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{{short description|English footballer & manager}} |
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{{EngvarB|date=June 2013}} |
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{{Infobox football biography |
{{Infobox football biography |
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| name = Ray Harford |
| name = Ray Harford |
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| image = |
| image = |
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| caption = |
| caption = |
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| fullname = Raymond Thomas Harford<ref>{{Hugman|8283| |
| fullname = Raymond Thomas Harford<ref>{{Hugman|8283|access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref> |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|6|1|df=y}}<ref name="grecian">{{cite web |title=Harford, Raymond |url=https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/1852 |website=grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk |access-date=9 November 2022 |language=English}}</ref> |
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| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|6|1|df=y}} |
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| birth_place = [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]], England |
| birth_place = [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]], England<ref name="grecian"/> |
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| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|8|9|1945|6|1|df=y}} |
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|8|9|1945|6|1|df=y}} |
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| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Glanville|first=Brian|title=Ray Harford|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/11/guardianobituaries.football| |
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}<ref name="guardian">{{cite news|last=Glanville|first=Brian|title=Ray Harford|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2003/aug/11/guardianobituaries.football|access-date=18 November 2013|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=11 August 2003}}</ref> |
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| position = [[Defender (association football)|Centre half]] |
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Centre half]] |
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| youthyears1 = 1961–1964| youthclubs1 = [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] |
| youthyears1 = 1961–1964| youthclubs1 = [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] |
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'''Raymond Thomas Harford''' (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English [[Association football|footballer]], better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Tele">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2409283/Ray-Harford-dies-at-58.html|title=Ray Harford dies at 58|date=9 August 2003|work=The Telegraph| |
'''Raymond Thomas Harford''' (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English [[Association football|footballer]], better known for his successes as a [[Coach (sport)|coach]] and [[Manager (association football)|manager]] than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Tele">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2409283/Ray-Harford-dies-at-58.html|title=Ray Harford dies at 58|date=9 August 2003|work=The Telegraph|access-date=30 May 2009| location=London}}</ref> |
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During his playing days he was a [[Defender (association football)|centre-half]], and made 354 league appearances in an eleven-year career in the [[English Football League|Football League]]. He began at [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] as a youth player in 1960, though only managed three league appearances before his departure in 1966, when he joined [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]]. He then moved on to [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], making 161 league appearances for the club before his departure to [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]]. He was bought by [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]] for a £5,000 fee in December 1971, who then sold him on to [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]] in February 1973 for £1,750. He helped Colchester to promotion out of the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]] in 1973–74, before he moved into non-League football with [[Romford F.C.|Romford]] in 1975, before retiring due to a knee injury. |
During his playing days he was a [[Defender (association football)|centre-half]], and made 354 league appearances in an eleven-year career in the [[English Football League|Football League]]. He began at [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] as a youth player in 1960, though only managed three league appearances before his departure in 1966, when he joined [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]]. He then moved on to [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], making 161 league appearances for the club before his departure to [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]]. He was bought by [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]] for a [[Pound sterling|£]]5,000 fee in December 1971, who then sold him on to [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]] in February 1973 for £1,750. He helped Colchester to [[Promotion and relegation|promotion]] out of the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]] in 1973–74, before he moved into [[non-League football]] with [[Romford F.C.|Romford]] in 1975, before retiring due to a knee injury. |
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He was appointed as [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] manager in April 1984, though he resigned in June 1986 after a financial crisis led to his team suffering relegation. He took charge at [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] in June 1987, and led the club to the final of the [[ |
He was appointed as [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] manager in April 1984, though he resigned in June 1986 after a financial crisis led to his team suffering [[Promotion and relegation|relegation]]. He took charge at [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] in June 1987, and led the club to the final of the [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] in [[1988 Football League Cup final|1988]] and [[1989 Football League Cup final|1989]], as Luton won the cup in 1988 before tasting defeat in 1989. Sacked in January 1990, he was appointed [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]] manager in the summer, before he resigned in October 1991. After spending four years as [[Kenny Dalglish]]'s assistant, he was promoted to manager at [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] in June 1995, though he resigned in October 1996 following the sale of star striker [[Alan Shearer]]. Taking charge at [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] in February 1997, he switched clubs to [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]] ten months later. He was sacked in September 1998, and subsequently became a coach at [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]]; he was still on the coaching staff at the club at the time of his death. |
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==Playing career== |
==Playing career== |
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He was born in [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] but grew up in south London.<ref name="Indie">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ray-harford-548565.html | |
He was born in [[Halifax, West Yorkshire|Halifax]] but grew up in south London.<ref name="Indie">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ray-harford-548565.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219043631/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/ray-harford-548565.html |archive-date=19 February 2011 |title= Ray Harford| last=Ponting|first=Ivan|date=11 August 2003|work=[[The Independent]]|access-date=18 November 2013 |url-status=dead | location=London}}</ref> He started his playing career as a centre-half at [[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] as an amateur in May 1961, turning professional at [[Frank Hill]]'s [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] side in May 1964.<ref name="Blackburn">{{cite book |last1=Jackman |first1=Mike |title=Blackburn Rovers : the official encyclopaedia |date=1994 |publisher=Breedon |location=Derby |page=1 |isbn=9781873626702 |url=https://archive.org/details/blackburnroverso0000jack/page/8/mode/2up/search/port+vale?q=port+vale |access-date=14 April 2020}}</ref> He joined [[Exeter City F.C.|Exeter City]] for a fee of [[Pound sterling|£]]750 in January 1966 following a recommendation to the club trainer [[Jock Basford]], who was at Charlton when Harford joined them from school.<ref name="grecian"/> He made his debut in a 5–2 defeat to [[Peterborough United F.C.|Peterborough United]] at [[St James Park (Exeter)|St James Park]] and missed just one [[Football League Third Division|Third Division]] game in the remainder of the [[1965–66 Exeter City F.C. season|1965–66]] season.<ref name="grecian"/> He played in 38 league matches throughout the [[1966–67 Exeter City F.C. season|1966–67]] season, scoring one goal against [[Bradford (Park Avenue) A.F.C.|Bradford Park Avenue]].<ref name="grecian"/> |
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In |
In July 1967, he signed with [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], then in the [[Football League Fourth Division|Fourth Division]] and led by [[Ron Gray (footballer)|Ron Gray]]. The "Imps" missed out on [[Promotion and relegation|promotion]] by five points in [[1968–69 Football League|1968–69]] and finished eighth in [[1969–70 Football League|1969–70]], before dropping down to the re-election zone under [[Bert Loxley]] in [[1970–71 Football League|1970–71]]. Harford had played close to 200 games in four years at [[Sincil Bank]]. In June 1971, he secured a move to Third Division [[Mansfield Town F.C.|Mansfield Town]], quickly followed by a move to league rivals [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]] in December 1971, whose [[Manager (association football)|manager]] [[Gordon Lee (footballer)|Gordon Lee]] paid Mansfield £5,000 for his services. He was a regular for the rest of [[1971–72 Port Vale F.C. season|the season]], but fell out of favour in August 1972. In January 1973, he was [[Loan (sports)|loan]]ed out to [[Jim Smith (footballer, born 1940)|Jim Smith]]'s [[Colchester United F.C.|Colchester United]], before the deal was made permanent the next month for a price of £1,750.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=Port Vale Personalities|publisher=Witan Books|page=127|year=1996|isbn=0-9529152-0-0|id= {{ASIN|0952915200|country=ca}}}}</ref> The [[Layer Road]] side finished in the [[English Football League|Football League]]'s re-election zone in [[1972–73 Colchester United F.C. season|1972–73]], with Harford making 21 appearances, scoring one goal.<ref name="colch">{{cite web |title=Ray Harford – Players – Colchester United |url=https://www.coludata.co.uk/item.php?pg=player&it=350 |website=coludata.co.uk |access-date=6 April 2019}}</ref> |
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The "U's" secured promotion in [[1973–74 Colchester United F.C. season|1973–74]] with a third-place finish; Harford was also given the Colchester United Player of the Year award in 1974 for his performances in this 48 games that season.<ref name="colch"/> After another 49 appearances in the [[1974–75 Colchester United F.C. season|1974–75]] campaign, he left the United to play for non- |
The "U's" secured promotion in [[1973–74 Colchester United F.C. season|1973–74]] with a third-place finish; Harford was also given the Colchester United Player of the Year award in 1974 for his performances in this 48 games that season.<ref name="colch"/> After another 49 appearances in the [[1974–75 Colchester United F.C. season|1974–75]] campaign, he left the United to play for [[Non-League football|non-League]] [[Romford F.C.|Romford]]. The next year knee troubles ended his playing career,<ref name="Indie" /> and he returned to Colchester as youth [[Coach (sport)|coach]] in September 1975.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1438487/Ray-Harford.html |title=Ray Harford |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=11 August 2003|access-date=18 November 2013}}</ref> |
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==Managerial career== |
==Managerial career== |
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===Fulham=== |
===Fulham=== |
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In 1982, Harford was appointed assistant manager at [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] under [[Malcolm Macdonald]], helping the side finish fourth in the Second Division a year after promotion – one place short of promotion to the First Division.<ref name="BBC" /> In April 1984, he was promoted to the position of manager, and his first full season as a manager was reasonably successful, with the club managing a ninth-place finish, nine points off promotion. At the end of the season, however, it emerged that the club had fallen into severe financial difficulties, forcing the sale of most of the first |
In 1982, Harford was appointed assistant manager at [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] under [[Malcolm Macdonald]], helping the side finish fourth in the Second Division a year after promotion – one place short of promotion to the First Division.<ref name="BBC" /> In April 1984, he was promoted to the position of manager, and his first full season as a manager was reasonably successful, with the club managing a ninth-place finish, nine points off promotion. At the end of the season, however, it emerged that the club had fallen into severe financial difficulties, forcing the sale of most of the first-team. Harford was able to cobble together a side for the next season from free transfers and youth players, but it wasn't enough.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/ClubHistory/Managers/RayHarford.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501150725/http://www.fulhamfc.com/Club/ClubHistory/Managers/RayHarford.aspx |archive-date=1 May 2012 |title=Ray Harford |publisher= fulhamfc.com |access-date=18 November 2013}}</ref> The side were [[Promotion and relegation|relegated]] by a huge margin, and Harford resigned shortly afterwards. |
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===Luton Town=== |
===Luton Town=== |
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In the summer of 1986, [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] manager [[David Pleat]] resigned and was replaced by [[John Moore (footballer, born December 1943)|John Moore]]. Harford was signed by Luton as assistant manager and helped the club finish seventh in the old [[Football League First Division|First Division]].<ref name="Indie" /> At the end of the [[1986–87 in English football|1986–87 season]], Moore resigned as manager and Harford was promoted as his replacement. It proved to be an impressive decision. In his first season as Luton manager, Harford guided the [[Kenilworth Road]] club to a [[1988 Football League Cup |
In the summer of 1986, [[Luton Town F.C.|Luton Town]] manager [[David Pleat]] resigned and was replaced by [[John Moore (footballer, born December 1943)|John Moore]]. Harford was signed by Luton as assistant manager and helped the club finish seventh in the old [[Football League First Division|First Division]].<ref name="Indie" /> At the end of the [[1986–87 in English football|1986–87 season]], Moore resigned as manager and Harford was promoted as his replacement. It proved to be an impressive decision. In his first season as Luton manager, Harford guided the [[Kenilworth Road]] club to a [[1988 Football League Cup final|3–2 win]] over [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in the [[EFL Cup|League Cup]] final – the club's first ever major trophy.<ref name="BBC" /> But Luton were forbidden to enter the [[1988–89 UEFA Cup]] because the ban on English teams in European competition arising from the 1985 [[Heysel Stadium disaster]] still had two years to run. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals that year, losing 2–1 to eventual winners [[Wimbledon F.C.|Wimbledon]] – which made Luton the latest of several clubs to have come close to winning the then elusive domestic cup double. |
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In [[1988–89 in English football|1988–89]] Luton again reached the [[1989 Football League Cup |
In [[1988–89 in English football|1988–89]] Luton again reached the [[1989 Football League Cup final|League Cup final]] but surrendered their crown after losing 3–1 to [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]. By the following January, Luton were battling against relegation to the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] and Harford was controversially sacked<ref name="BBC" /> – the relegation battle was won by his successor [[Jimmy Ryan (footballer, born 1945)|Jim Ryan]] who remained in charge until the end of the following season, when he was sacked even though Luton had avoided relegation again. |
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===Wimbledon=== |
===Wimbledon=== |
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While Harford was assistant manager of Blackburn, he helped Kenny Dalglish in the club's quest for success. In 1992, the club won promotion to the new Premier League via the promotion playoffs. In the new Premier League in 1993, Blackburn finished fourth thanks to a side made up of mostly new players like £3.3 million record signing striker [[Alan Shearer]], who scored 16 league goals before a serious injury sustained just before the turn of the new year ruled him out for the rest of the season. Blackburn in fact topped the league at several stages that season, but it was eventually won by Manchester United. |
While Harford was assistant manager of Blackburn, he helped Kenny Dalglish in the club's quest for success. In 1992, the club won promotion to the new Premier League via the promotion playoffs. In the new Premier League in 1993, Blackburn finished fourth thanks to a side made up of mostly new players like £3.3 million record signing striker [[Alan Shearer]], who scored 16 league goals before a serious injury sustained just before the turn of the new year ruled him out for the rest of the season. Blackburn in fact topped the league at several stages that season, but it was eventually won by Manchester United. |
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The following season Blackburn finished runners-up to [[Double (association football)|double]] winners [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], but a consolation for the disappointment came in the form of a UEFA Cup place. For much of the season it had looked certain that the league title would be remaining at [[Old Trafford]], but an erratic run of form by United in March meant that Blackburn drew level on points in early April (kept off the top only on goal difference) but in the end United surged to the title. |
The following season Blackburn finished runners-up to [[Double (association football)|double]] winners [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], but a consolation for the disappointment came in the form of a UEFA Cup place. For much of the season it had looked certain that the league title would be remaining at [[Old Trafford]], but an erratic run of form by United in March meant that Blackburn drew level on points in early April (kept off the top only on [[goal difference]]) but in the end United surged to the title. |
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In [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95]], Blackburn suffered early exits from the UEFA Cup, [[FA Cup]] and League Cup but their league form was excellent. On the final day of the season, they lost 2–1 to Dalglish's old club [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] but their nearest rivals Manchester United were unable to beat [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] and the English league championship went to Blackburn Rovers for the first time since [[1913–14 in English football|1914]]. It was also the first time in Harford's career than he had been associated with a title |
In [[1994–95 in English football|1994–95]], Blackburn suffered early exits from the UEFA Cup, [[FA Cup]] and League Cup but their league form was excellent. On the final day of the season, they lost 2–1 to Dalglish's old club [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] but their nearest rivals Manchester United were unable to beat [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] and the English league championship went to Blackburn Rovers for the first time since [[1913–14 in English football|1914]]. It was also the first time in Harford's career than he had been associated with a title-winning side. |
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A month after the title success, Kenny Dalglish was promoted to the position of [[Director of football]] and the board made an offer to Harford to fill the manager's seat.<ref name="Indie" /> On arriving at Ewood Park he had vowed never to make a fourth move from the position of assistant manager to manager but went back on his word and accepted the offer.<ref name="BBC" /> |
A month after the title success, Kenny Dalglish was promoted to the position of [[Director of football]] and the board made an offer to Harford to fill the manager's seat.<ref name="Indie" /> On arriving at Ewood Park he had vowed never to make a fourth move from the position of assistant manager to manager but went back on his word and accepted the offer.<ref name="BBC" /> |
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====Frustrating time as manager==== |
====Frustrating time as manager==== |
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[[1995–96 in English football|1995–96]] was a frustrating season for Harford and Blackburn. [[Chris Sutton]], [[Jason Wilcox]] and [[Graeme Le Saux]] missed a lot of games through injury, although Alan Shearer was still brilliant, with 31 Premiership goals. Despite an early exit from the [[1995–96 UEFA Champions League]], Blackburn improved as the season went on. Although they never looked like regaining their Premiership title, they were in contention for a UEFA Cup place until the |
[[1995–96 in English football|1995–96]] was a frustrating season for Harford and Blackburn. [[Chris Sutton]], [[Jason Wilcox]] and [[Graeme Le Saux]] missed a lot of games through injury, although Alan Shearer was still brilliant, with 31 Premiership goals. Despite an early exit from the [[1995–96 UEFA Champions League]], Blackburn improved as the season went on. Although they never looked like regaining their Premiership title, they were in contention for a UEFA Cup place until the last game of the season but lost out to [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and finished seventh. It wasn't at all a bad finish, though, considering that Blackburn had been in the bottom half of the Premier League for much of the season. During the summer of 1996, Alan Shearer was sold to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] for a then [[List of most expensive association football transfers|world record fee]] of £15 million, and Harford failed to adequately replace him. Harford stated that "I'm told we need a big name. [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]] is a big name but it doesn't mean he can play football."<ref>{{cite book|last=Shaw|first=Phil|title=The Book of Football Quotations|year=2008|publisher=Ebury Press|isbn=9780091923334|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bookoffootballqu0000unse/page/412 412]|url=https://archive.org/details/bookoffootballqu0000unse/page/412}}</ref> |
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The [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97 season]] also started badly for Blackburn.<ref name="Indie" /> They failed to win any of their first ten games and were knocked out of the League Cup by Division Two side [[Stockport County F.C.|Stockport]]. Harford handed in his resignation on 25 October and was replaced temporarily by coach [[Tony Parkes]], who took charge until the end of the season and guided Rovers to 13th in the final table before [[Roy Hodgson]] was appointed as permanent manager. |
The [[1996–97 in English football|1996–97 season]] also started badly for Blackburn.<ref name="Indie" /> They failed to win any of their first ten games and were knocked out of the League Cup by Division Two side [[Stockport County F.C.|Stockport]]. Harford handed in his resignation on 25 October and was replaced temporarily by coach [[Tony Parkes]], who took charge until the end of the season and guided Rovers to 13th in the final table before [[Roy Hodgson]] was appointed as permanent manager. |
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===West Bromwich Albion=== |
===West Bromwich Albion=== |
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In February 1997, Harford was named as [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]'s new manager in place of [[Alan Buckley]]. Albion were hovering just above the relegation zone in Division One (which had been a familiar pattern since their promotion in 1993) and Harford did much to keep the club clear of relegation. Despite a promising start to [[1997–98 in English football|the following season]], he said that found it tiring to travel |
In February 1997, Harford was named as [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]'s new manager in place of [[Alan Buckley]]. Albion were hovering just above the relegation zone in Division One (which had been a familiar pattern since their promotion in 1993) and Harford did much to keep the club clear of relegation. Despite a promising start to [[1997–98 in English football|the following season]], he said that found it tiring to travel over {{convert|100|mi}} from his [[Berkshire]] home to the [[Midlands (England)|Midlands]] on an almost daily basis, and in December 1997 moved to Division One rivals [[Queens Park Rangers F.C.|Queens Park Rangers]]. His successor, [[Denis Smith (footballer, born 1947)|Denis Smith]], claimed that Harford had told him the real reason he decided to leave the club was that an ageing team and a lack of investment from the boardroom meant that the club were "heading for a fall".<ref>{{Citation|last=Smith|first=Denis|title=Just One of Seven|publisher=Know The Score Books|year=2008|page=261|isbn=978-1-84818-504-3}}</ref> |
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===QPR=== |
===QPR=== |
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Queens Park Rangers were struggling in Division One, they had slipped from the Premiership in 1996 after 13 consecutive seasons of top division football. Harford was appointed as successor to [[Stewart Houston]] and was hopeful of getting the club back into the Premiership. At the end of the [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98 season]] the [[Loftus Road]] club avoided relegation at the expense of [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] but the club's directors and supporters expected more. And after a poor start to the [[1998–99 in English football|1998–99 season]], Harford was sacked in September and replaced by [[Gerry Francis]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/harford-resigns-as-qpr-manager-1201401.html|title=Harford resigns as QPR manager |date=29 September 1998|work=The Independent| |
Queens Park Rangers were struggling in Division One, they had slipped from the Premiership in 1996 after 13 consecutive seasons of top division football. Harford was appointed as successor to [[Stewart Houston]] and was hopeful of getting the club back into the Premiership. At the end of the [[1997–98 in English football|1997–98 season]] the [[Loftus Road]] club avoided relegation at the expense of [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]], [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] and [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] but the club's directors and supporters expected more. And after a poor start to the [[1998–99 in English football|1998–99 season]], Harford was sacked in September and replaced by [[Gerry Francis]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/harford-resigns-as-qpr-manager-1201401.html|title=Harford resigns as QPR manager |date=29 September 1998|work=The Independent|access-date=21 May 2009 | location=London | first=Alan | last=Nixon}}</ref> |
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===Millwall=== |
===Millwall=== |
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In the summer of 1999, Harford made a return to football as first |
In the summer of 1999, Harford made a return to football as first-team coach under then [[Millwall F.C.|Millwall]] manager [[Keith Stevens]]. Millwall had been in Division Two since 1996 and the club's directors were desperate to win promotion. Stevens was young and inexperienced, and by September 2000 the Millwall board had decided they wanted a more experienced manager so they terminated his [[Association football contracts|contract]]. Harford was appointed manager on a temporary basis and it seemed possible that he might be given the job permanently. But that fifth promotion from within never happened and [[Mark McGhee]] was given the job instead.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/millwall/941311.stm|title=McGhee appointed Millwall boss|date=25 September 2000|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=30 May 2009}}</ref> Harford remained on the club's coaching staff and was crucial in Millwall's Division Two championship that season which ended a five-year exile from the upper tier of the English league.<ref name="Tele" /> |
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In [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02]], Millwall finished fourth in Division One and qualified for the promotion playoffs. Everyone at the club was hopeful that a second |
In [[2001–02 in English football|2001–02]], Millwall finished fourth in Division One and qualified for the promotion playoffs. Everyone at the club was hopeful that a second-successive promotion could be achieved but those hopes were ended in a semi-final defeat by [[2002 Football League First Division play-off final|eventual winners]] [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]. |
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⚫ | Early on the morning of 9 August 2003, Ray Harford died whilst he was still officially a member of the Millwall coaching staff under Mark McGhee.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news| title = Ray Harford dies| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3137907.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 9 August 2003| access-date = 19 October 2007}}</ref> His funeral was held in All Saints Church, [[Banstead]], Surrey, with many members of the football community in attendance. He was survived by wife, Maureen, and son [[Paul Harford|Paul]].<ref name="guardian"/> Paul also became a professional footballer, and was on the books of [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]], but did not play a senior game for either side, although he did manage a few senior appearances in subsequent spells with [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] and [[Shrewsbury Town F.C.|Shrewsbury Town]], before a more active career at non-league level.<ref>{{Soccerbase|3261|Paul Harford}}</ref> |
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==Career statistics== |
==Career statistics== |
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{{WDLtot|428|154|105|169|decimals=1}} |
{{WDLtot|428|154|105|169|decimals=1}} |
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⚫ | Early on the morning of 9 August 2003, Ray Harford died whilst he was still officially a member of the Millwall coaching staff under Mark McGhee.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news| title = Ray Harford dies| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/3137907.stm| |
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==Honours== |
==Honours== |
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'''as a player with Colchester United'''<ref name="colch"/> |
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*[[Football League Fourth Division]] promotion |
*[[Football League Fourth Division]] promotion: [[1973–74 Colchester United F.C. season|1973–74]] |
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*Colchester United F.C. Player of the Year: [[1973–74 Colchester United F.C. season|1974]] |
*Colchester United F.C. Player of the Year: [[1973–74 Colchester United F.C. season|1974]] |
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'''as manager of Luton Town'''<ref name="colch"/> |
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*[[EFL Cup|League Cup]] |
*[[EFL Cup|League Cup]]: [[1988 Football League Cup final|1988]]; runner-up: [[1989 Football League Cup final|1989]] |
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*[[EFL Cup|League Cup]] runner-up: [[1989 Football League Cup Final|1989]] |
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==References== |
==References== |
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[[Category:1945 births]] |
[[Category:1945 births]] |
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[[Category:2003 deaths]] |
[[Category:2003 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Footballers from Halifax, West Yorkshire]] |
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[[Category:English footballers]] |
[[Category:English men's footballers]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Men's association football central defenders]] |
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[[Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players]] |
[[Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players]] |
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[[Category:Exeter City F.C. players]] |
[[Category:Exeter City F.C. players]] |
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[[Category:English Football League managers]] |
[[Category:English Football League managers]] |
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[[Category:Association football coaches]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer]] |
[[Category:Deaths from lung cancer in England]] |
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[[Category:Deaths from cancer in England]] |
Revision as of 10:23, 15 March 2024
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Raymond Thomas Harford[1] | ||
Date of birth | [2] | 1 June 1945||
Place of birth | Halifax, England[2] | ||
Date of death | 9 August 2003 | (aged 58)||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3] | ||
Position(s) | Centre half | ||
Youth career | |||
1961–1964 | Charlton Athletic | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1964–1966 | Charlton Athletic | 3 | (0) |
1966–1967 | Exeter City | 55 | (1) |
1967–1971 | Lincoln City | 161 | (10) |
1971 | Mansfield Town | 7 | (0) |
1971–1973 | Port Vale | 20 | (1) |
1973 | → Colchester United (loan) | 3 | (0) |
1973–1975 | Colchester United | 105 | (4) |
1975 | Romford | 5 | (1) |
Total | 359 | (17) | |
Managerial career | |||
1984–1986 | Fulham | ||
1987–1990 | Luton Town | ||
1990–1991 | Wimbledon | ||
1995–1996 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
1997 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
1997–1998 | Queens Park Rangers | ||
2000 | Millwall (caretaker) | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Raymond Thomas Harford (1 June 1945 – 9 August 2003) was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.[4][5]
During his playing days he was a centre-half, and made 354 league appearances in an eleven-year career in the Football League. He began at Charlton Athletic as a youth player in 1960, though only managed three league appearances before his departure in 1966, when he joined Exeter City. He then moved on to Lincoln City, making 161 league appearances for the club before his departure to Mansfield Town. He was bought by Port Vale for a £5,000 fee in December 1971, who then sold him on to Colchester United in February 1973 for £1,750. He helped Colchester to promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1973–74, before he moved into non-League football with Romford in 1975, before retiring due to a knee injury.
He was appointed as Fulham manager in April 1984, though he resigned in June 1986 after a financial crisis led to his team suffering relegation. He took charge at Luton Town in June 1987, and led the club to the final of the League Cup in 1988 and 1989, as Luton won the cup in 1988 before tasting defeat in 1989. Sacked in January 1990, he was appointed Wimbledon manager in the summer, before he resigned in October 1991. After spending four years as Kenny Dalglish's assistant, he was promoted to manager at Blackburn Rovers in June 1995, though he resigned in October 1996 following the sale of star striker Alan Shearer. Taking charge at West Bromwich Albion in February 1997, he switched clubs to Queens Park Rangers ten months later. He was sacked in September 1998, and subsequently became a coach at Millwall; he was still on the coaching staff at the club at the time of his death.
Playing career
He was born in Halifax but grew up in south London.[6] He started his playing career as a centre-half at Charlton Athletic as an amateur in May 1961, turning professional at Frank Hill's Second Division side in May 1964.[7] He joined Exeter City for a fee of £750 in January 1966 following a recommendation to the club trainer Jock Basford, who was at Charlton when Harford joined them from school.[2] He made his debut in a 5–2 defeat to Peterborough United at St James Park and missed just one Third Division game in the remainder of the 1965–66 season.[2] He played in 38 league matches throughout the 1966–67 season, scoring one goal against Bradford Park Avenue.[2]
In July 1967, he signed with Lincoln City, then in the Fourth Division and led by Ron Gray. The "Imps" missed out on promotion by five points in 1968–69 and finished eighth in 1969–70, before dropping down to the re-election zone under Bert Loxley in 1970–71. Harford had played close to 200 games in four years at Sincil Bank. In June 1971, he secured a move to Third Division Mansfield Town, quickly followed by a move to league rivals Port Vale in December 1971, whose manager Gordon Lee paid Mansfield £5,000 for his services. He was a regular for the rest of the season, but fell out of favour in August 1972. In January 1973, he was loaned out to Jim Smith's Colchester United, before the deal was made permanent the next month for a price of £1,750.[8] The Layer Road side finished in the Football League's re-election zone in 1972–73, with Harford making 21 appearances, scoring one goal.[9]
The "U's" secured promotion in 1973–74 with a third-place finish; Harford was also given the Colchester United Player of the Year award in 1974 for his performances in this 48 games that season.[9] After another 49 appearances in the 1974–75 campaign, he left the United to play for non-League Romford. The next year knee troubles ended his playing career,[6] and he returned to Colchester as youth coach in September 1975.[10]
Managerial career
Fulham
In 1982, Harford was appointed assistant manager at Fulham under Malcolm Macdonald, helping the side finish fourth in the Second Division a year after promotion – one place short of promotion to the First Division.[4] In April 1984, he was promoted to the position of manager, and his first full season as a manager was reasonably successful, with the club managing a ninth-place finish, nine points off promotion. At the end of the season, however, it emerged that the club had fallen into severe financial difficulties, forcing the sale of most of the first-team. Harford was able to cobble together a side for the next season from free transfers and youth players, but it wasn't enough.[11] The side were relegated by a huge margin, and Harford resigned shortly afterwards.
Luton Town
In the summer of 1986, Luton Town manager David Pleat resigned and was replaced by John Moore. Harford was signed by Luton as assistant manager and helped the club finish seventh in the old First Division.[6] At the end of the 1986–87 season, Moore resigned as manager and Harford was promoted as his replacement. It proved to be an impressive decision. In his first season as Luton manager, Harford guided the Kenilworth Road club to a 3–2 win over Arsenal in the League Cup final – the club's first ever major trophy.[4] But Luton were forbidden to enter the 1988–89 UEFA Cup because the ban on English teams in European competition arising from the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster still had two years to run. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals that year, losing 2–1 to eventual winners Wimbledon – which made Luton the latest of several clubs to have come close to winning the then elusive domestic cup double.
In 1988–89 Luton again reached the League Cup final but surrendered their crown after losing 3–1 to Nottingham Forest. By the following January, Luton were battling against relegation to the Second Division and Harford was controversially sacked[4] – the relegation battle was won by his successor Jim Ryan who remained in charge until the end of the following season, when he was sacked even though Luton had avoided relegation again.
Wimbledon
Soon after being sacked as manager of Luton, Harford was recruited by Wimbledon as assistant manager to Bobby Gould, succeeding Don Howe who had been appointed manager of Queens Park Rangers. The partnership lasted just five months until July 1990, when Gould was sacked from his post and for the third time in his career Harford was promoted from the position of assistant manager to manager.
In 1990–91, Wimbledon did well to finish seventh in the First Division and there were high hopes that the club could qualify for European competition or win one of the two domestic cups during the 1991–92 season. But Wimbledon made a slow start to the season and Harford resigned in October. He was briefly replaced by Peter Withe, who lasted just three months before being succeeded by Joe Kinnear. In the same month that Harford left Wimbledon, the former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish had been appointed as manager of Second Division Blackburn Rovers who had been out of the top division since 1966. Their benefactor Jack Walker was determined to get the Ewood Park side into the new Premier League, which was due to start in the 1992–93 season. He made Harford an offer to become assistant manager at Blackburn and he accepted it.
Blackburn Rovers
Success as assistant manager
While Harford was assistant manager of Blackburn, he helped Kenny Dalglish in the club's quest for success. In 1992, the club won promotion to the new Premier League via the promotion playoffs. In the new Premier League in 1993, Blackburn finished fourth thanks to a side made up of mostly new players like £3.3 million record signing striker Alan Shearer, who scored 16 league goals before a serious injury sustained just before the turn of the new year ruled him out for the rest of the season. Blackburn in fact topped the league at several stages that season, but it was eventually won by Manchester United.
The following season Blackburn finished runners-up to double winners Manchester United, but a consolation for the disappointment came in the form of a UEFA Cup place. For much of the season it had looked certain that the league title would be remaining at Old Trafford, but an erratic run of form by United in March meant that Blackburn drew level on points in early April (kept off the top only on goal difference) but in the end United surged to the title.
In 1994–95, Blackburn suffered early exits from the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup but their league form was excellent. On the final day of the season, they lost 2–1 to Dalglish's old club Liverpool but their nearest rivals Manchester United were unable to beat West Ham United and the English league championship went to Blackburn Rovers for the first time since 1914. It was also the first time in Harford's career than he had been associated with a title-winning side.
A month after the title success, Kenny Dalglish was promoted to the position of Director of football and the board made an offer to Harford to fill the manager's seat.[6] On arriving at Ewood Park he had vowed never to make a fourth move from the position of assistant manager to manager but went back on his word and accepted the offer.[4]
Frustrating time as manager
1995–96 was a frustrating season for Harford and Blackburn. Chris Sutton, Jason Wilcox and Graeme Le Saux missed a lot of games through injury, although Alan Shearer was still brilliant, with 31 Premiership goals. Despite an early exit from the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League, Blackburn improved as the season went on. Although they never looked like regaining their Premiership title, they were in contention for a UEFA Cup place until the last game of the season but lost out to Arsenal and finished seventh. It wasn't at all a bad finish, though, considering that Blackburn had been in the bottom half of the Premier League for much of the season. During the summer of 1996, Alan Shearer was sold to Newcastle United for a then world record fee of £15 million, and Harford failed to adequately replace him. Harford stated that "I'm told we need a big name. Engelbert Humperdinck is a big name but it doesn't mean he can play football."[12]
The 1996–97 season also started badly for Blackburn.[6] They failed to win any of their first ten games and were knocked out of the League Cup by Division Two side Stockport. Harford handed in his resignation on 25 October and was replaced temporarily by coach Tony Parkes, who took charge until the end of the season and guided Rovers to 13th in the final table before Roy Hodgson was appointed as permanent manager.
West Bromwich Albion
In February 1997, Harford was named as West Bromwich Albion's new manager in place of Alan Buckley. Albion were hovering just above the relegation zone in Division One (which had been a familiar pattern since their promotion in 1993) and Harford did much to keep the club clear of relegation. Despite a promising start to the following season, he said that found it tiring to travel over 100 miles (160 km) from his Berkshire home to the Midlands on an almost daily basis, and in December 1997 moved to Division One rivals Queens Park Rangers. His successor, Denis Smith, claimed that Harford had told him the real reason he decided to leave the club was that an ageing team and a lack of investment from the boardroom meant that the club were "heading for a fall".[13]
QPR
Queens Park Rangers were struggling in Division One, they had slipped from the Premiership in 1996 after 13 consecutive seasons of top division football. Harford was appointed as successor to Stewart Houston and was hopeful of getting the club back into the Premiership. At the end of the 1997–98 season the Loftus Road club avoided relegation at the expense of Manchester City, Stoke City and Reading but the club's directors and supporters expected more. And after a poor start to the 1998–99 season, Harford was sacked in September and replaced by Gerry Francis.[14]
Millwall
In the summer of 1999, Harford made a return to football as first-team coach under then Millwall manager Keith Stevens. Millwall had been in Division Two since 1996 and the club's directors were desperate to win promotion. Stevens was young and inexperienced, and by September 2000 the Millwall board had decided they wanted a more experienced manager so they terminated his contract. Harford was appointed manager on a temporary basis and it seemed possible that he might be given the job permanently. But that fifth promotion from within never happened and Mark McGhee was given the job instead.[15] Harford remained on the club's coaching staff and was crucial in Millwall's Division Two championship that season which ended a five-year exile from the upper tier of the English league.[5]
In 2001–02, Millwall finished fourth in Division One and qualified for the promotion playoffs. Everyone at the club was hopeful that a second-successive promotion could be achieved but those hopes were ended in a semi-final defeat by eventual winners Birmingham City.
Retirement and death
In October 2002, Harford was diagnosed with lung cancer and spent the rest of the season away from his job at Millwall receiving treatment for his illness.
Early on the morning of 9 August 2003, Ray Harford died whilst he was still officially a member of the Millwall coaching staff under Mark McGhee.[4] His funeral was held in All Saints Church, Banstead, Surrey, with many members of the football community in attendance. He was survived by wife, Maureen, and son Paul.[3] Paul also became a professional footballer, and was on the books of Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers, but did not play a senior game for either side, although he did manage a few senior appearances in subsequent spells with Wigan Athletic and Shrewsbury Town, before a more active career at non-league level.[16]
Career statistics
Playing statistics
Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Charlton Athletic | 1965–66 | Second Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Exeter City | 1965–66 | Third Division | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
1966–67 | Fourth Division | 38 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 43 | 3 | |
Total | 55 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 60 | 3 | ||
Lincoln City | 1967–68 | Fourth Division | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 52 | 3 |
1968–69 | Fourth Division | 43 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
1969–70 | Fourth Division | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 3 | |
1970–71 | Fourth Division | 44 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 1 | |
Total | 161 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 182 | 10 | ||
Mansfield Town | 1971–72 | Third Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Port Vale | 1971–72 | Third Division | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
1972–73 | Third Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
Colchester United | 1972–73 | Fourth Division | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
1973–74 | Fourth Division | 46 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 2 | |
1974–75 | Third Division | 41 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
Total | 108 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 118 | 5 | ||
Career total | 354 | 16 | 14 | 1 | 24 | 2 | 392 | 19 |
Managerial statistics
Team | From | To | Record | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
P | W | D | L | Win % | |||
Fulham | 20 April 1984 | 10 June 1986 | 99 | 37 | 16 | 46 | 37.4 |
Luton Town | 15 June 1987 | 3 January 1990 | 126 | 47 | 34 | 45 | 37.3 |
Wimbledon | 18 June 1990 | 7 October 1991 | 56 | 20 | 17 | 19 | 35.7 |
Blackburn Rovers | 25 June 1995 | 25 October 1996 | 64 | 24 | 13 | 27 | 37.5 |
West Bromwich Albion | 6 February 1997 | 4 December 1997 | 40 | 19 | 7 | 14 | 47.5 |
Queens Park Rangers | 5 December 1997 | 28 September 1998 | 41 | 5 | 18 | 18 | 12.2 |
Millwall (caretaker) | 17 September 2000 | 25 September 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100.0 |
Total[19] | 428 | 154 | 105 | 169 | 36.0 |
Honours
as a player with Colchester United[9]
- Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1973–74
- Colchester United F.C. Player of the Year: 1974
as manager of Luton Town[9]
- League Cup: 1988; runner-up: 1989
References
- ^ "Ray Harford". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Harford, Raymond". grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ a b Glanville, Brian (11 August 2003). "Ray Harford". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ray Harford dies". BBC Sport. 9 August 2003. Retrieved 19 October 2007.
- ^ a b "Ray Harford dies at 58". The Telegraph. London. 9 August 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Ponting, Ivan (11 August 2003). "Ray Harford". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 19 February 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ Jackman, Mike (1994). Blackburn Rovers : the official encyclopaedia. Derby: Breedon. p. 1. ISBN 9781873626702. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 127. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0. ASIN 0952915200.
- ^ a b c d "Ray Harford – Players – Colchester United". coludata.co.uk. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
- ^ "Ray Harford". The Daily Telegraph. London. 11 August 2003. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ "Ray Harford". fulhamfc.com. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
- ^ Shaw, Phil (2008). The Book of Football Quotations. Ebury Press. pp. 412. ISBN 9780091923334.
- ^ Smith, Denis (2008), Just One of Seven, Know The Score Books, p. 261, ISBN 978-1-84818-504-3
- ^ Nixon, Alan (29 September 1998). "Harford resigns as QPR manager". The Independent. London. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- ^ "McGhee appointed Millwall boss". BBC Sport. 25 September 2000. Retrieved 30 May 2009.
- ^ Paul Harford at Soccerbase
- ^ Ray Harford at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ Ray Harford at Soccerbase
- ^ Ray Harford management career statistics at Soccerbase
- 1945 births
- 2003 deaths
- Footballers from Halifax, West Yorkshire
- English men's footballers
- Men's association football central defenders
- Charlton Athletic F.C. players
- Exeter City F.C. players
- Lincoln City F.C. players
- Mansfield Town F.C. players
- Port Vale F.C. players
- Colchester United F.C. players
- Romford F.C. players
- English Football League players
- Southern Football League players
- Colchester United F.C. non-playing staff
- Fulham F.C. non-playing staff
- English football managers
- Fulham F.C. managers
- Luton Town F.C. non-playing staff
- Luton Town F.C. managers
- Wimbledon F.C. non-playing staff
- Wimbledon F.C. managers
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. non-playing staff
- Blackburn Rovers F.C. managers
- West Bromwich Albion F.C. managers
- Queens Park Rangers F.C. managers
- Millwall F.C. non-playing staff
- Millwall F.C. managers
- Premier League managers
- English Football League managers
- Association football coaches
- Deaths from lung cancer in England