Ian Holmes OAM

Ian Holmes OAM has given 50 years to football at local, state, and national levels. Starting his football life at Belmore Police Citizens Boys Club in Sydney, he soon became heavily involved in sports administration as he took on a committee position with the club.

A young Holmes quickly progressed to the Association level and was elected the Canterbury District Association’s youngest ever President in 1975 aged just 19. Seven years later he was elected President of the NSW Amateur Soccer Federation, the largest Federation in Australia, at 25 years of age.

He became a director of the NSW Soccer Federation in 1985.

With football needing an overhaul from the top down, Holmes was soon in a position to help make fundamental change as the General Manager of the NSW Soccer Federation (1987–1991) and CEO and Commissioner of the Australian Soccer Federation (1991–1995).

He then took on the General Manager roles of the NSW Amateur Soccer Federation (1998–1999), Soccer Australia (1999–2002) and Football NSW (2007–2011) before returning to his roots at Canterbury. At the National level, he was responsible for delivering the 1988 Bicentennial Gold Cup and the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.

His leading and mentoring roles guided the sport through some of its best and worst times over recent decades, setting up the game for its recent growth spurt including by securing millions of dollars of Commonwealth, State and Local grants for infrastructure development within the Canterbury Association.