Ray Harford facts for kids

Raymond Thomas Harford (born June 1, 1945 – died August 9, 2003) was an English football player. He became much more famous for his amazing work as a coach and manager. Many people thought he was one of the best coaches of his time.

During his playing days, Ray was a centre-half. He played in 354 league games over eleven years in the Football League. He started as a young player at Charlton Athletic in 1960. He only played three league games there before leaving in 1966. Then he joined Exeter City.

After that, he moved to Lincoln City, where he played 161 league games. He then went to Mansfield Town. In December 1971, Port Vale bought him for £5,000. They later sold him to Colchester United in February 1973 for £1,750. He helped Colchester get promoted from the Fourth Division in 1973–74. In 1975, he moved to non-league football with Romford. He had to stop playing because of a knee injury.

Ray Harford became the manager of Fulham in April 1984. He left in June 1986 after the club had money problems. He took over at Luton Town in June 1987. He led them to the League Cup final twice. They won in 1988 but lost in 1989. He was fired in January 1990.

In the summer of 1990, he became the manager of Wimbledon. He resigned in October 1991. For four years, he was Kenny Dalglish's assistant at Blackburn Rovers. In June 1995, he became Blackburn's manager. He resigned in October 1996 after their star player, Alan Shearer, was sold. He then managed West Bromwich Albion from February 1997. Ten months later, he moved to Queens Park Rangers. He was fired in September 1998. After that, he became a coach at Millwall. He was still coaching there when he passed away.

Ray Harford's Playing Days

Ray Harford was born in Halifax. He grew up in south London. He started playing football as a centre-half for Charlton Athletic in May 1961. He became a professional player in May 1964.

Time at Exeter City

In January 1966, he joined Exeter City for £750. He played his first game for them in a 5–2 loss to Peterborough United. He played almost every game for the rest of the 1965–66 season. In the 1966–67 season, he played 38 league matches and scored one goal.

Playing for Lincoln City and Port Vale

In July 1967, Ray signed with Lincoln City. They were in the Fourth Division. Lincoln City almost got promoted in 1968–69. Ray played nearly 200 games for them in four years. In June 1971, he moved to Mansfield Town. Then, in December 1971, he joined Port Vale. Port Vale paid Mansfield £5,000 for him. He played regularly for the rest of the 1971–72 season.

Success at Colchester United

In January 1973, he was loaned to Colchester United. The deal became permanent the next month for £1,750. Colchester United got promoted in 1973–74, finishing third. Ray was named the Colchester United Player of the Year in 1974. He played 48 games that season. After playing 49 more games in the 1974–75 season, he left to play for non-league club Romford. The next year, knee problems forced him to stop playing. He returned to Colchester as a youth coach in September 1975.

Ray Harford's Managerial Career

Leading Fulham

In 1982, Ray Harford became the assistant manager at Fulham. He helped the team finish fourth in the Second Division. This was just one spot away from being promoted to the First Division. In April 1984, he became the manager. His first full season was good, with the club finishing ninth. However, the club then faced big money problems. This meant they had to sell most of their best players. Ray put together a new team using free players and young players. But it was not enough. The team was relegated, and Ray resigned soon after.

Triumphs with Luton Town

In the summer of 1986, Ray joined Luton Town as assistant manager. He helped them finish seventh in the First Division. At the end of the 1986–87 season, he was promoted to manager. This was a great choice. In his first season, Ray led Luton to a 3–2 win over Arsenal in the League Cup final. This was the club's first major trophy ever! They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals that year.

In 1988–89, Luton reached the League Cup final again. But they lost 3–1 to Nottingham Forest. By January of the next year, Luton was struggling to avoid relegation. Ray was surprisingly fired.

Managing Wimbledon

Soon after leaving Luton, Ray joined Wimbledon as assistant manager. This partnership lasted only five months. In July 1990, Ray became the manager for the third time in his career.

In 1990–91, Wimbledon finished seventh in the First Division. People had high hopes for the 1991–92 season. But Wimbledon started slowly, and Ray resigned in October. That same month, Kenny Dalglish became manager of Blackburn Rovers. Blackburn's owner, Jack Walker, wanted to get the team into the new Premier League. He asked Ray to be his assistant manager, and Ray accepted.

Blackburn Rovers' Success

Assistant Manager's Role

As assistant manager at Blackburn, Ray helped Kenny Dalglish a lot. In 1992, the club won promotion to the new Premier League. In 1993, Blackburn finished fourth in the Premier League. They had many new players, like the star striker Alan Shearer. Blackburn even topped the league at times that season.

The next season, Blackburn finished second to Manchester United. But they did get a spot in the UEFA Cup. In 1994–95, Blackburn had early exits from other cups. However, their league form was excellent. On the final day, they lost to Liverpool. But Manchester United could not win their game. So, Blackburn Rovers won the English league championship for the first time since 1914! This was the first time Ray Harford was part of a title-winning team.

A month after winning the title, Kenny Dalglish became the Director of Football. The board offered Ray the manager's job. He had said he would never become a manager from an assistant role again. But he changed his mind and took the job.

Challenges as Manager

The 1995–96 season was tough for Ray and Blackburn. Many key players were injured. But Alan Shearer was still amazing, scoring 31 goals. Blackburn improved as the season went on. They finished seventh, which was not bad, considering their slow start. In the summer of 1996, Alan Shearer was sold for a world record fee of £15 million. Ray could not find a good replacement for him.

The 1996–97 season also started badly. Blackburn did not win any of their first ten games. Ray resigned on October 25.

Managing West Bromwich Albion

In February 1997, Ray Harford became the new manager of West Bromwich Albion. The team was just above the relegation zone. Ray did a lot to keep the club safe from relegation. He found it tiring to travel from his home to the Midlands every day. In December 1997, he moved to another club, Queens Park Rangers.

Time at QPR

Queens Park Rangers was struggling in Division One. They had fallen from the Premier League in 1996. Ray hoped to get the club back into the Premier League. At the end of the 1997–98 season, the club avoided relegation. But the club's leaders and fans wanted more. After a poor start to the 1998–99 season, Ray was fired in September.

Coaching at Millwall

In the summer of 1999, Ray returned to football as a first-team coach at Millwall. Millwall had been in Division Two since 1996. The club wanted to win promotion. In September 2000, Ray was made temporary manager. It seemed possible he might get the job permanently. But Mark McGhee was given the job instead. Ray stayed on the coaching staff. He was very important in Millwall winning the Division Two championship that season. This ended their five-year absence from the higher league.

In 2001–02, Millwall finished fourth in Division One. They qualified for the promotion playoffs. Everyone hoped for another promotion. But their hopes ended when they lost in the semi-final to Birmingham City.

Later Life and Passing

In October 2002, Ray Harford was diagnosed with lung cancer. He spent the rest of the 2002–03 season away from his job at Millwall. He was getting treatment for his illness.

On August 9, 2003, Ray Harford passed away. He was still officially a coach at Millwall. His funeral was held in Banstead, Surrey. Many people from the football world attended. He was survived by his wife, Maureen, and his son, Paul. Paul also became a professional footballer.

Honours

as a player with Colchester United

• Football League Fourth Division promotion: 1973–74
• Colchester United F.C. Player of the Year: 1974

as manager of Luton Town

• League Cup: 1988; runner-up: 1989