Five Minute History: Ron Harris
Why the nickname Chopper?
If for no other reason Ron Harris’ nickname was descriptive of his style of play. Before the advent of rules that would see technical forwards gain greater protection from defenders, the 1960s and 70s saw defenders frequently employ the scything tackle to chop down opposing players.
It was said if he was in a good mood, he’d put iodine on his studs
Chopper was a tackling Rembrandt.
He was unflinching and uncompromising on the pitch with the ability to stay on his feet and put enormous amounts of pressure on players. For Chopper, players on the pitch were transitory whereas the ball was not. The adage from his manager Tommy Docherty was “if it moves, kick it”, and he did. Chopper would win tackles with the strength it would take to run through a brick wall and move the ball on to his teammates with precision. His ability to take possession back and effectively seal out crucial players on the opposing team made him a part of a generation of defenders that could intimidate forwards before the first whistle of a match.
A Ron Harris tackle was every bit psychological as it was physical. In his own words;
"“Every side had a similar type of player to what I was, that won the ball in the tackle, put some stick about, most likely put the fear of Christ up 90% of the forwards and it went on from there.”"
Chopper was loyal to his manager and to his teammates, his unwavering defending an extension of his devotion and a show of his immense capability to motivate and lead his squad.
What is Ron Harris doing now?
In his retirement Ron Harris is still as straightforward as he was during his career on the pitch.
He works in hospitality for the Chelsea leading the occasional Legends Tour at Stamford Bridge. He’s worked as a pundit, contributing to numerous newspapers and television programmes throughout the years.
I’m a fan of Harris’ punditry, specifically how he and many other defenders from his era have come to criticize footballers for diving and whining after challenges. Harris and ‘Anfield Iron’ Tommy Smith met prior to the 2012 FA Cup Final. While the two disagreed on who would be lifting silverware after 90 minutes, the two were in lockstep that players in the present era go down to easily and fail to respect referees after being challenged.
In a number of ways, literal and figurative, Harris left his mark on Chelsea, football, and a number of footballers during his 20+ year career in England.
I’ll close with another quote from the man himself, Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris.
"“Blimey football: it used to be a man’s game, didn’t it?’ And don’t get me started on tackling. I mean, this law about sending off someone if they show their studs in the tackle. Excuse me, if you slide in how are you not going to show your studs? It’s not physically possible.”"