[4][5] Between these two Wembley appearances, he was an integral member of the Southampton team that gained promotion from Division 2 at the end of the 1977–78 season.
[7] On 16 August 1986, Saints recognised his loyalty by awarding him a testimonial match against John Mortimore's Benfica, which was won 4–1, with Holmes scoring one of the goals.
[3] A pelvic injury forced him to retire from the game in May 1987, by which time only Terry Paine and Mick Channon had made more appearances for the Saints.
[3] After leaving Saints, he spent the 1987–88 season with East Cowes Vics, and participated in a charity match against some of the stars from BBC soap opera EastEnders who played under the name Walford Boys Club.
[9] Following his spell at East Cowes Vics, he spent a season as coach back at Southampton working with manager Chris Nicholl.