Jimmy Harris (footballer, born 1933)

James Harris (18 August 1933 – April 2022) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward for Everton and Birmingham City in the First Division. The strengths of his game were his pace and a clear eye for goal.

For the West Ham and Southampton player of the 1920s and 1930s, see Jimmy Harris (footballer, born 1907).

Jimmy Harris
Personal information
Full name James Harris[1]
Date of birth (1933-08-18)18 August 1933[1]
Place of birth Birkenhead, England
Date of death April 2022(2022-04-00) (aged 88)
Position(s) Centre forward
Youth career
1948–1951 Everton
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1951–1960 Everton 191 (65)
1960–1964 Birmingham City 93 (37)
1964–1966 Oldham Athletic 29 (9)
1966 Tranmere Rovers 0 (0)
1966 Rhyl
1966–1967 St Patrick's Athletic 6 (2)
1967–? Ellesmere Port Town
International career
1956 England U23 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Biography

Harris made his debut for Everton, replacing Dave Hickson, in 1955 and finished his debut season as the club's top scorer with 21 goals in all competitions.[2] He was also capped for England under-23 that season, scoring in a 3–1 win against Scotland under-23 at Hillsborough in February 1956.[3] When moved to outside right on Hickson's return in 1957 he was able to use his pace and still kept scoring. The following season, 1957–58, he scored a hat-trick away at Tottenham Hotspur only for Everton to lose 10–4.[4]

In 1960, having scored 72 goals in 207 appearances in all competitions for Everton,[2] Harris was sold to Birmingham City for a fee of £20,000.[5] He was the club's top scorer in each of his first two seasons at Birmingham City, and in four years scored 53 goals in 113 games in all competitions.[5] He played in their 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup campaign when they reached the final against Roma, and was largely responsible for them getting that far. In the semi-final against Inter Milan he scored three times, including the first goal of the 2–1 win at the San Siro,[6] the only time Inter had lost at home to an English club until Arsenal repeated the feat over forty years later.[7] He won his only major medal when he played on the winning side in the 1963 Football League Cup Final.

After leaving Birmingham he moved on to Third Division club Oldham Athletic,[1] and played once in the League Cup for Tranmere Rovers of the Fourth Division.[8] He signed for Cheshire League club Rhyl in September 1966,[9] but injury delayed his debut,[10] and, after reportedly agreeing a deal with struggling Irish club Sligo Rovers,[11] Harris signed instead for St Patrick's Athletic on 19 October.[12] and made his debut that night in a League of Ireland Shield game against Shamrock Rovers. In his second Shield game he got his first goal for Pats which sealed the club's participation in the following season's Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. He made his League of Ireland debut on the opening day of the 1966–67 season at Waterford. His first league goal came in November against Dundalk.[13] In three months at Richmond Park, Harris scored three goals in eight total appearances. He returned to the Cheshire League in February 1967 with Ellesmere Port Town,[14] where he was later appointed player-manager.[15]

Harris married Joan Boardman in 1967.[16] His death was reported on 17 April 2022.[17]

Honours

Birmingham City

Individual

  • Everton top scorer: 1956
  • Birmingham City top scorer: 1961, 1962

References
  1. "Jimmy Harris". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  2. "Gallery of Players Signed Between 1950–1959". EFChistory.co.uk. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  3. Courtney, Barrie (27 March 2004). "England – U-23 International Results- Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
  4. "Memorable Matches". Everton F.C. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  5. Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 94. ISBN 1-85983-010-2.
  6. Zea, Anthony; Haisma, Marcel (27 June 2007). "European Champions' Cup and Fairs' Cup 1960–61 – Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
  7. "Arsenal routs Inter Milan". New York Times. Reuters. 25 November 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  8. "Player search: Harris, J (Jimmy)". English National Football Archive. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  9. "Rhyl sign Jimmy Harris". Birmingham Post. 15 September 1966. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Runcorn may change attack for Cup replay". Liverpool Echo. 20 September 1966. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Rovers' attempts to sign Jimmy Harris failed". Sligo Champion. 21 October 1966. p. 13 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1966/101/Pg003.html#Ar00301:3105A333D5C12476A32706BB34A5A338C5C127A6A32B26BB189A1C1C6A341F0BA522DBBD000D9121EDA621ED9122EDA622ED91255DA6
  13. The Irish Times. Dublin. 28 November 1966. ISSN 0791-5144 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/archive/1966/1128/Pg004.html#Ar00413. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  14. "Jimmy Harris joins Ellesmere Port". Liverpool Echo. 20 February 1967. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. A.H.D. (18 March 1967). "Matthews plays on Merseyside". Liverpool Echo. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. "Beauty queen weds ex-Everton star". Liverpool Echo. 2 October 1967. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. Cavilla, Tom (17 April 2022). "Former Everton forward Jimmy Harris has died aged 88". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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