Tony Harper

Tony Harper
Personal information
Full name Anthony Frederick Harper[1]
Date of birth (1925-05-26)26 May 1925
Place of birth Oxford, England
Date of death 28 June 1982(1982-06-28) (aged 57)[2]
Place of death Bullingdon, England
Playing position Wing half, inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Headington United
1948–1955 Brentford 173 (6)
1955–1959 Headington United 136 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Anthony Frederick "Tony" Harper (26 May 1925 – 28 June 1982) was an English football wing half or inside forward who made 173 appearances in the Football League for Brentford.

Club career

Headington United

Harper began his career at Spartan League hometown club Headington United, departing the club in March 1948.[1]

Brentford

Harper signed for Division Two side Brentford in March 1948.[1] He began his time with the Bees as an inside forward and made his debut in a 2–1 defeat to Leicester City at Griffin Park on 15 September 1948.[1][3] Harper missed the entire 1949–50 season through illness but broke into the team in the 1950–51 season as a wing half, forming a celebrated half back line with Ron Greenwood and Jimmy Hill.[1][4] He made a career-high 41 appearances during the 1951–52 season and held his place until Ken Coote began to establish himself in the wing half position.[1][5] Harper played on until the 1954–55 season, dropping into the reserves in the latter stages of the campaign.[1] He departed Brentford in the summer of 1955, having made 188 appearances and scored seven goals in his seven years with the club.[1][5]

Return to Headington United

Harper returned to Headington United in the summer of 1955.[1] He made over 130 Southern League appearances before retiring in 1959.

Personal life

After having trouble commuting from his Oxford home, Harper stayed in a club house in Hounslow with teammate Ted Gaskell and his wife, eventually moving into the house next door.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920-2006. Yore Publications. p. 72. ISBN 978-0955294914.
  2. ↑ "Tony Harper". Barry Hugman's Footballers Post-War Premier & Football League Players' Records. Retrieved 8 June 2015.
  3. ↑ "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. 1948-09-15. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  4. ↑ "Bill Axbey: the legend of Griffin Park dies, aged 102 (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)". Richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  5. 1 2 "Brentford Football Club History". Brentfordfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  6. ↑ Lane, David (2005). Cult Bees & Legends: Volume Two. Hampton Hill: Legends Publishing. p. 107. ASIN B00NPZL58S. ISBN 0954368282.


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