Holland signs for Havant & Waterlooville

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By Wendy Gee -

FORMER Eastleigh centre-back Chris Holland has joined the Spitfires' bitter south coast rivals Havant & Waterlooville.

The 30-year-old defender is one of two new signings unveiled by the Hawks this week along with pacy left-sided winger Craig Braham-Barrett from Farnborough.

Holland spent one season with Eastleigh after moving to the Southampton area from Bath City last summer to live with his Hamble-based girlfriend.

He had been a key member of the Bath squad that secured promotion to the Blue Square Bet Premier via the play-offs in 2009/10.

Holland made 46 league and cup appearances for the Spitfires, scoring six goals in an ultimately disappointing campaign which ended in failure to reach the BSB South play-offs.

Eastleigh boss Ian Baird was keen to keep him, but it is understood that Holland had a better financial offer from Havant and was put off by the massive summer changes at the Silverlake Stadium which have seen a dozen senior players depart.

Just sic first-team Spitfires remain from last term - Richard Gillespie, Danny Smith, Tom Jordan, Jamie Slabber, Ross Bottomley and Gareth Barfoot - along with versatile striker/defender Andy Forbes, who is due to rejoin the club this week.

Much of the rest of the squad is expected to be made up of young ex-pros looking to be part of Eastleigh's new full-time Development Scheme.

The club have so far offered terms to three potential full-time players and are expecting another 25 to attend their next assessment days on June 13 and 15.
Commenting on Holland's departure, Baird said: "Chris told me that at this stage of his career he wanted to challenge to win things.

"He didn't want to be at a club that was possibly in a transitional period."

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