Jack Harkness (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Diamond "Jack" Harkness MBE
(27 September 1907, in Govanhill
, Glasgow
– 6 October 1985) was a Scottish
international footballer
, best remembered as the goalkeeper in the famous "Wembley Wizards
" Scotland
side of 1928.
. Despite playing against professional and semi-professional sides, the Spiders managed to maintain a respectable position in Division One
and Harkness was soon regarded as a key component in the side.
In May 1928, Heart of Midlothian
lured Harkness into the professional ranks, making him their highest paid player in the process. Hearts were frequent top five finishers and the increased profile this afforded Harkness allowed him to become a regular international player. The Maroons of this era were a talented yet inconsistent side however, and during his nine seasons in Gorgie
, Harkness failed to win any major honours. A prime example of Hearts' unpredictability was season 1932-33
, when both reigning champions Motherwell
and eventual champions Rangers
were defeated, yet dropped points to lesser sides ensured they only achieved a third place finish.
In 1936-37
, Willie Waugh displaced Harkness as Hearts’ regular goalkeeper. After spending the remainder of the season as a reserve, Harkness decided to retire, at the comparatively young age of twenty nine, in order to pursue a career in sports journalism
. He wrote for the Sunday Post
throughout the 1950s and was awarded an MBE in 1971.
at Windsor Park
, and 1933. Scotland won eight and lost four of these matches, with Harkness twice recording a clean sheet.
In 1928, Harkness was selected for the annual Scotland
-England
match in the Home Championship
, a game which was to become part of Scottish football folklore.
An unfancied side, in which the entire forward line measured 5’ 7” or less, recorded a resounding 5-1 triumph and earned the moniker the Wembley Wizards
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(27 September 1907, in Govanhill
Govanhill
Govanhill is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated south of the River Clyde between the Gorbals, Mount Florida and Queen's Park...
, Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
– 6 October 1985) was a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, best remembered as the goalkeeper in the famous "Wembley Wizards
Wembley Wizards
- Aftermath :When asked for his comment after the game, Alex James simply beamed a smile and said, “We could have had ten!”Back in Scotland the pubs did rather well and the newspapers were not slow in piling praise on the heads of those little no-hopers of the Scottish side...
" Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
side of 1928.
Club career
After leaving school aged eighteen, Harkness joined his local side Queens Park in 1925 and stayed there for three seasons. In line with their Corinthian ideals, he played as an amateur during his spell at HampdenHampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
. Despite playing against professional and semi-professional sides, the Spiders managed to maintain a respectable position in Division One
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
and Harkness was soon regarded as a key component in the side.
In May 1928, Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
lured Harkness into the professional ranks, making him their highest paid player in the process. Hearts were frequent top five finishers and the increased profile this afforded Harkness allowed him to become a regular international player. The Maroons of this era were a talented yet inconsistent side however, and during his nine seasons in Gorgie
Gorgie
Gorgie is an area of west Edinburgh, Scotland, located near Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry. It is home to Tynecastle Stadium, home of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and the North British Distillery, which creates a distinctive odour in parts of the area.The area...
, Harkness failed to win any major honours. A prime example of Hearts' unpredictability was season 1932-33
1932-33 in Scottish football
The 1932–33 season was the 43rd season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Greenock Morton, East Stirlingshire-Scottish League Division Two:...
, when both reigning champions Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
and eventual champions Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
were defeated, yet dropped points to lesser sides ensured they only achieved a third place finish.
In 1936-37
1936-37 in Scottish football
The 1936–37 season was the 47th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: RangersRelegated: Dunfermline Athletic, Albion Rovers-Scottish League Division Two:...
, Willie Waugh displaced Harkness as Hearts’ regular goalkeeper. After spending the remainder of the season as a reserve, Harkness decided to retire, at the comparatively young age of twenty nine, in order to pursue a career in sports journalism
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
. He wrote for the Sunday Post
The Sunday Post
The Sunday Post is a weekly newspaper published in Dundee, Scotland by DC Thomson, and characterised by a 'folksy' mix of news, sentimental stories and short features...
throughout the 1950s and was awarded an MBE in 1971.
International career
In total, Harkness played for Scotland on twelve occasions between 1927, when he made his debut in a 2-0 victory over (Northern) IrelandIreland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
at Windsor Park
Windsor Park
Windsor Park is a football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland and the home ground of Linfield F.C. and the Northern Ireland national football team. It is also where the Irish Cup and Irish League Cup finals are played.-History:...
, and 1933. Scotland won eight and lost four of these matches, with Harkness twice recording a clean sheet.
In 1928, Harkness was selected for the annual Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
-England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
match in the Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
, a game which was to become part of Scottish football folklore.
An unfancied side, in which the entire forward line measured 5’ 7” or less, recorded a resounding 5-1 triumph and earned the moniker the Wembley Wizards
Wembley Wizards
- Aftermath :When asked for his comment after the game, Alex James simply beamed a smile and said, “We could have had ten!”Back in Scotland the pubs did rather well and the newspapers were not slow in piling praise on the heads of those little no-hopers of the Scottish side...
.