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Gerry's back at the Turf

Last updated : 21 January 2002 By Tony Scholes

Gerry Harrison joins the community team today to work alongside a former Turf Moor team mate, Vince Overson, and a current team mate at Leigh RMI, Dino Maamria. He becomes the Regional Manager for the Skipton and Keighley area.

Gerry started his career at Watford where he was unlucky enough to meet up with The Sinister One Glenn Roeder, but then moved on to Bristol City. A loan spell at Cardiff followed before he moved on to Huddersfield Town. Despite being there for 17 months he never played a first team game for them but did have a short spell with Hereford United on loan.

Then it was Burnley and he was soon to make his debut, at right back, in a 3-0 defeat at Oldham that saw Marlon Beresford sent off. He was in and out of the side for a time but certainly won a regular place when Adrian Heath took over as manager but not at right back or in midfield, Heath moved him into a three man defence.

I think it is fair to say he had his best period as a Claret under Heath but lost his place at the beginning of the following season because The Sinister One didn't like him. After seven games he was brought back into the side and didn't miss another game other than through injury or suspension as we battled against relegation to the 3rd Division.

The last day victory over Plymouth proved to be his last appearance for the Clarets although almost two years later he did come close to a return. In the summer he took up the option of joining Sunderland after his contract expired at the Turf but it was a move that never worked out.

He never played a league game for the Mackems and his only first team football was in loan spells at Luton and Hull. He played against us for Luton and received a superb welcome from the Burnley fans, at the same time as the Luton fans were hurling abuse at Steve Davis.

In March 2000 he returned to Burnley on loan, he was still a Sunderland player, and actually came very close to returning to the first team. He was named sub at Cardiff in a game we won 2-1 although he didn't come on and never made the bench again.

Last season there were nine appearances for Halifax before he was released by Paul Bracewell and that was it until last month when he resurfaced with Leigh RMI joining Dino and former Claret Andy Farrell.

He played three games in December but was sent off in the third. He returned to the side this weekend as they beat Telford 3-1 at home with one more familiar face on view. Andy Farrell was a sub, Dino Maamria scored the last goal and on the Telford side was one of Waddle's disastrous signings Neil Moore.

Welcome back to the Turf Gerry (or is it Denzil or even Mungo?) and if you give your new role the same commitment you gave as a player then I'm sure you will do a superb job for us.