Val Harris

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Val Harris (1884-?) was an Irish footballer from the Dublin south city suburb of Ringsend who spent his career playing with Shelbourne and Everton.

Harris first came to prominence while playing with Pembroke as they made their way to the 1898 Leinster Junior Cup final. He moved on to Emeralds where his continued good form saw him signed up by Shels and he made his Irish League debut for the Reds against Glentoran on 17 September 1904 at their home ground on Serpentine Avenue. The only way was up for Harris as within a month he had won his first inter-league cap. In February 1906 he became Shels first ever international when he won the first of his twenty caps for Ireland against England at Solitude in Belfast. Later that season he captained the Reds when they became the first Dublin club to win the Irish Cup as Shels defeated Belfast Celtic 2-0 in the final at Dalymount Park. In 1908 he moved to Everton for £350, the maximum amount allowed at the time.

In 1913 Harris captained the first ever Irish team to beat England and the following season helped Ireland to their first ever British Home Championship win, before returning home to Shels just before the outbreak of World War I. Due to the ongoing war in Europe, football was organised separately in Leinster and Ulster and Harris helped Shels to plenty of provincial trophies.

By the time he had finished playing in 1927, he had picked up another Irish Cup winners medal in 1920 before Shels left the Irish League following the partition of Ireland, and became founder members of the League of Ireland. During his time in the League of Ireland, he helped the Reds to their first league title in 1926 and to three Shields.

Harris became a living legend at Shels following his retirement from playing and coached Shels when they won their first ever FAI Cup in 1939.

[edit] Career Details

Shelbourne (1903/04-1907/08) (1914/14-1926/27)

Irish League: 71 appearances, 13 goals League of Ireland: 89 appearances, 6 goals

[edit] Honours

As a player (club):

IFA Cup winner: 2

1906, 1920

League of Ireland Championship: 1

1925-26

League of Ireland Shield winner: 3

1922, 1923, 1926

As a player (international):

British Home Championship winner: 1

1914

As a coach (club):

FAI Cup winner: 1

1939

[edit] Trivia

Harris won a GAA football All-Ireland winners’ medal with Dublin in 1901.[1]
Harris won more caps than any other Shels player for Ireland. Only Joe Haverty has won more caps while a Shels player-Haverty won his with the Republic of Ireland.
Harris won inter-league honours for both the Irish League (four times) and the League of Ireland (three times).