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.png) Harris withIreland in 1914 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Valentine Harris | ||
| Date of birth | 13 June 1884 | ||
| Place of birth | Ringsend, Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Date of death | 9 November 1963(1963-11-09) (aged 79) | ||
| Place of death | Dublin, Ireland | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder / Forward / Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1898 | Pembroke | ||
| 1899 | Emeralds | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1900 | Isles of the Sea (Gaelic football) | ||
| 1901 | Dublin county team (Gaelic football) | ||
| 1903–08 | Shelbourne | ||
| 1908–1914 | Everton | 190 | (1) |
| 1914–1927 | Shelbourne | ||
| International career | |||
| 1906–1914 | Ireland | 20 | (0) |
| 1904–1906 | Irish League XI | 4 | (0) |
| 1925–1926 | League of Ireland XI | 2 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 193x–193x | Irish Free State | ||
| 193x–19xx | Shelbourne | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Valentine Harris (Irish:Vailintín Ó hEarchaí; 23 June 1884 inRingsend, Dublin, Ireland – 9 November 1963), commonly referred to asVal Harris, was an Irish footballer who playedGaelic football for theDublin county team and soccer for, among othersShelbourne,Everton andIreland. Harris was regarded as one of the finest soccer players of his generation and in 1906 became the first Shelbourne player capped by Ireland. He still remains the club's most capped player. In 1913 he captained the first Ireland team to beatEngland and in 1914 he was a member of the Ireland team that won theBritish Home Championship.[1] Harris has been described as an extremely hard player in the mode ofKevin Moran orPaul McGrath and like hisShelbourne,Everton andIreland teammate,Bill Lacey, he was also very versatile, covering just about every outfield position during his career.
Harris initially played soccer with junior clubs Pembroke and Emeralds and in 1898 helped Pembroke reach the final of theLeinster Junior Cup. He was also an accomplishedGaelic footballer during his teens, initially joining Terenure Sarsfields before joining, and winning honours at club level withRingsend GAA teamIsles of the Sea. In 1901 he won anAll-Ireland medal with theDublin county team. Harris is one of several prominentDublin Gaelic footballers who successfully switched codes to soccer; others have includedJack Kirwan,Con Martin,Joseph Ledwidge andKevin Moran.
In 1903 Harris made his debut forShelbourne in theLeinster Senior League. In May 1904 he had a trial withWest Bromwich Albion but then returned to Shelbourne and made hisIrish League debut in a 3–1 defeat toGlentoran on 17 September 1904 at Serpentine Avenue, Dublin. Harris stated that as well as offers from West Bromwich Albion, he has also received approaches fromBlackburn Rovers,Bury F.C. andPartick Thistle.[2] Harris went on to play in four consecutiveIrish Cup finals and in the 1906 final was captain when Shelbourne beatBelfast Celtic 2–0 atDalymount Park, becoming the first Dublin side to lift the trophy. His teammates during this era included, among others,Joseph Ledwidge andBill Lacey.
In March 1908 Harris moved toEverton for £350, the maximum amount allowed at the time. He made his debut for Everton againstWoolwich Arsenal and quickly established himself as the team's regular right-half. During his time atGoodison Park he was noted for his consistency and effectiveness and played in six different positions. With Harris in the team, Everton regularly challenged for top honours, twice finishing as League runners-up (1908–09 and1911–12) as well as reaching the semi-final stage in the 1910FA Cup. His teammates at Everton included fellowIrish internationalsBilly Scott and Bill Lacey, who had followed Harris from Shelbourne in February 1909. Harris made 190Football League appearances and scored one goal; he also played a further 14 games and scored a further goal in the FA Cup.
After four years at Everton, Harris returned to Shelbourne in August 1914. In 1920 he won the Irish Cup for a second time after both Belfast Celtic and Glentoran were expelled. In 1921 Shelbourne became founder members of theLeague of Ireland and in 1926 the club won the title. Harris remained a prominent member of the Shelbourne team well passed his fortieth birthday and his second spell at the club saw him play alongside Bill Lacey,Bob Fullam,Ed Brookes andLouis Bookman. During his two spells with Shelbourne, Harris made 71Irish League appearances, scoring 13 goals, 89League of Ireland appearances, scoring 6 goals, and a further 36 games and 12 goals in theIrish Cup.
Harris made his debut forIreland as a centre-forward on 17 February 1906 in a 5–0 defeat to England at theSolitude Ground. His teammates that day includedRobert Milne andJack Kirwan. He was the first Shelbourne player to be capped by Ireland and subsequently won a further six caps while at the club. Despite suffering a number of severe injuries related to his robust style of play, Harris was remarkably consistent in his appearances for Ireland and he featured in a run of thirteen consecutive internationals between 1908 and 1912. On 15 February 1913, Harris captained the Ireland team, that also included Billy Scott and two-goal heroBilly Gillespie, as they beat England for the first time with a 2–1 win atWindsor Park. In 1914 Ireland went a stage further and won theBritish Home Championship. Harris and Gillespie were joined in the squad by the likes ofPatrick O'Connell, Louis Bookman and Bill Lacey.
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After retiring as player in 1927, Harris became a coach with both theIrish Free State and Shelbourne. In 1932 Harris took charge of the Irish team as they played theNetherlands. Although the team was chosen by selectors, Harris took charge of training and gave the team talk. Before the game Harris declaredPat O'Callaghan put thetricolour flying high here in the1928 Olympics and it's up to you lads to see it is still flying high this evening. The words proved inspiring as an Irish team that includedAlex Stevenson,Mick O'Brien,Jimmy Kelly andPaddy Moore won 2–0. Harris would later coach and managed Shelbourne as they won the 1939FAI Cup, their first success in that competition.
Isles of the Sea
Dublin
Shelbourne
Ireland
Shelbourne