Harvey: David

1965-80&1983-85 (Player Details)

Goalkeeper

Born: Leeds: 07-02-1948

Debut: v West Bromwich Albion (h): 13-10-1965

5’11” 12st 3lb (1972)

#31 in 100 Greatest LUFC Players Ever

Harvey was educated at Foxwood and Seacroft Grange Schools in Leeds and worked at a shoe factory before signing as a professional in February 1965 after a couple of years as an apprentice. There is a popular myth that if Don Revie had brought David Harvey into the team earlier, then Leeds might have won more trophies and it has been alluded that Revie made that admission in later years. It would have been a great testimony to a keeper whose patience was rewarded with honours for Leeds and Scotland. In fact, Gary Sprake’s brilliance had kept him in the Reserves and he made about two hundred appearances in the Central League before winning a regular first-team place in 1971-72, when he played in United’s 1972 FA Cup-winning side. His career took off and he was capped by Scotland, qualifying because his father was Scottish, in November 1972. After an excellent season in 1972-73, in which he played sixty-three games, only missing one, he finished up with nothing to show for his endeavours as United finished third in the League, behind Liverpool and Arsenal, and in a desperate few days lost 1-0 to underdogs Sunderland in the FA Cup Final and AC Milan in the European Cup-winners Cup Final. Harvey was outstanding as Leeds put together a record twenty-nine-match unbeaten start to the 1973-74 season, guaranteeing the League championship and earning Harvey a First Division Champions medal to go with his FA Cup winner’s medal gained two years previous. He was rated the best goalkeeper in the 1974 World Cup and finished with sixteen full caps for his adopted Scotland. Despite missing a penalty in the Charity Shield Cup game with Liverpool, Harvey was set for a long run in the Leeds goal, but a bad car accident in February 1975 saw him temporarily lose his place to David Stewart and cost him the chance of playing in the European Cup Final against Bayern Munich. Although he won his place back, Harvey joined Vancouver Whitecaps in the NASL for £40,000, returning briefly in December that year before going back to Vancouver via Irish side, Drogheda, in 1980-81. He left Canada for Leeds again in March 1983, aged thirty-five, and remained a first team regular until going on loan to Partick Thistle in February 1985. His tally of United first-team appearances is remarkable when it is considered how many games he also played for the Reserves. Having played under Allan Clarke in his first spell at Leeds, he completed a hat-trick of Managers at Leeds who had been old teammates as Eddie Gray and Billy Bremner. He added another when he joined Trevor Cherry at Valley Parade. He appeared six times for Bradford City before going to Whitby Town as player-manager in May 1985, a post he held until the summer of 1986. He then had a sport spell at Scottish club Morton. In 1987 he was with Harrogate Town and signed for Carlisle United on a non-contract basis in 1987-88. He came out of football and had a variety of occupations including running a pub, delivering fruit and vegetables to hotels in the Harrogate area, being a postman in Knaresborough and, finally moving to a farmhouse and smallholding on the island of Sanday in the Orkneys, where he is also the postman.