Brian Harris (16 May 1935 – 17 February 2008) was an English

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

Playing career

Harris started playing for Wirral club Port Sunlight before signing for Everton in 1954 for just a £10 fee. He was regarded as a very versatile player, and during his Everton career played in every position except goalkeeper. Harris played for 12 years for Everton, notably partnering the more defensively minded Jimmy Gabriel. In the 1962–63 season he lost his place to Tony Kay but regained it the following year as Kay was banned from soccer. Despite this he played in 24 games in Everton's league-winning season, 1962–63, and in the

1966 FA Cup Final The 1966 FA Cup Final was a football match played on 14 May 1966. It was contested by Everton and Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley. Everton were the first team since Bury in 1903 to reach an FA Cup Final without conceding a goal, while Sheffield ...

, which saw Everton beat

Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot ...

. Five months after the final Harris was sold to Cardiff City, for £10,000. With Cardiff he reached the semi-finals of the

European Cup Winners Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tourna ...

, in 1968.

Management career

Harris went on to play for, and manage, Newport County. Harris also returned to Cardiff to become assistant manager to Richie Morgan, a post he occupied for two years. Following this, Harris was briefly a coach at

Ipswich Town Ipswich Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. They play in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. The club was founded in 1878 but did not turn profession ...

before moving to

Chepstow Chepstow ( cy, Cas-gwent) is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the wester ...

, where he worked as a publican, and as manager to

non-league Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to d ...

Chepstow Town. Harris died on 17 February 2008 in

, following a short illness. His funeral service was held at St Luke's,

Walton Walton may refer to: People * Walton (given name) * Walton (surname) * Susana, Lady Walton (1926–2010), Argentine writer Places Canada * Walton, Nova Scotia, a community ** Walton River (Nova Scotia) *Walton, Ontario, a hamlet United Kingdo ...

, a church in the corner of Everton's

Goodison Park Goodison Park is a association football, football stadium in the Walton, Liverpool, Walton area of Liverpool, England. It has been the home stadium of Premier League club Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892. Located in a residential area ...

ground.

References

Sources

Brian Harris at Everton Stats

External links

Obituary: ''Times''
1935 births 2008 deaths People from Bebington English footballers Port Sunlight F.C. players Everton F.C. players Cardiff City F.C. players Newport County A.F.C. players English Football League players English football managers Newport County A.F.C. managers Cardiff City F.C. non-playing staff Association football wing halves West Cheshire Association Football League players Chepstow Town F.C. managers {{England-footy-manager-stub