Colin Harper (footballer)

Colin Harper (25 July 1946 – 29 March 2018) was an English professional footballer and football manager. He played as a left-back, and made 198 league and cup appearances in a 12-year career in the English Football League.

Colin Harper
Personal information
Full name Colin George Harper[1]
Date of birth (1946-07-25)25 July 1946[1]
Place of birth Ipswich, England[1]
Date of death 29 March 2018(2018-03-29) (aged 71)[2]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Playing position(s) Left-back
Youth career
1964–1966 Ipswich Town
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1977 Ipswich Town 148 (5)
1976 → Grimsby Town (loan) 3 (0)
1977 → Cambridge United (loan) 15 (0)
1977–1978 Port Vale 4 (0)
1978 Waterford
1978–1980 Sudbury Town
1980–1981 Chelmsford City
Total 170 (5)
Teams managed
1977 Port Vale (caretaker)
1978 Waterford
1978–1980 Sudbury Town
1980–1981 Chelmsford City
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent 1966 to 1977 at Ipswich Town, helping the club to win the Second Division title in 1967–68 and then to go on to compete in Europe under Bobby Robson. In 1976–77 he played on loan at Grimsby Town and Cambridge United, helping Ron Atkinson's Cambridge to the Fourth Division title. He became player-manager for brief spells at Port Vale, Waterford (Ireland), Sudbury Town and Chelmsford City, before entering the building trade. He was inducted into the Ipswich Town F.C. Hall of Fame in 2016.

Playing career

Ipswich Town

Harper started his career at Ipswich Town, who were struggling in the Second Division in 1965–66.[4] He made his first-team debut on 19 February, in a 3–0 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.[4] He turned professional under manager Bill McGarry, and helped the "Blues" to rise to fifth in 1966–67, before finishing top of the division in 1967–68.[4] They retained their First Division status in 1968–69, after Bobby Robson was appointed as manager.[4] Ipswich hovered above the relegation places in 1969–70 and 1970–71, before rising to 13th in 1971–72.[4] He scored his first senior goal on 9 October 1971, in a 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Portman Road.[4] He was sent off for the first-time in his career on 15 April 1972, during a 0–0 draw with Sheffield United.[4] Three days later he scored the second goal of his career, his header helping to deny Manchester City the title as it proved to be the winning goal in a 2–1 victory on the penultimate day of the season.[5]

Town finished fourth in 1972–73 and 1973–74.[4] However Harper picked up a knee injury in 1973 that would plague the rest of his career.[6] The "Tractor Boys" fourth-place finishes entitled them to compete in the UEFA Cup. They posted a third-place finish in 1974–75, and were just two points behind champions Derby County.[4] Harper was granted a testimonial match in 1975.[7] Ipswich dropped to sixth in 1975–76, before rising again to third-place in 1976–77, five points behind champions Liverpool.[4] Harper had two loan spells in 1976–77, playing three Third Division games for relegated Grimsby Town and 15 games under Ron Atkinson on loan at Fourth Division champions Cambridge United.[8]

Port Vale

Harper joined Third Division club Port Vale as player-coach in July 1977, with manager Roy Sproson appointing him to replace Roy Chapman.[1] He made his debut in a 1–1 draw at Wrexham on 27 August, but was to only make a further three appearances for the "Valiants" in 1977–78.[1] He was made acting manager on 18 October 1977, and insisted that there was to be no smiling during training as it was a serious matter.[9] His reign at Vale Park only lasted a month as new manager Bobby Smith brought in his own staff, including assistant Dennis Butler, and Harper's contract was cancelled by the club in January 1978.[1]

Later career

After leaving Port Vale he was then appointed player-manager of Waterford. He led the "Blues" to the FAI Cup semi-finals and fifth in the League of Ireland. He signed with Sudbury Town in September 1978.[10] He gave up playing three months later due to arthritis in his knee, though he stayed on at the club as manager.[11] He then moved on to Chelmsford City, and led the club to an 18th-place finish in the Southern League in 1980–81.

Post-retirement

Harper became a builder after leaving the game.[12] In May 2002, it was reported by the Ipswich Star that he had £7,000 worth of tools stolen from his van in Ipswich.[12] He continued to follow Ipswich Town until his death from illness on 29 March 2018; he left behind wife Carol, and three children, Chris, Jamie and Zoe.[2] An inquest revealed that he died from an asbestos-related disease, having been exposed to asbestos whilst working as an apprentice joiner and carpenter before he took up his football career.[13]

Statistics

Playing statistics

Source:[4]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other[A] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ipswich Town 1965–66 Second Division 60000060
1966–67 Second Division 40000040
1967–68 Second Division 20000020
1968–69 First Division 40000040
1969–70 First Division 1801010200
1970–71 First Division 1300000130
1971–72 First Division 4222010452
1972–73 First Division 35121100472
1973–74 First Division 1420060202
1974–75 First Division 1000050150
Total 1485512301766
Grimsby Town (loan) 1976–77 Third Division 30000030
Cambridge United (loan) 1976–77 Fourth Division 1500000150
Port Vale 1977–78 Third Division 40000040
Career total 1705512301986
A. ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the League Cup, League Trophy, English Football League play-offs and Full Members Cup.

Managerial statistics
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team From To Record
PWDLWin %
Port Vale (caretaker)[4] 31 October 1977 17 November 1977 3 0 2 1 000.0

Honours
Ipswich Town
Cambridge United

Individual

References
  1. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 127. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. Heath, Mark (30 March 2018). "Former Ipswich Town defender Colin Harper dies". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. Lamming, Douglas (1985). A Who's Who of Grimsby Town AFC 1890-1985. Hutton Press. p. 60. ISBN 0907033342.
  4. Colin Harper at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  5. Archive, The British Newspaper (19 April 1972). "Register | British Newspaper Archive". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  6. Archive, The British Newspaper (25 July 1975). "Register | British Newspaper Archive". Aberdeen Evening Express. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  7. "COLIN HARPER - News - Ipswich Town". itfc.co.uk. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  8. "Ipswich Town FC". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  9. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 86. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  10. Archive, The British Newspaper (18 September 1978). "Register | British Newspaper Archive". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  11. Archive, The British Newspaper (4 December 1978). "Register | British Newspaper Archive". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  12. "Former Town hero targeted by thieves". Ipswich Star. 3 May 2002. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
  13. "Footballer died from asbestos exposure". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. Pearce, Steve (18 March 2016). "Hall of Fame Awards 2016". Ipswich Town F.C. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
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