Jimmy Haarhoff
Encyclopedia
James "Jimmy" Haarhoff is a former professional footballer who played in the Football League
for Birmingham City
. He played international football for Northern Ireland
at under-18 level.
, Zambia
. As a youngster, he played football for Maypole Juniors in the Yardley Wood
district of Birmingham
, England, before joining the youth system
of professional club Birmingham City
. He made his first-team debut – and his only first-team appearance – as a last-minute substitute in the Division One
(second tier) game at home to Crystal Palace
on 16 October 1999.
As the holder of a British passport born outside the United Kingdom, Haarhoff was eligible to play international football for any of the Home Nations
. He made his debut for Northern Ireland at under-18 level as a half-time substitute in a 3–1 defeat of their Denmark counterparts in a friendly international in February 2000. According to manager Roy Millar
, "He has quick feet and is very pacey. He goes past players and is exciting to watch", and his debut performance earned him a place in the starting eleven, also against Denmark, a couple of days later.
After trials with Doncaster Rovers
and Chester City
in December 2000, Haarhoff signed a short-term deal with the latter club in January 2001 after Birmingham released him from his contract. He began well, but failed to make the starting eleven in the latter part of the season. With his contract due to expire, Haarhoff was one of several players called in by the chairman for two weeks' fitness training; those who failed to attend, Haarhoff included, were threatened with dismissal, but a few days later he was offered and accepted a two-year contract. In October 2001, after a change of ownership and management at the club, Haarhoff was offered a loan move to Droylsden
of the Northern Premier League
, which he turned down. In February 2002 he had been playing for the reserve team
, but returned to the first team as a substitute to score a last-minute winner to knock Hereford United
out and reach the last 16 of the FA Trophy
. He was given a squad number
prior to the 2002–03 season, but in August 2002 he joined Droylsden on a three-month loan, a move which was made permanent five weeks later.
Haarhoff signed for Southern League
Premier side Moor Green
in the 2003 close season, but failed to settle, and dropped down a division to fellow Halesowen Town
in March 2004. He played eight games in what remained of the 2003–04 season, contributing to the club's promotion to the Premier Division, and 44 games in all competitions in 2004–05, of which 31 in the league. At the end of the season he was not offered a new contract, and opted to give up the pursuit of a career as a footballer in favour of his religion. In June 2005 he was baptised into the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, in which his father Jim was an elder.
Since his retirement as a player, Haarhoff has worked with Halesowen Town's and Birmingham City's community programmes, and as a skills coach
in the Birmingham
area under the Football Association
's Skills Coaches programme.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He played international football for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
at under-18 level.
Career
Haarhoff was born in LusakaLusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. As a youngster, he played football for Maypole Juniors in the Yardley Wood
Yardley Wood
Yardley Wood is an area of Birmingham, United Kingdom, and is located within the parliamentary constituency of Hall Green. The area is served by Yardley Wood railway station, and offers amenities including multiple schools, as well as a depot run by National Express West Midlands.Nearby...
district of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England, before joining the youth system
Youth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
of professional club Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He made his first-team debut – and his only first-team appearance – as a last-minute substitute in the Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(second tier) game at home to Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
on 16 October 1999.
As the holder of a British passport born outside the United Kingdom, Haarhoff was eligible to play international football for any of the Home Nations
Home Nations
Home Nations is a collective term with one of two meanings depending on the context. Politically, it means the nations of the constituent countries of the United Kingdom...
. He made his debut for Northern Ireland at under-18 level as a half-time substitute in a 3–1 defeat of their Denmark counterparts in a friendly international in February 2000. According to manager Roy Millar
Roy Millar
Frederick Roy Millar MBE is the Irish Football Association's director of coaching and former head coach of the Northern Ireland national under-21 football team. Born in Belfast, he previously played in the Irish League for Cliftonville F.C. and in with Dundela F.C. in the old 'B' Division...
, "He has quick feet and is very pacey. He goes past players and is exciting to watch", and his debut performance earned him a place in the starting eleven, also against Denmark, a couple of days later.
After trials with Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
and Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in December 2000, Haarhoff signed a short-term deal with the latter club in January 2001 after Birmingham released him from his contract. He began well, but failed to make the starting eleven in the latter part of the season. With his contract due to expire, Haarhoff was one of several players called in by the chairman for two weeks' fitness training; those who failed to attend, Haarhoff included, were threatened with dismissal, but a few days later he was offered and accepted a two-year contract. In October 2001, after a change of ownership and management at the club, Haarhoff was offered a loan move to Droylsden
Droylsden F.C.
Droylsden F.C. is an English football club based in Droylsden, near Manchester. As of the 2011–12 season, they play in the Conference North.-History:...
of the Northern Premier League
Northern Premier League
The Northern Premier League, is one of the regional English football leagues which sits directly below the Football Conference featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. Geographically, the league covers all of Northern England, and the northern areas of the Midlands. Originally just one...
, which he turned down. In February 2002 he had been playing for the reserve team
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
, but returned to the first team as a substitute to score a last-minute winner to knock Hereford United
Hereford United F.C.
Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
out and reach the last 16 of the FA Trophy
FA Trophy
The Football Association Challenge Trophy, commonly known as the FA Trophy, is a knockout cup competition in English football, run by and named after The Football Association and competed for primarily by semi-professional teams...
. He was given a squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
prior to the 2002–03 season, but in August 2002 he joined Droylsden on a three-month loan, a move which was made permanent five weeks later.
Haarhoff signed for Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Premier side Moor Green
Moor Green F.C.
Moor Green F.C. was a non-league association football team originally from the Hall Green area of south Birmingham but later based in the town of Solihull, West Midlands, England...
in the 2003 close season, but failed to settle, and dropped down a division to fellow Halesowen Town
Halesowen Town F.C.
Halesowen Town is an English association football club formed in 1873, since 2011 playing in the Southern League Division One South & West]]. The team is nicknamed "The Yeltz".-History:...
in March 2004. He played eight games in what remained of the 2003–04 season, contributing to the club's promotion to the Premier Division, and 44 games in all competitions in 2004–05, of which 31 in the league. At the end of the season he was not offered a new contract, and opted to give up the pursuit of a career as a footballer in favour of his religion. In June 2005 he was baptised into the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, in which his father Jim was an elder.
Since his retirement as a player, Haarhoff has worked with Halesowen Town's and Birmingham City's community programmes, and as a skills coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
in the Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
area under the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
's Skills Coaches programme.