Bexhill College alumnus Fletcher Holman has signed for Premier League Club Wolverhampton Wanderers after an agreement was reached between his former club Eastbourne Borough and Wolves.
Before making his mark at Eastbourne Borough, Holman honed his skills in the Football Academy at Bexhill Sixth Form College in association with the Chelsea Football Club Foundation. Under the academy’s guidance, Fletcher’s passion for football flourished, leading to an impressive record of 29 goals in just 19 appearances within a single season, including the winning goal in the Sussex County Cup Final in 2023.
Football Academy Manager Sean Noble extended his congratulations to Holman, praising his exceptional contributions to both the academy and Bexhill College. Noble remarked, “Fletcher has been a pleasure to work with both on his education and his football training. His ability to balance the pressures of training, matches, and a full-time education with remarkable dedication is something that he deserves great credit for.”
Holman’s journey from Bexhill College to Eastbourne Borough showcases the success of the College’s academy in providing specialized training and outstanding opportunities. Completing his studies at 18, Fletcher received excellent support from Eastbourne Borough, enabling him to ascend to the Premier League, five leagues above Borough’s current National League South Division placement.
Bexhill College, renowned for its outstanding education and opportunities, has a track record of producing successful alumni, with Holman poised to make a significant impact at the highest level of English football joining the likes of Leon Legge and, more recently, Jack Taylor.
Eastbourne Borough, commenting on the agreement, expressed their satisfaction with the development, stating, “To achieve this within four months of the takeover is a dream come true,” referencing the recent acquisition of the club by entrepreneur Simon Leslie.
Reflecting on his football career to date, mum Lisa Holman spoke of his steps since he was just four years old. “Fletcher started at Eastbourne Old Town Boys when he was about 4 years old. After a short while he also joined Allstars Academy, and from here was scouted by Brighton & Hove Academy and given a pre-contract for when he turned 9.
“He spent 5 years at Brighton, an opportunity which brought some amazing experiences and some amazing times, but like with lots of things, brought some tough times to swallow and deal with. Fletcher was released from Brighton Under 13, and joined the Eastbourne Borough Youth team whilst continuing to play for both his school and for Sussex. Whilst Fletcher took the news hard of his release, it also made him more determined to keep going and he wasn’t ready to quit.
“At 16 he played for Eastbourne Town Under 18s team and trained with Eastbourne Towns Men’s team, trying to get minutes in that squad when given the chance. This time was more of a season of getting experience being around the men’s team and being in a squad as getting minutes here was tough. The following season, he made the starting XI under a new manager, Jude McDonald.
“It was around this time that Fletcher started at Bexhill College, where football academy manager Sean Noble and Jude kept in contact to manage his minutes and progress in both teams. You could tell that Fletcher’s confidence and his desire to achieve the best he could had rocketed.
“Bexhill were great with supporting Fletcher in his studies whilst being in the College’s Football Academy. It was always the case that studies came first and as long as he was on top of the work, he would be able to play for the college team. He had the best of both worlds. Fletcher really enjoyed playing for Bexhill College, a good group of lads on and off the pitch, a coach with the same desire they had and worked closely with them to get results. Making them not just better players, but better people too.
“One of the highlights of his career before signing for the Premier League was securing the win in the Sussex County Cup. He really wanted that win, he wanted it personally, he wanted to win with his mates, and he wanted to give something back to both the College and to Sean. Members of all the players’ friends and families were cheering, with one in particular chanting “If you don’t know, get to know, Fletcher Holman our number 9!” It was truly amazing and a memory Fletcher will treasure. I really think this was the year that Fletcher changed as a person and as a player, with Sean playing a pivotal role in developing Fletcher’s mental side of the game.
“Sometimes you need people to believe in you as you believe in yourself, and I can honestly say that without Jude McDonald, Sean Noble and the team at Eastbourne Borough doing just that, Fletcher would not be where he is today.
Lisa finished, saying “Fletcher has done an amazing job and is very fortunate to be given such an incredible opportunity to start a new journey at Wolverhampton Football Club. Fletcher’s passion has always been football, he’s always had a ball at his feet, and if he’s not playing it, he’s watching it, and sometimes even officiating it.
“There are no words to express just how proud we are of Fletcher, we have been on every single journey with him and will continue to be by his side whatever journey he’s on.”
