15] Amongst the future Hampshire cricketers he helped coach were Bob Cottam, Gordon Greenidge, Trevor Jesty, Peter Sainsbury, and Butch White amongst others.
[6] In 1953, he helped John Arlott persuade Henry Horton to take up county cricket as his football career at Southampton was coming to an end.
He has a rosy face, a quizzical look in his blue eyes and one eyebrow goes up as he asks you wistfully, out of the side of his mouth, "ave you seen so-and-so?"