Harry Haslam (30 July 1921 – 11 September 1986) was an English

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player and manager in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

between the 1940s and 1980s. A full-back, Haslam played for

Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...

as an amateur, before moving to Oldham Athletic in 1946–47, for whom he made two League appearances. After a short spell with Brighton & Hove Albion he moved to Leyton Orient for 1948-49, with whom he made seven league appearances, before joining Guildford City. He managed

Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) (historic spelling ''Tunbridge'') is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Mall ...

in the 1960s, winning the Kent Senior Cup in 1964–65, and went on to manage the club on a record 552 occasions. Haslam became manager of

Luton Town Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...

in 1972 and he led them to promotion to the

Football League First Division The Football League First Division was the top division of the Football League in England from 1888 until the end of the 1991–92 season, when its teams broke away to form the Premier League. From 1992 to 2004, the name First Division was g ...

for 1974–75. In 1978, he became manager of Sheffield United, and he remained in charge until 1980. Under Haslam's management, Sheffield United almost signed Argentinian footballer

Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...

who was then 17 years old. However the agreed fee was increased and Maradona, who had made his way to the airport, had to remain in Argentina for the time being.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haslam, Harry 1921 births 1986 deaths English men's footballers Footballers from Manchester Men's association football fullbacks English Football League players Rochdale A.F.C. players Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Leyton Orient F.C. players Guildford City F.C. players English football managers English Football League managers Luton Town F.C. managers Sheffield United F.C. managers 20th-century English sportsmen