ERIC HARRISON The man with the golden touch
One of the mainstays of Don McEvoy's side from 1966 to 1969, and again in 1971-72, was defensive midfielder Eric Harrison. Since leaving Barrow he has had an incredibly successful career as youth coach at Everton and finally Manchester United, where he has been responsible for developing the talents of the Neville brothers, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham. Although he will always be remembered for his role in coaching these stars through their formative years in the United youth team, Eric Harrison also played a big part in the careers of two other United legends, Mark Hughes and Norman Whiteside. Eric recently published his autobiography, 'The View from the Dugout', and its launch at Old Trafford was attended by many with strong links to Barrow AFC, including Brian Arrowsmith, Dave Worthington, Billy McAdams and Colin Appleton plus current director John Bassett, groundsman Dave Shepherd and match programme contributor Darren Gardner. Eric is now semi-retired, yet he still keeps himself busy by coaching three nights a week with the fifteen and sixteen year olds at United, scouting at weekends, coaching kids in the school holidays, as well as being assistant manager to Mark Hughes for the Wales international squad. And when he gets time off he comes up to Barrow for a round of golf with Brian Arrowsmith. So, we thought, why not get Eric to spill the beans for us? Where did you start your football career? I started with Halifax Town, my hometown club, and moved from there to Hartlepool United. Not long after I'd arrived they appointed a new manager, Brian Clough, who moulded much of my coaching philosophy. He was one of the youngest managers in the League at the time, but he was still blunt, aggressive, volatile, arrogant and downright rude. But he earned respect. He was capable of great kindness, compassion and warmth. He could make half decent players into good ones and good players into great ones. How did you come to join Barrow? I'd first met Don McEvoy when he'd been my coach at Halifax in the early sixties. I knew he'd moved back to Barrow as manager and could see what he was trying to achieve. So when I was at Hartlepool I approached Don and joined Barrow for the start of the 1966-67 season. What were your first impressions of Barrow? I liked the football club and the town. What was Don McEvoy like as a manager? He was a good manager and was able to get the best from the players and, more importantly, get them to play as a team and for each other. But they were good players anyway. Did you expect the success of promotion in 1966-67, in your first season with the club? Yes, because we had such good players. What do you remember of the game against Brentford that clinched the promotion place? Relief that we'd done it! There was a huge crowd, a great atmosphere, but the pressure was incredible. And of the two Southampton FA Cup ties? We played well in both games and should have won the first one at Holker Street. Who was the best player at Barrow whilst you were there? Fred Else. He was a superb goalkeeper and had this incredible awareness, almost a sixth sense as to where the ball was going to go. Were you worried about how the team would do in Division Three, or did you expect them to do well? I expected the team to do well. What was Colin Appleton like as a manager? Excellent. Another good man manager and motivator. He continued the good work that Don McEvoy had started and had he not had to retire through ill health I'm sure there would have been more successes at Barrow. When Colin Appleton left he was replaced by Norman Bodell. Any memories of him? Yes. Brian Clough, who'd been my manager at Hartlepool before I joined Barrow got in touch. He wanted me at Derby County as youth team coach but Norman Bodell wouldn't let me go. You left Barrow at the end of the 1968-69 season, Barrow's second in Division Three. Why did you leave? Don McEvoy wanted me at Southport. You came back to Barrow for the 1971-72 season, which was our last in the Football League. It must have been very different to the club you'd joined five years earlier. Yes it was. Totally different. It wasn't a good season and there was a lot going on away from the football. There was a speedway team using Holker Street and the pitch had been moved to accommodate it, and the corners had to be re-laid for each home game. But we nearly escaped re-election. I think we needed two points or something. It was very close. Were you surprised when Barrow lost their Football League status? I was absolutely staggered. There was always the chance that the bottom team might not get re-elected, but even that was rare in those days. But for the team who were third from bottom not to get re-election, well I don't think it had ever happened before or since. We were all shocked. You scored three goals in your 187 appearances for Barrow. Do you remember them? Was it that many? No, I don't remember them at all. I very rarely went over the halfway line. Where did your playing career take you after leaving Barrow in 1972? First Scarborough, then after I retired from playing I joined the coaching staff at Everton. As I settled in at Goodison I was privileged to get to know Bill Shankly. He'd retired as Liverpool's manager by then but he lived in a house overlooking Everton's training ground. He'd call in for a chat and a cup of tea. He once told me to get the groundsman to mark out eight white lines, about twenty-five yards long, on various parts of the training ground. Then get a player to stand at each end of the line and tell them to pass the ball to one another. They had to do it until they were sending the ball absolutely straight down the line. Bill said if they can't pass the ball straight they can't play football. When and how did you come to join Manchester United? In 1981 I was first team coach at Everton under Gordon Lee. But the directors sacked him and brought in Howard Kendall, who decided to appoint his own assistant, Mick Heaton. I couldn't stay on under those circumstances, although Howard did tell me not to be so hasty. Fortunately, Ron Atkinson wanted me to be youth team manager at Manchester United. What do you think of the way the game is played nowadays compared to when you were playing? It's a lot quicker than it was in my day. Do you think the youngsters you've developed at Old Trafford are getting too much money? Yes. It doesn't help because there is so much money in the game from TV contracts and it's all going straight out again in huge wage bills. It's crippling the clubs and hurting the players. Why have Manchester United been so successful in developing their youth players where other Premiership clubs appear not to have been? Because we have worked harder than most other clubs. Do you think the recent changes to the transfer system are a good idea? No. What do you think of all the foreign players in the English game? Is it good for the game's development? No. Who is the best player you've developed? Well, the truthful answer is I still don't know. Most people might think it was David Beckham, of course. That lad can do anything with a football and he seems to have had the ball at his feet since I first set eyes on him as a schoolboy. But he had to be nursed along a bit from about sixteen or seventeen because his physique was changing dramatically. He literally shot up in size. As a result the stamina was still there, he can run all day, but the strength was not. It led to him becoming frustrated because he wasn't progressing as fast as some of the others and I needed a few one to one chats with him to keep him going. Finally he went from a skinny kid to a broad shouldered, six footer and now he's a midfielder of true world class. He deserves it all. He has to tolerate abuse from mindless morons yet never turns down a polite request for an autograph. But the most exciting player I've produced is Ryan Giggs. For running with the ball Ryan is up there with the best in Europe. When he was younger I always felt he needed challenging. He is a brave lad but can be a bit quiet. I've given him rollickings before now because I wasn't satisfied with his contribution and his face always told me how stung he was. But Ryan is now a player who is mentally strong and has plenty of bottle. Thanks for your time, Eric. Issue 049 - May 2001