Carlisle United reveal second summer signing

Carlisle United have signed Tomas Holy on a two-year deal, as was announced on the club’s website today.

The 30-year-old replaces Mark Howard, who was released at the end of his contract, between the sticks and brings a wealth of League One and Two experience to Brunton Park.

The former Czech Republic U18 international arrives in Cumbria at the end of a tricky three-season spell at Ipswich Town, where he fell in and out of favour following his move from Gillingham in the summer of 2019.

Holy only played 14 games in 2021/22, three in cup competitions for the Tractor Boys and the rest in loan spells with Cambridge United and Port Vale.

The general consensus is still that Holy would be a fairly competent third tier goalkeeper, and if it was not for the mass investment and player turnover at Portman Road, he would still be right in the mix to start 2022/23 as the number one in Suffolk.

There is a lot of optimism around Carlisle United at the moment, given the positive manner in which they finished the season after replacing Keith Millen with Paul Simpson in the dugout.

The Cumbrians have been very up and down in the fourth tier in recent years, but the former U20 World Cup winner with England is offering plenty of positivity for the supporter base.

The Verdict

The margins are so fine in League Two, that an in-form goalkeeper can make an enormous difference and actually be the catalyst to a significant points swing in or out of a club’s favour.

Looking at the impact of Liam Roberts at Northampton Town this season, had the former Walsall man not been on his game for so long for the Cobblers, they probably would not have finished in the top seven, let alone been a goal away from automatic promotion.

Simpson will be hoping that