Player-Manager Profile

After Ted Vizard's departure, Neil Harris left Swansea Town to become manager at Swindon in June 1939. Due to the impending war, he was originally only offered a year's contract, but after negotiation, this was extended to end in March 1941.

Just three games into his first season in charge, the Football League programme was abandoned, and Harris remained in charge for the club's season in the South West Regional League. During this season, players were often called up for military duties in the build-up to a game, and every club in the league used "guests" to make up the starting eleven - sometimes players even played under aliases to avoid detection by their officers. Before one game at Bristol City, Harris, now 45, was forced to come out of retirement himself to make up the numbers. He borrowed a pair of boots which were too small, and lost two toenails as the Town lost 5-2.

By the end of the season, it was decided that the club could no longer continue whilst the war did, and Harris was relieved of his duties in August 1940, with the intention of him returning to the hotseat when the war ended. It was never to happen - Harris tragically died later that year, at the age of just 47.

Managerial Record

Career details

Club	Details
Vale of Clyde Vale of Clyde
Partick Thistle Partick Thistle	1913 ; transferred out
Distillery Distillery	(guest)
Fulham Fulham	(guest)
Kilmarnock Kilmarnock	(loan)
Rangers Rangers	(loan)
St. Mirren St. Mirren	(loan)
Newcastle United Newcastle United	May 1920 (transferred in , £3,300 ); transferred out
Notts County Notts County	November 1925 (transferred in , £3,000 )
Shelbourne Shelbourne	1926
Oldham Athletic Oldham Athletic	July 1927
Third Lanark Third Lanark	1929
Burton Town Burton Town	cs 1931 (appointed player-manager)
Distillery Distillery	cs 1932 (appointed manager)
Swansea Town Swansea Town	June 1934 (manager)
Swindon Town Swindon	May 31st, 1939 (manager)