22/09/2010 : Yeovil Town Blog : A Tribute To Len Harris

22 September 2010 : A Tribute To Len Harris

We're sorry to announce that former Yeovil Town centre-back Len Harris has passed away last weekend, aged 73. Len was legendary in Glovers circles for having clocked up 691 appearances for the club - by far the most any player has managed for Yeovil since the Second World War ended, and quite possibly a record breaker in the club's entire history.

He died suddenly last Saturday, 18th September, and his funeral will be held at St John’s Church, Yeovil, on Friday 1st October at 12.30p.m. followed by internment at Yeovil Crematorium.

He played for the club between 1958 and 1972, thus being part of two separate Southern League title winning squads, and was one of a generation of loyal Yeovil Town players who clocked up thousands of appearances between them, including Alan Herrity, Dave Taylor, Bill Albury, Dave Jones and George Muir.

Yet it all started with Len almost not joining Yeovil Town, and then almost leaving in his first season. As a 22 year old, he was on the books of Crystal Palace as an apprentice, along with a friend of his called Johnny Dennis. Glovers manager Jimmy Baldwin tried to recruit the pair over the summer of 1958 and got a slightly unexpected response:

"We aren't going to Wales!"

Once Baldwin had got out a Road Atlas and persuaded the pair that the town of Yeovil was in fact in Somerset, and nowhere near Wales, both of them came down for the start of the 1958-59 season. Even then, it looked as though they wouldn't last long there - the two London boys were a long way from home and after a week of the countryside decided that they were so homesick that they wanted to go home.

What saved them was a spot of creature comforts. They both moved into the home of a lady called Mrs Vallace, who looked after them, and made sure that they settled into the area. Within months he and Dennis were part of a Glovers giant-killing as the latter scored the winning goal in an FA Cup First Round replay against Southend United, after the Glovers had held the Essex side 0-0 at Roots Hall - Harris being named as joint man of the match. The player recalled years later:

"I had just joined from Crystal Palace along with Johnny Dennis. Up at Southend we drew 0-0 but should have won and in the replay it was Johnny who got the winner from a corner."

It took him over a year to grab the first of his 26 first team goals; scored against Barry Town on November 7th 1959, and oddly brought a glut of them - four in three games and eventually five across a month of football.

Whilst his friend Dennis eventually departed, Harris stayed in Yeovil, playing under six different managers along the way. Baldwin went in 1960, and Harris remembered him fondly, but admitted that his successor Basil Hayward was a more than capable replacement:

"Jimmy Baldwin himself was always helpful and so were older pros like Harry Robshaw and Dave Topping. When Jimmy went, Basil Hayward proved to be an excellent manager. He brought a family atmosphere to the place."

Under Hayward, Len got his hands on his first bit of serious silverware - the Southern League Premier Division title in 1963-64. During the same season, he also got the chance to exact revenge upon the professional side that had let him go, as Crystal Palace came down to Huish in the Second Round of the FA Cup in December 1963, with the Londoners dispatched by a 3-1 scoreline. Unsurprisingly with both of his clubs involved, there were one or two Londoners on his side as well. Len explained:

"It was my old club, and my family came down in force. It was a wonderful day, and Palace had some big names. I was up against Cliff Holton, who was useful. But we had a great game, especially Dave Taylor who got two."

Over 10,000 fans witnessed Palace being dominated throughout, with the visiting national press proclaiming it the best they had seen from a non-league side. Len was also part of the FA Cup giant-killing sides that beat Walsall and Southend United (again) and was still playing for the Glovers when they knocked out Bournemouth and Boscombe in December 1970 in front of 11,583 at Dean Court.

In the match that followed, against Arsenal, Harris was substitute, and he was gradually winding down the number of games that he was playing for the Glovers in each season. Despite that, he was part of the club's 1970-71 Southern League Premier Division title winning side - one of only two players, along with Alan Herrity, to have been in both of the club's Southern League triumphs.

It was therefore fitting that his testimonial match was a joint affair with Herrity, with Portsmouth coming to Huish at the end of the 1971-72 season, with Harris already aware that it was to be his last season at the club, bringing down the curtain on his 14 years with the club. Despite the exit, he was fairly philosophical about the manager who pulled the plug on his career:

"Mike Hughes sacked me, but that was fair enough. I was coming up to 35 and had a good run."

His final moment in competitive football for Yeovil was to be part of the side that lifted the Western Counties Floodlit Cup, in a 2-1 win over AFC Bournemouth. He moved just a short distance away, signing for Ilminster Town and staying in the town of Yeovil for the rest of his life - not bad for someone who in 1958 didn't want to move there, and didn't want to stay there!

A final word about his 691 appearances. When you consider that our current first team manager Terry Skiverton clocked up 382 appearances as a player for the club, and that took him 10 years to achieve, it gives the measure of what that 691 figure means. Gone are the days when the club would put players up in houses and give them 'jobs for life' down in Westland, knowing that they would stay in Somerset for the rest of their lives. The country is so much more mobile, that it becomes hard to believe how any player coming into the club could beat that record. Skipper Craig Alcock has just broken through the 100 mark for his club appearances, but is starting his fifth season as a professional. Craig would probably need to stay at Huish Park for another 15 years to get near it. Is it possible to say that Len's record will never be beaten?

Link: A May 2003 Tribute To Len Harris.

Link: Yeovil Town Post-War Top Appearances.

Link: Len Harris : Yeovil Town Statistics.

Comments On This Article

Taff said ...

Sad, sad news. Another one of that great early 70's team gone. RIP Len.
23/09/2010 10:41:06

Dellboy said ...

It was golden age in which Len was central. His passing is very sad.
23/09/2010 13:43:00

Steve Sowden said ...

RIP Len: Never had the pleasure of seeing him play, but I used to bump into him regularly in recent years when he seemed to make his daily walk to Tesco in Yeovil.
Lovely chap who will be greatly missed.
23/09/2010 16:22:41

Sharon said ...

I was so sad to hear this sad news, I will miss our chats when we had when we met about the town, along with my brothers godfather Alan Herrity you will be greatly missed Len, a true Yeovil Legend.
23/09/2010 18:45:10

Pat Parle said ...

I am very sad to hear that Len has passed away, 1 knew him fairly well when I lived in Yeovil, 20 plus years ago, a realy genuine guy, aways had time to have a chat. Some of the older fans may have known him as the Caretaker at Yeovil Grammar School, a true Yeovil Town Legend. RIP Len
23/09/2010 21:16:29

Gary Smith said ...

Len's career had ended by the time I attended Yeovil School (1972-74), but he was still something of a local icon. Although the school didn't teach football, Len often watched in amusement as dozens of us practised in our lunch breaks, in the vain hope of becoming the next Dick Plumb! Nice fella. :o)
27/09/2010 16:04:26

Steve V said ...

Len is well remembered from his time as groundsman when I was at Yeovil School, where he kept the pitches (for playing rugby and cricket) in excellent condition. A big man in so many ways, with a record that can never be repeated!
27/09/2010 16:14:40

stokegreen said ...

I got to know Len on a personal level when he was with Ilminster Town. I played Sunday league football in those days and as I knew a lot of the Ilminster players I used to train with them at the rec. Imagine the thrill to be receiving and giving the ball to one of my boyhood heroes from Huish. Above all though it was Len's attitude and personality that stood out; he always had a word of encouragement or an 'unlucky' if a pass went astray and by his example I picked up quite a few tips from a real 'Gent'. Thanks for some great memories Len.
27/09/2010 18:15:07

Bill N said ...

I remember Len along side my mate Paul Smith. What a gent, always time for supporters, great company in a truly great team late 60's on to early 70's. Really miss you Len. RIP
29/09/2010 00:20:37

graham thomas said ...

I was at Yeovil School when Len was caretaker. He was a wonderful gentle man who I got to know well as he became friends with my mother and father. Always used to bring away programmes into school on the Monday for me. RIP LEN.
30/09/2010 13:43:18

jill sparrow(nee Vallace) said ...

A very sad loss of a very genuine nice guy. As he lodged with my Mother I spent many happy times in his company, we had a lot of fun together.
My thoughts are with his wife and family at this time
Jill Sparrow
04/10/2010 11:38:09

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