Peter Harris Centenary

Peter Harris holds a very special place in the hearts of those who saw him play during his Pompey career from 1946-1959.  Many will tell you that Peter was the player they all wanted to watch as he sped past Full Backs and scored his 194 League goals a Pompey record that will probably never be broken.

Above we have a rare picture of Peter at school as captain of Milton School where he started playing in a career that would end with two Championship medals and two England caps - the first Portsmouth School's boy to achieve an international honour.

Schoolboy career

Peter showed early promise when attending Milton school that was a great training ground for young footballers and in 1936/37 he was a member of the side was successful in winning the ‘Supporters Cip’ and the Primary League Division 1.

He then moved to Meon Road where the side achieved further triumphs in 1937/38 winning the ‘Evening News’ Cup and were runners up in the Intermediate League.

It was in 1938/39 that Peter achieved representative honours with the Portsmouth Boys side against Eastleigh, Windsor and Eton and Reading.  Curiously Peter was selected at Inside left in those games.  He also captained the South of Portsmouth side which won the annual Despatch Cup match against the North of Portsmouth.

There is no doubt that Peter would have won even more honours but for the outbreak of war in September 1939 when all schoolboy football was suspended.  At the end of the war Peter had spells at Airspeed and Gosport Borough before signing for Pompey and settling in on the right wing as a natural successor to Fred Worrall who had made that position his own playing over 300 games and scoring 74 goals during the 1930s.

Early days

Peter caught the selectors eyes appearing for the FA XI against the Combined Services at Fratton Park in 1946 was chosen for the Football League against The League of Eire in 1949 and the Irish League in 1950

Full international debut the Eire at Goodison Park in September 1949 and would have won many more if it were not a certain Stanley Matthews.

In a message to Schoolboy players in the Schools Association handbook of 1951/52 Peter said “Some of my happiest footballing days were spent playing Schoolboy Football and I shall never forget those early days which were to mean so much to me in the years ahead.  Best wishes to you all for a happy season and may your Saturday mornings be as happy as mine were.”