Terry Harkin
Encyclopedia
John Terence Harkin (born 14 September 1941) is a former footballer who played as a centre forward. He was born in Derry
, Northern Ireland
, and played for the Northern Ireland national football team
.
before making his name with Bertie Peacock
’s Coleraine
. He transferred to Port Vale
for a £2,000 fee in September 1962, where he managed 10 goals in 17 games during his first season in the Third Division
, as the club finished in third place, just off promotion. In his second season at Vale Park
, Harkin managed only a handful of games, and a single goal.
A close-season £3,000 transfer to Crewe Alexandra
in June 1964 brought an improvement to Harkin’s league opportunities. He scored 35 times (a seasonal record for a Crewe player
) in Division Four
, including a four goal performance in a 6–2 win over Barrow
. This form brought the attentions of higher-league clubs, and in August 1965 Cardiff City
took Harkin into Division Two
. An explosive start to Harkin’s Ninian Park
career saw a debut goal in a 2–1 defeat by Derby County
, and a total of seven in his first eight games, before his form dipped, and goals dried-up. Thereafter Harkin’s first-team opportunities were sporadic, and in September 1966 both club and player decided to part ways.
A "no-nonsense" striker, strong in the air and possessing a powerful shot with either foot, Harkin found himself back in Division Four with Notts County
. An explosive start at Meadow Lane
brought Harkin seven goals by mid-November, before his form slightly dipped. At the end of 1966–67 Notts County finished just above the re-election positions, and accepted a £2,000 bid for Harkin from Southport
, newly promoted to Division Two.
At that time, Southport were managed by Billy Bingham
, and although he left mid-season to manage Plymouth Argyle
, he clearly remembered Harkin for the other post he had also taken that season, part-time manager of Northern Ireland. 21 league goals that season helped Southport to mid-table respectability, and an appearance in the FA Cup
third round, where they lost narrowly, 1–0, to top-flight giants, Everton
.
In March 1969, cash-strapped Southport were forced to sell one of their prize assets, Harkin joining struggling Division Three rivals, Shrewsbury Town
. His early impact of eight goals in 17 appearances helped drag the Shrews to safety.
Harkin remained a regular goalscorer for Shrewsbury through to the end of the 1970-71 season, when he moved back home to sign for Donegal
club, Finn Harps
. Harkin helped the Harps to the most successful period in their history, finishing as equal top-scorer in the League of Ireland
in 1973 with 20 goals, and claiming an FAI Cup
winners’ medal the following year (Harps’ only ever major trophy win). The club did regularly challenge for the League championship, and competed in Europe on a regular basis, with Harkin’s 82 goals taking him into the club’s top-five all-time goalscorers.
Harkin spent the summer of 1973 playing in the NASL
, helping the Toronto Metros
to the play-offs with nine goals and five assists (15 points in MVP terms) in eleven games. He finished his senior career as a 38 year-old with Dundalk
, later becoming a director at Derry City
.
in a 5–1 defeat by Wales
at the Vetch Field
, Swansea
, in February 1963.
His first full cap
for Northern Ireland senior team
came in 1968. They later faced Turkey
in Istanbul
, Harkin bagged a brace in a 3–0 win. The final two caps of Harkin’s international career were won in Moscow
and Seville
, both games resulting in defeats.
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and played for the Northern Ireland national football team
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...
.
Club career
A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Harkin started out as a youth with Derry CityDerry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
before making his name with Bertie Peacock
Bertie Peacock
John Robert "Bertie" Peacock, MBE was a Northern Ireland international footballer and manager who played for Celtic....
’s Coleraine
Coleraine F.C.
Coleraine F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club, playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1927, hails from Coleraine, County Londonderry and plays its home matches at the Showgrounds. Club colours are blue and white...
. He transferred to Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
for a £2,000 fee in September 1962, where he managed 10 goals in 17 games during his first season in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
, as the club finished in third place, just off promotion. In his second season at Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....
, Harkin managed only a handful of games, and a single goal.
A close-season £3,000 transfer to Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
in June 1964 brought an improvement to Harkin’s league opportunities. He scored 35 times (a seasonal record for a Crewe player
Crewe Alexandra F.C. club records
-Club records:The following are club records since its establishment in 1877- Football League record :* 1892 – 1896 Division Two* 1921 – 1958 Division Three * 1958 – 1963 Division Four* 1963 – 1964 Division Three...
) in Division Four
Football League Fourth Division
The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
, including a four goal performance in a 6–2 win over Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
. This form brought the attentions of higher-league clubs, and in August 1965 Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
took Harkin into Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
. An explosive start to Harkin’s Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
career saw a debut goal in a 2–1 defeat by Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, and a total of seven in his first eight games, before his form dipped, and goals dried-up. Thereafter Harkin’s first-team opportunities were sporadic, and in September 1966 both club and player decided to part ways.
A "no-nonsense" striker, strong in the air and possessing a powerful shot with either foot, Harkin found himself back in Division Four with Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. An explosive start at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
brought Harkin seven goals by mid-November, before his form slightly dipped. At the end of 1966–67 Notts County finished just above the re-election positions, and accepted a £2,000 bid for Harkin from Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
, newly promoted to Division Two.
At that time, Southport were managed by Billy Bingham
Billy Bingham
William Laurence "Billy" Bingham, MBE is a former international footballer and football manager. He is currently a scout for English Football League Championship side Burnley....
, and although he left mid-season to manage Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
, he clearly remembered Harkin for the other post he had also taken that season, part-time manager of Northern Ireland. 21 league goals that season helped Southport to mid-table respectability, and an appearance in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
third round, where they lost narrowly, 1–0, to top-flight giants, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
In March 1969, cash-strapped Southport were forced to sell one of their prize assets, Harkin joining struggling Division Three rivals, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
. His early impact of eight goals in 17 appearances helped drag the Shrews to safety.
Harkin remained a regular goalscorer for Shrewsbury through to the end of the 1970-71 season, when he moved back home to sign for Donegal
Donegal
Donegal or Donegal Town is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. Its name, which was historically written in English as Dunnagall or Dunagall, translates from Irish as "stronghold of the foreigners" ....
club, Finn Harps
Finn Harps F.C.
Finn Harps Football Club are a professional Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded in 1954 and elected to the league in 1969. They hail from Ballybofey, County Donegal and play their home matches at Finn Park. The club's colours are blue...
. Harkin helped the Harps to the most successful period in their history, finishing as equal top-scorer in the League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
in 1973 with 20 goals, and claiming an FAI Cup
FAI Cup
The Football Association of Ireland Challenge Cup, known as the FAI Ford Cup for sponsorship reasons, is a knock-out association football competition contested annually by teams from the Republic of Ireland...
winners’ medal the following year (Harps’ only ever major trophy win). The club did regularly challenge for the League championship, and competed in Europe on a regular basis, with Harkin’s 82 goals taking him into the club’s top-five all-time goalscorers.
Harkin spent the summer of 1973 playing in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, helping the Toronto Metros
Toronto Blizzard (NASL)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
to the play-offs with nine goals and five assists (15 points in MVP terms) in eleven games. He finished his senior career as a 38 year-old with Dundalk
Dundalk F.C.
Dundalk Football Club is a professional Irish football club based in Dundalk, County Louth. The club currently play in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. Founded in 1903, they are the second most successful team, in terms of trophies won, in the history of the League of Ireland. The...
, later becoming a director at Derry City
Derry City F.C.
Derry City Football Club is a professional football club based in Derry, Northern Ireland. It plays in the League of Ireland Premier Division...
.
International career
It was during his debut season in England that Harkin won his first senior representative honour, leading the line for Northern Ireland under-23Northern Ireland National Under-23 Football Team
The Northern Ireland national under-23 team is a football team representing Northern Ireland featuring footballers playing in the Irish League...
in a 5–1 defeat by Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at the Vetch Field
Vetch Field
The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
, Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, in February 1963.
His first full cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for Northern Ireland senior team
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...
came in 1968. They later faced Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Harkin bagged a brace in a 3–0 win. The final two caps of Harkin’s international career were won in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Seville
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
, both games resulting in defeats.
External links
- Stats from Neil Brown stat site