John Terence Harkin (born 14 September 1941) is a Northern Irish former professionalfootballer who played as aforward. He scored 125 goals in 260 league games in nine seasons in theFootball League. He also scored 66 goals in 142 games in theLeague of Ireland and scored five goals in 11North American Soccer League games. At the international level, he made five appearances, scoring two goals for theNorthern Ireland national team.

He began his career withDerry City andColeraine, before winning a £2,000 move toPort Vale in September 1962. He was sold on toCrewe Alexandra for £3,000 in June 1964 and scored aclub record 35 goals in 1964–65. He moved on toCardiff City in August 1965 before switching toNotts County the following year. He was sold on toSouthport for £2,000 the next year before beingtransferred toShrewsbury Town in March 1969. He returned to Ireland in 1971 to play forFinn Harps. He spent eight years with the club and won theFAI Cup in 1974, and helped the "Harps" to finish second in theLeague of Ireland in 1972–73, 1975–76, and 1977–78. In summer 1973, he played onloan for Canadian clubToronto Metros. He ended his career in 1980, following a brief spell atDundalk.

A prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Harkin started as a youth withDerry City before making his name withBertie Peacock'sColeraine. Hetransferred toNorman Low'sPort Vale for a £2,000 fee in September 1962.^[1] He opened his account for the "Valiants" with a brace in a 5–1 win overSouthend United atVale Park on 24 September.^[1] He finished the1962–63 season with 10 goals in 17Third Division, as new bossFreddie Steele took the club to within one place of automaticpromotion.^[1] In1963–64, Harkin managed only two goals in eleven games, both against Southend.^[1]

A close-season £3,000 transfer toJimmy McGuigan'sCrewe Alexandra in June 1964 brought an improvement to Harkin's league opportunities. He scored 35 times (a seasonalrecord for a Crewe player) in theFourth Division in1964–65, including a four-goal performance in a 6–2 win overBarrow. This form brought the attention of higher-league clubs, and new Port ValemanagerJackie Mudie tried to re-sign Harkin towards the end of the season, but he remained atGresty Road.^[1]

In August 1965,Cardiff City managerJimmy Scoular took Harkin into theSecond Division. An explosive start to hisNinian Park career saw a debut goal in a 2–1 defeat byDerby County and a total of seven in his first eight games before his form dipped and goals dried up. The "Bluebirds" narrowly avoided relegation in1965–66. 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 powerfulshot with either foot, Harkin found himself back in the Fourth Division withNotts County. An explosive start atMeadow Lane brought Harkin seven goals by mid-November before his form slightly dipped. At the end of1966–67, the "Magpies" finished just above the re-election positions and accepted a £2,000 bid for Harkin fromSouthport, newly promoted to the Third Division.

At that time, Southport were managed byBilly Bingham, and although he left mid-season to managePlymouth Argyle, he clearly remembered Harkin for the other post he had also taken that season, part-time manager of Northern Ireland. His 21 league goals in1967–68 helped the "Sandgrounders" to mid-table respectability and an appearance in theFA Cup third round, where they lost narrowly, 1–0, toFirst Division giants,Everton.

In March 1969, cash-strapped Southport managerDon McEvoy was forced to sell one of his prize assets as Harkin joined struggling Third Division rivals,Shrewsbury Town. Harkin's eight goals in 17 appearances helped drag the "Shrews" to safety in1968–69. Harkin remained a regular goalscorer atGay Meadow in1969–70 through to the end of the1970–71 season, when he moved back home to sign forCounty Donegal club,Finn Harps.

Harkin helped the "Harps" to the most successful period in their history when he tied (withWaterford'sAlfie Hale) in theLeague of Ireland in1972–73 on a league-leading tally of 20 goals. He claimed anFAI Cup winners' medal the following year (the club's only ever major trophy win). The "Harps" did regularly challenge for the League championship and finished as runners-up in 1972–73,1975–76, and1977–78. They also competed in Europe regularly, and Harkin scored in two legs againstAberdeen in the1973–74 UEFA Cup. He finished as theLeague of Ireland's joint top-scorer (withAlfie Hale) in the 1972–73 season, with 20 goals. Harkin's 82 league and cup goals leaves him in the club's top-five all-time goalscorers.

Harkin spent the summer of 1973 playing in theNorth American Soccer League, helping theToronto Metros to the play-offs with nine goals and five assists (15 points in MVP terms) in eleven games.^[3] He finished his senior career as a 38-year-old withDundalk, later becoming a director atDerry City.

It was during his debut season in England that Harkin won his first senior representative honour, leading the line forNorthern Ireland under-23's in a 5–1 defeat byWales atVetch Field,Swansea, in February 1963.

His first fullcap forNorthern Ireland senior team came in 1968. On 11 December 1968, they facedTurkey atBJK İnönü Stadium inIstanbul inqualification for the1970 FIFA World Cup, and Harkin bagged a brace in a 3–0 win.^[4] The final twocaps of Harkin's international career were won in Moscow andSeville, both games resulting in defeats.

Finn Harps

• FAI Cup: 1974

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