Southport Central

Terry Harkin

Real Name: John Terence Harkin
Normal Position: Centre Forward
Height: 5ft.10
Weight: 11st.10
Born: 14/09/1941 (Londonderry)

Terry HarkinA prolific goalscorer throughout his career, Terry Harkin started out as a youth with Derry City before making his name with Bertie Peacock�s Coleraine. Transferred to Port Vale for a �2,000 fee in September 1962, he managed ten goals in 17 games during his first season in Division Three, as the club finished in third place, just off promotion. It was during his debut season in England that Harkin won his first senior representative honour, leading the line for Northern Ireland�s Under-23 team in a 5-1 defeat by Wales in at the Vetch Field, Swansea, in February 1963. In his second season at Vale Park, Harkin managed only a handful of games, and a single goal.

A close-season �3000 transfer to Crewe in 1964 brought an improvement to Harkin�s League opportunities. He scored 34 times (a seasonal record for a Crewe player) in Division Four, including a four goal in a 6-2 win over Barrow. This form brought the attentions of higher-League clubs, and in August 1965 Cardiff City took Harkin into Division Two. An explosive start to Harkin�s Ninian Park career saw a debut goal in a 2-1 defeat by Derby, and a total of seven in his first eight games, before his form dipped, and goals dried-up. Thereafter Harkin�s first-team opportunities were sporadic, and in September 1966 both club and player decided to cut their losses.

A \"no-nonsense\" striker, strong in the air and possessing a powerful shot with either foot, Harkin found himself back in Division Four with Notts County. An explosive start at Meadow Lane brought Harkin seven goals to mid-November, before his form once again dipped. At the end of 1966/67 Notts County finished just above the re-election positions, and were more than happy to accept a �2,000 bid for Harkin from Southport, newly promoted to Division Two.

At that time, Southport were managed by Billy Bingham, and although he left mid-season to manage Plymouth, he clearly remembered Harkin for the other post he had also taken that season, part-time manager of Northern Ireland. Harkin�s Full international debut came in February 1968, in a 2-0 Home Nations defeat by Wales, coming in as a late replacement for Sammy Wilson. 21 League goals that season helped Southport to mid-table respectability, and an appearance in the FA Cup third round, where they lost narrowly, 1-0, to top-flight giants, Everton.

In December 1968 Northern Ireland faced Turkey in Istanbul, and Harkin bagged a brace in a 3-0 win. In March 1969 cash-strapped Southport were forced to sell one of their prize assets, Harkin joining struggling Division Three rivals, Shrewsbury Town. His early impact of eight goals in 17 appearances helped drag the Shrews to safety, and come the British Championships (now re-scheduled to the season�s end), Billy Bingham included Harkin in the Northern Ireland squad. He played just once, making his �home� debut as substitute in a 0-0 draw with Wales. The final two caps of Harkin�s international career were won in Moscow and Seville, both games resulting in defeats.

Harkin remained a regular goalscorer for Shrewsbury through to the end of the 1970/71 season, when he moved back to his native Derry, signing with Donegal club, Finn Harps. Harkin helped the Harps to the most successful period in their history, finishing as equal top-scorer in the League of Ireland in 1973 with 20 goals, and claiming an FAI Cup winners� medal the following year (Harps� only ever major trophy win). The club did regularly challenge for the League championship, and competed in Europe on a regular basis, with Harkin�s 82 goals taking him into the club�s top-five all-time goalscorers.

Harkin spent the summer of 1973 playing in the NASL, helping Toronto to the play-offs with five goals and five assists (15 points in MVP terms) in eleven games. He finished his senior career as a 38 year-old with Dundalk.

Player Profile reproduced with Permission from:
The Sandgrounders: The Complete League History of Southport F. C., by Michael Braham and Geoff Wilde (Palatine Books, 1995). ISBN 978-1-874181-14-9


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Transfers

Season Date From To Value
1967/1968 29/07/1967 NOTTS COUNTY Southport 2000
1968/1969 02/03/1969 Southport SHREWSBURY TOWN 10000


Player Match Stats


Statistics include the following competitions
Cambrian Cup, Conference League Cup, English Jubilee Fund, FA Cup , FA Trophy , Football League Cup, Lancashire Floodlit Trophy, Lancashire Junior Cup, Lancashire League Medal Competition, Lancashire Senior Cup, League, Liverpool Senior Cup, Northern Premier League Cup, Northern Premier League Shield, PLAY OFFS , President's Cup, President's Inter League, Third Division (North) Cup, Welsh Cup,

Season Apps Subs Goals
1967/1968 43122
1968/1969 29010
Total 72 1 32

Appearances & Goals

Games where player was named on the team sheet

Date Competition Venue Opponents Score
24/01/1969 League / D3H HARTLEPOOL 3 - 0
18/01/1969 League / D3A READING 0 - 1
11/01/1969 League / D3H SWINDON TOWN 1 - 1
14/12/1968 League / D3A PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 4 - 0
07/12/1968 FA Cup / 2A DONCASTER ROVERS 1 - 2
30/11/1968 League / D3A BRISTOL ROVERS 1 - 2
22/11/1968 League / D3H CREWE ALEXANDRA 4 - 0
16/11/1968 FA Cup / 1A TRANMERE ROVERS 1 - 0
06/11/1968 League / D3A HARTLEPOOL 2 - 2
02/11/1968 League / D3A SWINDON TOWN 1 - 5
25/10/1968 League / D3H STOCKPORT COUNTY 5 - 0
19/10/1968 League / D3A BOURNEMOUTH 1 - 2
16/10/1968 Lancashire Senior Cup / 1H WIGAN ATHLETIC 1 - 0
11/10/1968 League / D3H PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 2 - 0
07/10/1968 League / D3H MANSFIELD TOWN 3 - 2
05/10/1968 League / D3A WALSALL 0 - 3
28/09/1968 League / D3A ROTHERHAM UNITED 1 - 3
20/09/1968 League / D3H GILLINGHAM 4 - 2
17/09/1968 League / D3A BARNSLEY 1 - 2
14/09/1968 League / D3A OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1 - 0
06/09/1968 League / D3H BARROW 1 - 0
02/09/1968 Football League Cup / 2H NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 - 2
30/08/1968 League / D3H ORIENT 2 - 2
26/08/1968 League / D3A MANSFIELD TOWN 1 - 3
23/08/1968 League / D3A TRANMERE ROVERS 0 - 1
19/08/1968 Football League Cup / 1RA BARROW 3 - 1
17/08/1968 League / D3H BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 2 - 3
14/08/1968 Football League Cup / 1H BARROW 2 - 2
10/08/1968 League / D3A TORQUAY UNITED 0 - 3
06/05/1968 League / D3H SCUNTHORPE UNITED 1 - 1
03/05/1968 League / D3H GRIMSBY TOWN 0 - 1
27/04/1968 League / D3A TORQUAY UNITED 2 - 2
24/04/1968 League / D3A GRIMSBY TOWN 0 - 2
19/04/1968 League / D3H READING 2 - 1
16/04/1968 League / D3A WALSALL 1 - 1
15/04/1968 League / D3H WALSALL 2 - 0
13/04/1968 League / D3A SWINDON TOWN 3 - 3
05/04/1968 League / D3H SHREWSBURY TOWN 0 - 0
01/04/1968 League / D3H PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2 - 1
30/03/1968 League / D3A BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 0 - 1
22/03/1968 League / D3H STOCKPORT COUNTY 4 - 3
15/03/1968 League / D3A TRANMERE ROVERS 2 - 0
09/03/1968 League / D3A PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0 - 1
01/03/1968 League / D3H ORIENT 0 - 0
24/02/1968 League / D3A NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 - 1
16/02/1968 League / D3H OXFORD UNITED 1 - 0
10/02/1968 League / D3A BARROW 1 - 3
03/02/1968 League / D3H BRISTOL ROVERS 2 - 1
20/01/1968 League / D3A OLDHAM ATHLETIC 0 - 2
06/01/1968 FA Cup / 2H RUNCORN 4 - 2
30/12/1967 League / D3A BURY 2 - 3
26/12/1967 League / D3H BURY 2 - 2
23/12/1967 League / D3A WATFORD 1 - 0
16/12/1967 League / D3H MANSFIELD TOWN 3 - 1
09/12/1967 FA Cup / 1H LINCOLN CITY 3 - 1
02/12/1967 League / D3H TORQUAY UNITED 0 - 2
25/11/1967 League / D3A READING 1 - 1
18/11/1967 League / D3H SWINDON TOWN 1 - 1
13/11/1967 League / D3H GILLINGHAM 4 - 1
11/11/1967 League / D3A SHREWSBURY TOWN 2 - 3
04/11/1967 League / D3H BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1 - 0
30/10/1967 League / D3A STOCKPORT COUNTY 3 - 4
23/10/1967 League / D3H BOURNEMOUTH 1 - 1
20/10/1967 League / D3H TRANMERE ROVERS 2 - 0
07/10/1967 League / D3H NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 - 3
04/10/1967 League / D3A BOURNEMOUTH 1 - 4
25/09/1967 League / D3A COLCHESTER UNITED 1 - 1
23/09/1967 League / D3A BRISTOL ROVERS 3 - 1
04/09/1967 League / D3H COLCHESTER UNITED 2 - 3
02/09/1967 League / D3A GILLINGHAM 4 - 1
26/08/1967 League / D3H WATFORD 2 - 0
23/08/1967 Football League Cup / 1A BARROW 0 - 1
19/08/1967 League / D3A MANSFIELD TOWN 2 - 4

Games where player has scored

Date Competition Venue Opponents Score
24/01/1969League / D3H HARTLEPOOL 3 - 0
14/12/1968League / D3A PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 4 - 0
22/11/1968League / D3H CREWE ALEXANDRA 4 - 0
06/11/1968League / D3A HARTLEPOOL 2 - 2
07/10/1968League / D3H MANSFIELD TOWN 3 - 2
28/09/1968League / D3A ROTHERHAM UNITED 1 - 3
20/09/1968League / D3H GILLINGHAM 4 - 2
17/09/1968League / D3A BARNSLEY 1 - 2
17/08/1968League / D3H BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 2 - 3
13/04/1968League / D3A SWINDON TOWN 3 - 3
01/04/1968League / D3H PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2 - 1
22/03/1968League / D3H STOCKPORT COUNTY 4 - 3
24/02/1968League / D3A NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1 - 1
16/02/1968League / D3H OXFORD UNITED 1 - 0
10/02/1968League / D3A BARROW 1 - 3
03/02/1968League / D3H BRISTOL ROVERS 2 - 1
06/01/1968FA Cup / 2H RUNCORN 4 - 2
30/12/1967League / D3A BURY 2 - 3
26/12/1967League / D3H BURY 2 - 2
16/12/1967League / D3H MANSFIELD TOWN 3 - 1
13/11/1967League / D3H GILLINGHAM 4 - 1
11/11/1967League / D3A SHREWSBURY TOWN 2 - 3
30/10/1967League / D3A STOCKPORT COUNTY 3 - 4
23/10/1967League / D3H BOURNEMOUTH 1 - 1
20/10/1967League / D3H TRANMERE ROVERS 2 - 0
02/09/1967League / D3A GILLINGHAM 4 - 1
26/08/1967League / D3H WATFORD 2 - 0

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