Penalty practice made per fect for Har r y
It always takes guts to step up and hit a penalty.
Marcus Rashford recently took his first-ever spot-kick for Manchester United, and hit the goal that gave them victory over PSG in the Champions League.
It’s 54 years since Harry Kirk converted from 12 yards for the first time in his professional career.
Maybe the setting and the occasion didn’t quite have the glamour of a European tie in Paris, but it caused a bit of a stir in Scottish football.
Third Lanark were 1-0 down against highflying Dunfermline in a Scottish Cup Second Round tie with only eight minutes to play.
Pars’ goalie Jim Herriot was then sent off after a clash with Max Murray, and the referee pointed to the spot.
Harry seemed an unlikely choice to take the kick – he’d not previously scored for Thirds –but he was willing to have a go.
He recalled: “Nobody was stepping forward to take the penalty, and I was asked if I’d ever taken one.
“I said we practiced them regularly during my time with Middlesbrough.
“That was good enough and the ball was thrust into my hands.
“I was feeling the pressure a bit at that point, but I stepped up and hit the net.”
That set Harry off on a mini scoring streak against Dunfermline.
He went on: “I then scored in the replay at East End Park when we drew 2-2.
“We went to a third match, played at Tynecastle, and I got a goal after just 16 seconds.
“Unfortunately, Alex Ferguson got an equaliser for them and we ended up losing 4-2.”
Harry ended up playing in Third Lanark after moving to England straight from school in Saltcoats.
He said: “My father, Joe, was a scout for Chelsea. He sent me down to Stamford Bridge and then I joined Middlesbrough.
“I had started playing in the first-team for The Boro when they signed Northern Ireland winger Bobby Braithwaite.
“I wasn’t too pleased at losing my place to him and after having a discussion with the manager, Raich Carter, I was put on the transfer list.
“I was told Scunthorpe, Exeter and Third Lanark were interested. I decided to go home to Scotland.”
After a season with the Hi-Hi, Harry played for Falkirk and Dumbarton.
Ironically, he scored two goals against his old club as Third Lanark lost their last-ever match – a 5-1 defeat at Dumbarton in April, 1967.
Harry then returned to England, where he enjoyed spells with Darlington, Hartlepool, Scunthorpe United and Stockport County.
He said: “I was in digs with Kevin Keegan when he was at Scunthorpe.
“He was a midfield player when I first knew him. I suggested he should be moved up front and the rest is history.
“Kevin left for Liverpool but we still managed to get up to the Third Division the following season.
“I scored on the last day of the season to deny Graham Taylor’s Lincoln City the last promotion spot.
“After my time at Stockport, I moved to Sweden to play for IK Sirius in 1975.
“I then spent a number of years managing clubs over there.”
Harry, now 74 and living on the Isle of Wight, has spent a lifetime in football.
He said: “I’ve worked in the game since I was a 15-year-old.
“When I came back from Scandinavia, I worked as a scout for Newcastle United when Kevin Keegan was manager.
“I recommended they sign Henrik Larsson before he went to Celtic.
“After that, I spent several years scouting for Neil Warnock, who’s now the Cardiff City manager.
“I’d met him when we both played for Hartlepool.”