'Gray up. Sharp up. Heath up. Now can Harper make it? Yes he
can!!’
Thus went the commentary on 3rd March 1984 as
Alan Harper finished off a great Everton move to score an unforgettable
equaliser against Liverpool with just a few minutes to go. It is one of those
moments that most Everton fans think of when we mention his name.
A similar moment came in the 1986 FA Cup Semi Final when he
ran on to a Derek Mountfield pass to give Everton the lead against Sheffield
Wednesday. That was a game in which he had come off the bench to replace the
injured Trevor Steven. Coming off the bench was a feature of his career which
is why his heroics are often unsung.
Alan was another of those Everton players who started life
across Stanley Park at Liverpool. He failed to break into the first team there
and joined Everton in 1983 just as Howard Kendall’s great team was coming
together. He joined as a right back and it was unfortunate for him that Gary
Stevens, one of Everton’s greatest all-time defenders soon made that position
his own. As with many unsung heroes he also suffered from his own versatility.
His ability in different positions meant that his main contribution was in
covering for missing colleagues, often as substitute.
He still managed to chalk up 15 appearances in the great
1984/85 season – 5 as substitute. This rose to 30 in the 1985/86 season with 6
as substitute.
But his greatest contribution was in the 1986/87 season when
the title was regained. I have to say that this was the most satisfying
of league titles. Everton might have lacked the flowing style of the 1970 and
1985 sides. But they also suffered a series of injuries which ruled out key
players for almost the whole season. It was a title won on the back of grit,
determination and no little skill! Never
was there a greater need for a ‘utility player’. It felt like Harper played in
most positions at different times. He
started 29 league games with 7 more as substitute. Whenever or wherever he
played he gave 110% for the Everton cause.
The following quote sums up his dedication –
“Z Cars started playing on the PA
and I heard the crowd roar. If I could bottle a moment and save it forever,
then that’d be it.”
He was never a prolific striker but those he did score were as
memorable as they were important. To the two mentioned above we have to add the
spectacular 30 yard winner against Chelsea which edged us ahead of the
Liverpool in the chase for the 1987 title – just a few moments after a
brilliant Neville Southall save had thwarted the opposition at the other end!
Alan Harper is not often mentioned when we talk about the 1980s
achievements. He is often overlooked – perhaps understandable alongside Reid,
Gray, Sharp, Sheedy, Southall and Co.
But those great teams would have all the
less effective for his contribution. And this is why he deserves his place among the parade of unsung heroes!
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