Joe Harper

Status
Not open for further replies.

The Celtic View

Player Valuation: £10m
Inappropriate Language
Anyone on the forum old enough to have watched Joe Harper play for Everton? If so, how did he do for Everton?

He wasn't the slimmest of players, if you were being kind you would describe him as sturdy. In the early 70's the Celtic supporters used to sing "Harpers a barrel. Harpers a barrel of sh**e" to the tune of Roll Out The Barrell, but I thought he was a cracking wee striker, and I would have loved him to sign for Celtic. In my opinion, Harper would have scored a barrell load of goals, not sh**e, if he had signed for Celtic.
 
bit before my time but I thought he was better at hibs and Aberdeen than everton,
didn't realise he made the 78 world cup squad until I watched the bbc documentary about Scotland in argentina last week.
 

...I remember watching Joe Harper. He arrived with high expectation, I think he might have smashed a few goals on his debut but he never really lived up to the hype and turned out to be disappointing (in my view).

I was young when I saw him, and I read the Hibs supporters didn't take to him, because one of Hibs best players, maybe Alex Cropley? was sold and the money used to sign Harper, but I thought he was an excellent wee player, and a very good goal scorer, and I reckon he would have scored some amount if goals if he had signed for Celtic.
 
bit before my time but I thought he was better at hibs and Aberdeen than everton,
didn't realise he made the 78 world cup squad until I watched the bbc documentary about Scotland in argentina last week.

From what little I saw of him back then, he was an excellent player for both the Scottish clubs. I think in 78 he may have been back for a second spell at Aberdeen.
 
I was young when I saw him, and I read the Hibs supporters didn't take to him, because one of Hibs best players, maybe Alex Cropley? was sold and the money used to sign Harper, but I thought he was an excellent wee player, and a very good goal scorer, and I reckon he would have scored some amount if goals if he had signed for Celtic.

..I suppose you had Dalglish around those times and even from an Evertonian, he wasn’t too shabby.
 

..I suppose you had Dalglish around those times and even from an Evertonian, he wasn’t too shabby.

Celtic also had Dixie Deans, not that one, in the team at that time, and he was a good goal scorer. I just liked Harper, and thought he would be some goal scorer in that Celtic side.
 
I was very excited when we signed Joe as the team were desperately in need of someone who could put the ball in the net and he had a great goalscoring record in Scotland. He started well - I remember we beat Spurs 3-1 on his debut to end a losing streak and although he didn't score he was the catalyst for probably the best performance of the season. He scored in the next game at Chelsea and had a shoot on sight mentality that we really needed at the time. Catterick bought him but when he was taken ill the team went back into decline and Joe's form dipped as the chances dried up. I remember him scoring an excellent goal late in the season to help us to a vital win against Sheffield United which pulled us clear of the relegation dogfight.

Catterick left at the end of that season and Billy Bingham came in. Joe was chunky at the best of times but Bingham had them lifting weights and running up and down sand dunes which caused him to become even chunkier. He lost a bit of his speed and sharpness, didn't get on with Bingham - he wasn't the only one - and was allowed to leave and go back to Scotland. A shame really as he was potentially very good and I've got fond memories of him. I seem to remember he once laid out Larry Lloyd with a right hook in Brian Labone's testimonial match!
 
A shame really as he was potentially very good and I've got fond memories of him. I seem to remember he once laid out Larry Lloyd with a right hook in Brian Labone's testimonial match!

lol

For such a wee guy, he didn't take a back seat when it came to sticking up for himself. I remember reading his book, and he said in training at Aberdeen Martin Buch kept kicking him. he warned Buchan not to do it again, but Buchan kicked him again, and Harper hung one on Buchan's chin, and laid him out.

I have to say though, it takes cojones of steel to have a go with Larry Lloyd. he looked like a giant of a man.
 
he scored 2 on his debut and missed a pen
Anyone on the forum old enough to have watched Joe Harper play for Everton? If so, how did he do for Everton?

He wasn't the slimmest of players, if you were being kind you would describe him as sturdy. In the early 70's the Celtic supporters used to sing "Harpers a barrel. Harpers a barrel of sh**e" to the tune of Roll Out The Barrell, but I thought he was a cracking wee striker, and I would have loved him to sign for Celtic. In my opinion, Harper would have scored a barrell load of goals, not sh**e, if he had signed for Celtic.
 
...I remember watching Joe Harper. He arrived with high expectation, I think he might have smashed a few goals on his debut but he never really lived up to the hype and turned out to be disappointing (in my view).

I was at Goodison Park for his debut game, although he made a promising start to life at Everton, like many others he couldn't keep it up. I guess the standard was just that bit higher and he found it tough going. Best debut I saw was Duncan McKenzie but it gradually faded for him too.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.
Top