Harkins: John Anderson (John)

1910-1912 (Leeds City Player Details)

Right Half

Born: Musselburgh, Midlothian: 10-04-1881

Debut: v Blackpool (h): 03-09-1910

5’9” 11st 6lb (1910)

John Harkins had chosen the Army as his career signing up on 8th June 1898, when he was barely seventeen. He was serving his time in the Black Watch Regiment and representing them at football, when he caught the eye of First Division Middlesbrough during an appearance for his regiment against Celtic in a Scottish Cup-tie or Friendly. So impressed were the Tees-siders that they bought Harkins out of the Army on the 19th September 1906 for £25. He soon made the Middlesbrough first team, making his debut in a 0-3 defeat by Newcastle United at Ayresome Park on 20th October 1906 and went on to play thirty League games at Left Half in his first season of 1906-07 and also played twice in the F.A. Cup in his first season at Ayresome Park and played a further nine League games, until his final League appearance on 7th December 1907 in a 0-2 defeat at Ayresome Park by Bury in the First Division. That brought his League appearances to thirty-nine and his F.A. Cup games to two, or forty-one in all games, before leaving to join Non-League Broxburn Athletic soon after and then was once more on the move, this time to Bathgate in 1909. He was brought back into League football by Leeds City in August 1910, with the Leeds Mercury describing him as "A player of whom much is hoped." He was immediately given his first team debut and he was a regular for that campaign, missing just seven games. Harkins was just as consistent in 1911-12, but faded out of the picture following the arrival of Herbert Chapman who replaced Frank Scott-Walford as manager at the end of that season. He signed for North Eastern League team, Darlington, in 1912, but appears to have only made eight appearances F.A. Cup for them. As they were North Eastern League Champions 1912-13 it quite likely that no record is available for his League games there as they were a Non-League club. Two years later he joined Coventry City, then managed by his former Leeds boss Frank Scott-Walford. His record shows that he played eighteen League games and scored one goal. He made his debut for Coventry in opening game of the Second Division of the Southern League on 5th September 1914 in a 1-3 defeat by Brentford at Griffin Park. On 28th November 1914 he scored the eigth goal in a 10-1 landslide win in the home game with Newport County in his tenth appearance for Coventry City and went on to play his eighteenth and final League appearance on 5th April 1915 in a 0-0 home draw with Swansea Town. He also played in Coventry's only F.A. Cup tie that season. Soon after the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914, Harkins re-enlisted in the Black Watch. He was serving as an acting corporal when he was killed in action near Amarah, Iraq on 22nd April 1916. He was buried in Amara War Cemetery.