Jim Harvey

For the American football player, see Jim Harvey (American football).
Jim Harvey
Personal information
Full nameJames Harvey[1]
Date of birth2 May 1958[1]
Place of birthLurgan, Northern Ireland
Playing positionMidfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1974–1977Glenavon?(?)
1977–1980Arsenal3(0)
1980–1987Hereford United278(38)
1987Bristol City3(0)
1987→ Wrexham (loan)6(0)
1987–1992Tranmere Rovers184(18)
1992–1993Crewe Alexandra17(0)
1993Southport7(0)
1993–1994Chester City0(0)
1994Morecambe4(0)
Total502(57)
National team
1978Northern Ireland U211(0)
Teams managed
1994–2005Morecambe
2006–2009Forest Green Rovers
2009–2010Chester City
2010–2013Stalybridge Celtic
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

James "Jim" Harvey (born 2 May 1958) is a Northern Irish football manager and former player.

Playing career

As a player, Harvey began his career at Glenavon in his hometown of Lurgan, before joining Arsenal in 1977. He made only three Football League appearances and one UEFA Cup appearance in three years, with his debut coming against Derby County on 9 May 1978.

Harvey moved to Hereford United in 1980, where he made 278 league appearances. He had a brief spell at Bristol City and then on loan to Wrexham, before moving to Tranmere Rovers in 1987; there he played 239 matches, scoring 19 goals, and became club captain. At Tranmere, he was the playmaker for a team who gained two promotions and won the Football League Trophy final in 1990.

Spells at Crewe Alexandra, Southport and Chester City (youth coach) followed, and he finished his playing career as player-manager at Morecambe.

Managerial career

Harvey joined Morecambe as player-manager in July 1994 and led them into the Football Conference in 1996. In 1998 he managed Morecambe to the Conference League Cup title, beating Woking in the Final. He also led Morecambe to second place in the Conference in 2003, before being defeated on a penalty shootout in the semi-final against Dagenham & Redbridge. He also served as assistant manager to long-time friend Sammy McIlroy when McIlroy was in charge of the Northern Ireland national team.

Harvey suffered a heart attack before a league match against Cambridge United in November 2005.[2] Whilst Harvey was given time off to recuperate, McIlroy was installed as caretaker manager. McIlroy took Morecambe into the play-offs during Harvey's absence, and on Harvey's first day back after his illness in May 2006, he was sacked with McIlroy being installed as permanent manager in his place.[3] Harvey's sacking from Morecambe has led to serious animosity between the two former friends and colleagues; they refused to shake hands when Harvey's Forest Green side met McIlroy's Morecambe at Christie Park in November 2006.

After spending the pre-season coaching at Crewe Alexandra, in September 2008, Harvey replaced Gary Owers to become Forest Green Rovers' seventh manager in nine seasons.[4] He took over a team, bottom of the Conference with just 2 points from the first six games and led them to safety with a game to spare. In his second season as Forest Green boss he led the club to its highest ever league finish of 8th in the Conference National under his guidance. He then led the club to the third round of the FA Cup in his third season at Forest Green where they narrowly lost 4–3 to Championship side Derby County.[5][6] In the same season he took Forest Green into the Conference League Cup Final following a 1–0 away win at Ebbsfleet United in the semi finals however Forest Green lost in the final to AFC Telford United 0–3 on penalties after the game finished goalless.[7] He left the club in August 2009.[8]

On 6 October 2009, Harvey was appointed manager of Chester City until the end of the 2009–10 season, where he had previously been part of the coaching staff in the mid-1990s.[9] [10] However Harvey resigned in January 2010 because of uncertainty regarding his future.[11] On 12 February 2010 Harvey was appointed manager of Stalybridge Celtic in the Conference North. He left the club in October 2013.[12]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hugman, Barry J. (2005). The PFA Premier & Football League Players' Records 1946–2005. Queen Anne Press. p. 273. ISBN 1-85291-665-6.
  2. ↑ "Shock for Morecambe as Harvey suffers heart attack". Telegraph. 15 November 2005.
  3. ↑ "Harvey leaves Morecambe". BBC Lancashire. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  4. ↑ "Rovers appoint Harvey". BBC Gloucestershire. 7 September 2006.
  5. ↑ "Forest Green Rovers 3–4 Derby County". BBC Sport. 3 January 2009.
  6. ↑ "Forest Green to play Derby at their own game". Telegraph. 30 December 2008.
  7. ↑ "Setanta Shield results 2008/09". BBC Sport. 9 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "Harvey leaves Rovers". Non-League Daily. 5 August 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  9. ↑ Wheelock, Paul (6 October 2009). "Jim Harvey confirmed as Chester City boss". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  10. ↑ "Chester name Harvey as new boss". BBC Sport. 6 October 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2009.
  11. ↑ "Boss Harvey resigns from Chester". BBC News. 11 January 2010. Retrieved 6 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Former Forest Green boss Harvey leaves Stalybridge Celtic". Stroud News & Journal. 11 October 2013.