Joe Harper (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Montgomery Harper | ||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1948 | ||
| Place of birth | Greenock, Scotland | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1963–1967 | Morton | 45 | (36) |
| 1967–1968 | Huddersfield Town | 28 | (4) |
| 1968–1969 | Morton | 40 | (29) |
| 1969–1972 | Aberdeen | 102 | (68) |
| 1972–1974 | Everton | 43 | (12) |
| 1974–1976 | Hibernian | 69 | (26) |
| 1976–1981 | Aberdeen | 105 | (57) |
| 1981–1982 | Peterhead | ||
| 1982–1984 | Keith | ||
| Total | 432 | (232) | |
| National team | |||
| 1969 | Scottish League XI | 1 | (2) |
| 1972–1978 | Scotland | 4 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1981–1982 | Peterhead | ||
| –1990 | Huntly | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
|||
Joseph Montgomery Harper (born 11 January 1948) is a Scottish former footballer from Greenock, mainly remembered for his two spells with Aberdeen, during which he became the club's record goalscorer.
Harper started his professional career with home-town club Morton, and returned to the club after a brief, unhappy spell with Huddersfield Town. He had at times a difficult relationship with some Morton supporters, but most fans recognised his ability and enthusiasm.
In 1969, Aberdeen manager Eddie Turnbull paid £40,000 to sign Harper for Aberdeen and in his first season with the Dons he helped them win the Scottish Cup for the second time in their history. Harper opened the scoring from the penalty spot as overwhelming pre-match favourites Celtic were defeated 3–1. He rapidly developed a reputation as a prodigious goalscorer and following a record-breaking haul of 33 goals in 34 league games in the 1971–72 season was the subject of much interest from English scouts.
Everton paid £180,000 for his services in December 1972 but his time in English football was not as productive as his Pittodrie spell and he returned to Scotland with Hibernian in early 1974, for the second time signed by Eddie Turnbull who had by this stage moved to Easter Road. Overweight and unfit when he arrived at Hibs, Harper struggled to rediscover his Aberdeen-era form in Edinburgh, though he did score a hat-trick in the 1975–76 League Cup final. However John "Dixie" Deans also scored a hat-trick that day, and Celtic defeated Hibs 6–3. Harper was never a favourite with the Hibs fans, and his arrival signalled the beginning of the decline of the team's fortunes through the late 1970s and 1980s.
...
Wikipedia