Ron Harris
The hardest of the hard men
| Full name: | Ronald Edward Harris |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: | November 13th 1944 |
| Clubs played for: | Chelsea, Brentford |
Club Career
Ron Harris joined Chelsea as an apprentice and first came to prominence when he helped them win the FA Youth Cup in 1961. Within a year he had made the step up to the first team, a position he would hold for 18 years.
He soon established himself as a no-nonsense defender, earning the nickname 'Chopper' for his uncompromising tackling along the way. He lead Chelsea to FA Cup success in 1970 and, a year later, became the first Blues' captain to lift a European trophy. He finally left Stamford Bridge in 1980 having made a club record 795 appearances and, following three years at Brentford, he retired in 1983.
Key Games
Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea (FA Cup final, May 20, 1967)
Harris became the youngest man to captain a side in the FA Cup final, aged just 22 (a record broken four years later by Leicester's David Nish), when he skippered Chelsea against Spurs at Wembley. Sadly, that was to be the high point of Harris' day as goals from Jimmy Robertson and Frank Saul sealed a 2-1 win for Spurs, with Bobby Tambling's late goal counting as little more than consolation for the Blues.
Chelsea 2-1 Leeds (aet, FA Cup final replay, April 29, 1970)
Harris was in no mood to let Leeds winger Eddie Gray trouble the Chelsea back-line in the replay like he had at Wembley during the first affair. With just eight minutes gone, Harris challenged Gray strongly and the wide man failed to recover from the early blow, becoming a virtual passenger from then on. With Leeds' main threat subdued, Chelsea went on to win the trophy in extra time, with full-back David Webb grabbing the winning goal.
Chelsea 2-1 Real Madrid (European Cup-Winners' Cup final replay, May 21,1971)
Chelsea claimed their first European trophy at the second time of asking as Harris and his defensive colleagues repelled everything Real Madrid could throw at them. Having raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from John Dempsey and Peter Osgood, Harris marshalled his troops superbly as the Blues' rearguard was tested countless times by the Spaniards, but the Londoners were not to be denied.
Honours
| Club | Competition | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | FA Cup | 1970 |
| European Cup-Winners' Cup | 1971 | |
| League Cup | 1965 |
Did You Know...?
Harris grew up in Stamford Hill, north London - supporting Arsenal. "Theirs is still the second result I look for," he says.
He marked Jimmy Greaves 19 times during their respective playing careers, with Greavsie scoring just one goal.
Harris didn't pass his driving test until he was 39.
He could have been a cricketer. He turned down a contract at Middlesex as a youngster because they were offering him £4 a week, while Chelsea were willing to pay him £7 a week.
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