Tony Harper

Tony Harper

Personal information
Full name	Anthony Frederick Harper
Date of birth	(1925-05-26)26 May 1925
Place of birth	Oxford, England
Date of death
Place of death	Bullingdon, Oxfordshire, England
Position(s)	Wing half, inside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Headington United
1948–1955	Brentford	173	(6)
1955–1959	Headington United	136	(6)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Anthony Frederick "Tony" Harper was an English football wing half who made over 170 appearances in the Football League for Brentford.

Club career

Headington United

Harper began his career at Spartan League hometown club Headington United, departing the club in March 1948.

Brentford

Harper signed for Division Two side Brentford in March 1948. He began his time with the Bees as an inside forward and made his debut in a 2-1 defeat to Leicester City at Griffin Park on 15 September 1948. Harper missed the entire 1949/50 season through illness but broke into the team in the 1950/51 season as a wing half, forming a celebrated half back line with Ron Greenwood and Jimmy Hill. He made a career-high 41 appearances during the 1951/52 season and held his place until Ken Coote began to establish himself in the wing half position. Harper played on until the 1954/55 season, dropping into the reserves in the latter stages of the campaign. He departed Brentford in the summer of 1955, having made 188 appearances and scored seven goals in his seven years with the club.

Return to Headington United

Harper returned to Headington United in the summer of 1955. He made over 130 Southern League appearances before retiring in 1959.

Personal life

After having trouble commuting from his Oxford home, Harper stayed in a club house in Hounslow with teammate Ted Gaskell and his wife, eventually moving into the house next door.