Oliver Holt

Oliver Holt is a British sports journalist whose books include soccer biography, collaborative memoirs, and golf reporting. He spent three years at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo before joining The Times in 1993. His roles there included motor-racing correspondent, chief soccer correspondent, and chief sportswriter. He moved to the Daily Mirror as chief sportswriter in 2002 and later became chief sportswriter at the Mail on Sunday.

Holt’s books range from a joint study of Bill Shankly and Alex Ferguson to accounts of major international competitions. He has collaborated with Craig Bellamy, Kieron Dyer, and Stuart Pearce on memoirs that examine public careers through personal experience. His 2026 book, Ninety-Two, connects his own life with visits to English league grounds, following a journey that began at a Manchester derby in childhood.

Soccer Books

If You're Second You Are Nothing: Ferguson and Shankly: Holt compares Bill Shankly and Alex Ferguson, following their Scottish working-class backgrounds, playing careers, and development into influential managers. Their achievements at Liverpool and Manchester United accompany an examination of ambition, authority, and attachment to soccer. The dual biography also considers the difficulty of relinquishing control and the strains between individual managers and the clubs to which they devoted much of their lives. Published in 2006.

End of the Rainbow: England's Quest for Glory in South Africa: Holt follows England’s attempt to win the 2010 World Cup under Fabio Capello. The account begins with the response to earlier disappointments and the search for a stricter managerial approach. Successful qualification gives way to problems involving captaincy, injuries, and relationships within the squad, as the team travels to South Africa carrying expectations it struggles to meet.

GoodFella: My Autobiography: Craig Bellamy recounts his life and playing career in collaboration with Holt. A working-class upbringing and the choice to pursue soccer lead into spells at several major clubs and international appearances for Wales. The memoir examines his drive, achievements, and confrontations, connecting an intensely competitive public personality with the private experiences and decisions behind a frequently controversial career. Published in 2013.

Ninety-Two: A Life in Football Grounds: Holt follows a lifetime of watching soccer through visits to all ninety-two grounds in England’s top four divisions. Beginning with a childhood Manchester derby attended with his mother, the journey continues through changing stadiums, communities, and family circumstances. Personal recollection accompanies observations about the game and the places around it, ending at Harrogate Town’s Wetherby Road ground more than fifty years later. Published in 2026.

Old Too Soon, Smart Too Late: My Story: Kieron Dyer reflects on his career and the wealth that transformed the lives of a generation of English players in this memoir with Holt. Personal recollection examines fame, expensive habits, controversy, and failures to meet sporting expectations. The account connects Dyer’s own mistakes with a wider environment in which young men moved rapidly from ordinary backgrounds into extraordinary financial privilege. Published in 2018.

Never Stop Dreaming: My Euro 96 Story: Stuart Pearce recalls England’s Euro 96 campaign in this collaboration with Holt. His successful penalty against Spain provides a central moment in an account of the tournament’s excitement and its eventual disappointment. Friendships with Paul Gascoigne and Gareth Southgate accompany memories of matches, music, and public enthusiasm, connecting the players’ experience with the atmosphere surrounding a major championship held in England. Published in 2020.

Golf Books

Miracle at Medinah: Europe's Amazing Ryder Cup Comeback: Holt reconstructs Europe’s comeback at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah, where the United States held a four-point lead before the final day’s singles. The narrative follows the changing momentum of the matches and captain José María Olazábal’s efforts to inspire his players. Individual performances and pressure on the closing holes explain how an apparently secure American position turned into a European victory.