Five Minute History: Ron Harris
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Harris’ Chelsea Career
Harris had an incredible career at Chelsea.
In 1961 Chopper had his first taste of silverware winning the FA Youth Cup against Everton. He did so alongside eventual senior teammate and Barcelona gaffer, Terry Venables.
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Ron Harris made his senior team debut for Chelsea the following season in the Second Division. His rise to the senior team was a plan orchestrated by then manager Tommy Docherty who was attempting to rebuild the club through its youth ranks. Docherty’s rebuilding saw Harris come to the fore alongside Chelsea legends such as Peter “The Cat” Bonetti, Bobby Tambling, and the King of Stamford Bridge Peter Osgood.
Harris’ first senior team honours came in 1965 when Chelsea defeated Leicester City 3-2 in the League Cup. The following season saw Harris earn the captain’s armband and set the record of youngest captain to lead out a side in an FA Cup Final, a final that Chelsea would ultimately lose to Tottenham.
1970 was a banner year for Chelsea. The King’s Road club won the 1970 FA Cup Final against Leeds United in what is remembered as an iconic and grueling two-legged four hour affair (you can watch the match in its entirety here). It was a meeting of intense rivals, uncompromising play, and hard challenges. The first leg was played on a pitch that had been cut to pieces by the Horse of the Year Show a week prior, conditions so bad that the FA had to move the second leg to Old Trafford.
The FA Cup final saw levels of aggression in football you would never see today. Leeds defender Jackie Charlton headbutted Peter Osgood, Mick Jones shoulder-charged Peter Bonetti into his own net, and Norman Hunter and Ian Hutchinson got into a fist fight.
Ron Harris? He neutralized Leeds winger Eddie Gray with a ‘late challenge’ by way of a kick to the back of the knee.
Surprisingly, no one was sent off, nobody dove, and there were no FA inquires after the match. Although a 1997 review of the match concluded that in the modern era of football the match would have seen six red cards and 20 yellow cards between the two sides.
The 1970 FA Cup win provided Chelsea with a berth in the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners Cup. Harris captained the side to the final against Real Madrid which saw Chelsea emerge victorious and Harris raising Chelsea’s first European honours in Greece.
In subsequent seasons Chelsea would finish as runners-up in domestic cup competitions and have a yo-yo string of promotion and relegation seasons in the mid-to-late 1970s. While other players left for various reasons, Ron Harris remained through the highs and lows remaining captain until an 18-year-old Ray Wilkins took the armband.
He finished his playing career with Chelsea in 1980, appearing a record 795 times for his boyhood club. Harris also holds Chelsea records for the most League, League Cup and FA Cup appearances, 655, 48, and 64 respectively. Records that still stand to this day.
Next: Why the nickname Chopper?