Peter Harris the Early Days

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 193 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.

Peter was born in Portsmouth on 19 December 1925 and spent his early years living with his parents at 33 Bransbury Road, Eastney.

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 that was successful in winning the ‘Supporters Cup’ and the Primary League Division 1.

He then moved up 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 then 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 being recommended by former player Harold Crawshaw 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.

Peter also served in the Home Guard towards the end of the war being based in the Southsea Common area.  Fan Tony Thatcher tells the story in the Champions of England book – ‘my idol was Peter Harris.  During the war my dad went to join the RAF but was told he had to stay working in the Dockyard so he joined the Home Guard. A youthful Peter was also in the Home Guard and in his uniform would come to our house to join my dad and the local cobbler, the three of them would cycle to Southsea Common. Peter would often give me sixpence.’

In a message to Schoolboy players in the Schools Association handbook of 1951/52 “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 morning be as happy as mine were.”