Ricky Holmes has joined League One, Portsmouth after rejecting the chance to sign a new contract with Barnet. Holmes became a real crowd favourite in the last couple of years after a difficult first season with the club.
Holmes joined Barnet from Chelmsford United in the summer of 2010 and was one of Mark Stimson’s early signings for the club. Holmes had been at Chelmsford since 2004 and had scored nearly 50 goals for the Essex club where he was something of a hero with the fans.
Ricky found it quite difficult to adjust at first to league football in a struggling side, playing mainly out on the wing and after having been a regular early in the season, he then found himself relegated to the bench. He did however, come on and score his first goal for the club in the 4-1 home win over Northampton Town, a rare success for the Bees at that time. At the end of the year, he eventually regained his place in the starting line up and Scored in the 3-1 win away at Bradford City only to miss most of the rest of the season with a foot injury, only returning to the squad at for the last few games, thus playing a (small) part in Barnet’s great escape from relegation. In his first season, Holmes scored just 2 goals in 29 matches.
For the following season, the Bees were under the (new) management of Lawrie Sanchez. Holmes started the season on the bench but after coming on as a substitute in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup at Burnley and scoring, he-established himself in the starting line up. Holmes was played either as a wide player or as a central striker mostly alongside top scorer, Izale McLeod.
Holmes scored in the 3-1 away win at Colchester United in the 1st round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy as Barnet made an unspectacular but promising start to the new season Further goals followed; against Northampton, Shrewsbury, Aldershot & Burton, the last seeing the Bees thrashed 6-3 at home as they tumbled down the league table.
Holmes gained a knock in the away draw at AFC Wimbledon and missed the next few matches and on his return found himself back on the bench again. Eventally, he won his place back in the team, scoring in away wins at Accrington and Northampton and played in the losing Barnet side in the 2nd leg of The JPT Southern Area final away at SwindonTown. Barnet once again slumped down the table towards another nail biting end of the season. Holmes scored in the disappointing 2-1 home defeat by Crawley and in the 4-0 home win over AFC Wimbledon under Martin Allen who guided the Bees to safety once again. Holmes scored 10 goals in 48 appearances for the season.
The following season saw Barnet yet again under new management and the side struggled badly early on under Mark Robson. Holmes scored a stunning solo goal in the opening home game of the season; a 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers. Holmes was the stand out player in what was a very poor Barnet side which took just 3 points in the opening 12 games under Robson. The arrival of Edgar Davids saw an immediate improvement and Holmes played an important part and was becoming very much the favourite of the East Terrace. Ricky now had the confidence to show his skills, which had always undoubtedly been there, but which he now had to the confidence to display. Holmes s cored his first hat trick for the club just before Christmas in the 3-2 home win over Burton Albion but they were, sadly, to be his last goals for the club. He injured his foot again, this time in the away match at Bristol Rovers on the first day in February and it soon became apparent that his season was over. Holmes scored 5 goals from 27 appearances in his final season at Barnet. In all, Ricky made 104 appearances for the Bees and scored 17 goals. It has to be said that though he is a very skilful and fine player, his goals to games ration was not particularly good and he does appear to be somewhat of an injury prone player.
In hindsight, the loss of Holmes for the rest of the season was a disaster and few Barnet fans would argue that it, ultimately, cost the club their league status. Even at the time, the injury to the Bees’ star player seemed ominous. Relegation too, one sensed, would mean Holmes moving on to pastures new and so it has turned out with the news that Ricky will sign for Pompey on the first day of July.
Barnet Mad wishes Ricky all the best in his career at Portsmouth.