Peter Harris - life after football

Peter Harris - the life after football

In present times most players of Peter's ilk could retire in some luxury but not in 1959 with the maximum wage structure still in place so Peter once recovered applied for jobs in football to no success

Peter had little option but to back 'on his tools' after leaving Pompey but was sadly made redundant.  Looking for other options he for a holiday camp on Hayling Island organising the sporting events. 

A benefit game in September 1960 eased him into retirement and in the 1960s he would be come a mainstay of the Pompey Ex-Professionals XI, supported by his wife Sylvia. The couple lived in Hayling Island until his death in January 2003.

Harris is undoubtedly the greatest Portsmouth-born footballer. Not only is he the club’s record career-total goalscorer with more than 500 games to his name, but he played for England and was twice a champion of England.

That is the reason why, when in 2024, the Pompey History Society had the opportunity to purchase his two championship medals, it was felt it was an opportunity not to be passed up.

15 months later, its campaign to raise £25,000 to buy the two medals has been a success and, today, they will be placed in the club’s trophy cabinet in a ceremony in the Boardroom, led by society executive chair Mick Comben and club CEO Andy Cullen.

Early in 2026 the society plans to put the medals on public display in the Portsmouth City Museum & Art Gallery, with other items from the Harris archive, with the long-term aim of creating a permanent display at Fratton Park.

I would like to thank the following

for their help and assistance in preparing this story of Peter’s life -

Jake Payne

Ed Small

Roger Holmes

Pompeyrama.com

Pat Neil (always missed)

Roger Higgins

Paul Boynton

Colin Farmery

Members of the Pompey History Society