Legends
Ron Harris
- Name
- Ron Harris
- Years at Chelsea
- 1961–1980
- Position
- Defender
- Honours
- FA Cup: 1969–70 (captain)
- UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup: 1970–71 (captain)
- League Cup: 1964–65
- FA Youth Cup: 1961
- Club-record 795 appearances
Ron Harris won the FA Youth Cup with Chelsea in 1961 and made his first-team debut in February 1962. He was not the most gifted of his generation. He was the hardest, the most consistent and the one who was never missing. They called him ‘Chopper’, and the forwards of the era knew why.
He played 795 games for Chelsea, 657 in the league and 64 in the FA Cup, a club record nobody in the modern era has come near. He was captain in 324 of them and served under seven managers.
In 1967 he became the youngest captain in an FA Cup final. Chelsea lost to Tottenham, but three years later, after the replay against Leeds at Old Trafford, he was the man who lifted Chelsea’s first FA Cup. In 1971, in Athens, he lifted the Cup Winners’ Cup too. He had also won the 1965 League Cup.
His last game was a 3–0 win over Oldham on 3 May 1980. He then moved to Brentford as player-coach.
At Stamford Bridge Harris is the measure of loyalty. We don’t remember his goals; we remember that he was always there.
Sources
- Chelsea FC — Leading appearance-makers (795 appearances, captain in 324, seven managers)
- Chelsea FC — Remember when… final day 1980 (his last game, 3–0 v Oldham)
- Wikipedia — List of Chelsea F.C. players (795 apps / 14 goals)
- Wikipedia — Ron Harris (1962 debut, captaincy, 1967, 1970 and 1971 finals, Brentford)