Joe Haverty

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

According to todays Guardian our former left winger Joe Haverty died on the 7th of this month. Joe was a Jack Marshall signing from Arsenal who came for the reasonably large sum of £ 20,000 in August of 1961 to replace the populat Ally McCleod. Although Joe was an established Eire international and a great favourite at Highbury he sadly never really shone at Ewood and was allowed to leave Rovers for Millwall at a nominal fee in September 1962. He played 27 games for Rovers and scored 1 goal. His replacement, Mike Harrison, was a bit more successful.

Joe played in the first Rovers game I attended ( Home v Sheff Utd , Sept 30th 1961 ) , Our forward line that day was Crowe , England, Lawther, Douglas and Haverty. Douglas at 5ft 6ins towered over Joe who was only 5ft 3ins tall !

R.I.P. Joe. and condolences to his family.

[den]

That's sad to hear. I remember Joe as a [as you said] very small, "jinking" [for want of a better word] player. You're right Tyrone, he never really made the best of his days at Ewood, but he is a player I'll never forget.

From Joe Haverty's full Wiki entry.:

"In 2000 he was inaugurated into the Football Association of Ireland's Hall of Fame. He died on 7 February 2009, in London, aged 72."

Real shame. Best wishes to his family.

Edited February 24, 2009 by den

[thenodrog]

I don't rem him but Mike Harrison was my earliest hero.

Edited February 24, 2009 by thenodrog

[den]

I don't rem him but Mike Harrison was my earliest hero.

Ever been on the ground tour and heard Ronnie Clayton telling the story of Mike Harrison marrying a gorgeous Brazilian bird?

[thenodrog]

Ever been on the ground tour and heard Ronnie Clayton telling the story of Mike Harrison marrying a gorgeous Brazilian bird?

No Den...... In Ronnies absence you have the floor.

Edited February 25, 2009 by thenodrog

[FourLaneBlue]

Ever been on the ground tour and heard Ronnie Clayton telling the story of Mike Harrison marrying a gorgeous Brazilian bird?

Stop teasing us den and tell us the story!

[aussie odg]

hi tyrone

i remember joe i moved to blackburn in 1960,but didnt mike england play in the back line or was that later,i came to australia in 67 chris crowe came out i played with him in sydney a team called auburn.condolences to his family no matter who you are or who you play for it is sad

[den]

Stop teasing us den and tell us the story!

Oh sorry, - that is the story. - although, apparently she's a lot younger than him and is quite a looker. Still in touch with RC as well, I believe.

[OscarRaven]

Oh sorry, - that is the story. - although, apparently she's a lot younger than him and is quite a looker. Still in touch with RC as well, I believe.

Must be the Ronnie tells it then...

[tonyoz]

Yes, Joe was one of the first players to sign little my autograph book................. Mike Harrison was one of my heroes too -took a mean penalty.

[67splitscreen]

Condolences to his family.

Wish we had a pair of wingers now like Harrison and Ferguson.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Condolences to his family.

Wish we had a pair of wingers now like Harrison and Ferguson.

Just one of them would do me, either would be a massive improvement. Harrison was the best penalty taker I've seen at Ewood and that includes Shearer.

[67splitscreen]

Just one of them would do me, either would be a massive improvement. Harrison was the best penalty taker I've seen at Ewood and that includes Shearer.

Yep! the ball and the keeper in the back of net was a nice sight. (big, big thighs if I remember correct)

Sorry, must keep this thread on topic.

Edited February 26, 2009 by 67splitscreen

[bazza]

Wish we had Joe Haverty on the left wing now!

Yes, Mike Harrison had huge thigh muscles, took a mean penalty kick, but I still remember his back pass to an out-of-position Fred Else when the ball rolled ever so slowly into the goal at the Blackburn End towards me.

[den]

Yes, Mike Harrison had huge thigh muscles, took a mean penalty kick,

Wasn't he measured as having the hardest shot in football?

[IAN57]

I remember Joe Haverty signing from Arsenal. 'nippy winger' sums him up right.

He signed the only picture I had of him anyway.

RIP Joe.

[aussie odg]

hi den

think you will find peter lorrimor at leeds had the hardest shot,was it harrisson or ferguson who scored that goal,against villa i think it was beat 3 or4 players then walked round the keeper,i lived in blackburn in the 60s so some great games.

[jim mk2]

hi den

think you will find peter lorrimor at leeds had the hardest shot,was it harrisson or ferguson who scored that goal,against villa i think it was beat 3 or4 players then walked round the keeper,i lived in blackburn in the 60s so some great games.

Mike Ferguson dribbled round the entire Villa defence and walked the ball in the net. 2-2 draw if I recall but might be wrong.

Remember seeing Harrison coming out of the bookshop at Sudell Cross and get in his brand new VW Beetle. Stylish chap and good player for Rovers - strange running style with his head going backwards and forwards.

[47er]

I remember being on holiday at some caravan site when I read in the papers we'd signed him. An Arsenal supporter also on holiday told me what a great buy this was. It wasn't! Although Haverty's legs moved so fast they disappeared he never actually got anywhere because he was so small! Crowd liked him because he always looked so busy but in reality it was a bad signing.

[thenodrog]

Wasn't he measured as having the hardest shot in football?

Harrison could really leather the ball with little apparent effort but just how would they measure that in the 60's?

I rem they made a big fuss with the latest technology in the 74 world cup when it was found by freeze frame cameras that Lorimer of LUFC had the hardest shot in world football.

[den]

Harrison could really leather the ball with little apparent effort but just how would they measure that in the 60's?

I rem they made a big fuss with the latest technology in the 74 world cup when it was found by freeze frame cameras that Lorimer of LUFC had the hardest shot in world football.

It's just one of those things that sticks in my mind Theno. I'm sure there was a competition organised, whereby some of the players had the speed of their shots measured. Now it could be that someone like Peter Lorrimer did win it, but I'm also fairly sure that Mike Harrison took part.

- and come on, it was the 60's - not the 1800's. Jeez, they probably had speed camera's even then!