Born: Halifax, 1 June 1945
Died: 9 August 2003
Position: Centre back
FULHAM MANAGERIAL CAREER
Appointed: 22 April 1984
Resigned: 30 June 1986
Games managed: 98
Won: 37
Drawn: 16
Lost: 45
Ray Harford, a centre half with 350 Football League appearances behind him, joined Fulham’s coaching staff in 1981 after beginning his coaching career at Colchester United, where he had finished playing professional football. Harford was appointed Malcolm Macdonald’s assistant in 1982 and that talented side narrowly missed out a second successive promotion. He was the natural successor when a disillusioned Macdonald called it quits and a young team finished ninth in his first full season in charge. But, with financial problems and the attention of the board on selling the Cottage, Harford’s asset-stripped squad – made up of youth-teamers and free transfers – were relegated and he resigned shortly aftewards.
Harford went on to lead Luton Town to their first major trophy – the League Cup in 1987 – in his first season of a successful spell at Kenilworth Road and Wimbledon before becoming assistant to Kenny Dalglish at Blackburn Rovers after a brief spell in charge at Ewood Park. The pair memorably won the Premier League in 1995-96 before Harford went back on his word and stepped up from assistant again after Dalglish’s departure.
It didn’t go well and Harford resigned. He took on jobs at West Bromwich Albion, Queens Park Rangers and finally Millwall, temporarily, before he became a key member of Mark McGhee’s backroom staff. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 2002 and sadly passed away in August 2003, aged only 58.
