Harold Jarman

Early life Harold Jarman was born on 4 May 1939 in the Cliftonwood area of Bristol to parents William and Catherine Jarman (née Harris). Just months after Harold's birth his father contracted a viral infection that left him permanently blinded and unable to work, meaning Harold's mother had to take a number of jobs throughout his childhood as well as care for her family and husband.

He began attending Hotwells Primary School from 1944, Hotwells being a short walk from the family home, then went to Penpole School in Shirehampton for a year in 1950 before moving to the nearby Portway Boys' School in 1951. He only remained at Portway school for a year, and in 1952 he moved school again when he passed the entrance exam for the Bristol Technical School (Building) in the Barton Hill area of Bristol.

During his childhood Jarman showed an aptitude for both cricket and football, representing his primary school in both sports. Between the ages of 13 and 16 he took part in coaching sessions for talented local cricketers organised by the Bristol Evening Post newspaper, with the sessions led by Gloucestershire player Len Harbin. He was also selected for the Bristol Boys cricket team, captaining the side for two years, but although he showed a similar talent for football he was never chosen to join the Bristol Boys football team as he was considered too small for the more physical game.

Footballing career As a player Amateur football Jarman's debut in senior football came in 1953, when still aged only 14 he turned out for Clifton Villa Reserves in the Bristol Downs League. He made an immediate impact in the team, scoring four goals in an 11–1 victory. By the time he was 16 he was playing regularly in the Clifton Villa first team alongside his brother, Bill Jarman. and played a single match for Bristol St George in 1958 before joining Victoria Athletic in the Bristol Premier Combination. Jarman had built up a strong reputation in the local footballing community and this was recognised by Bristol Rovers, who signed him on 7 August 1959. Rovers won the game 3–1, thanks to two goals from Alfie Biggs and one from Geoff Bradford in front of a crowd of 16,501 at Eastville Stadium.

Jarman earned himself a place in the Pirates history books in just his second season with the club, on 26 September 1960, when he scored Bristol Rovers' first ever goal in the Football League Cup.

Throughout the 1960s Jarman was a firm favourite with the Eastville Stadium crowd and the chant "Harold, Harold" was regularly heard echoing around the ground.

To celebrate the landmark of his 500th appearance for Bristol Rovers, Jarman was handed the captain's armband for a Division Three match against Tranmere Rovers on 13 January 1973. Bristol Rovers won the match 2–0, but the occasion was overshadowed by a serious injury to their goalkeeper Dick Sheppard who was carried off by ambulancemen following a collision with Tranmere's Eddie Loyden during the first half. After this the game became a bad tempered affair with the Rovers players aggrieved that Loyden hadn't been sent off, leading to numerous heavy tackles and confrontations between the two teams.

By the time he finally left the Pirates Jarman had started 440 Football League matches, and made a further twelve appearances as a substitute, scoring 127 goals. He has made the sixth-highest number of League appearances of anyone who has played for the club, and is the third highest scorer in the club's history.

Newport County Jarman left Bristol Rovers on 14 May 1973 and made the short move across the Severn Bridge to join Newport County, along with teammate Brian Godfrey who also made the same move. That summer Jarman played against Bristol Rovers for his new club in a pre-season friendly. He was on the scoresheet in a 2–2 draw that also saw some fighting break out amongst the two sets of supporters.

In December 1973 Jarman was in the Newport side that faced Torquay United in a Division Four match at Plainmoor. In goal for the Devon side that day was Jarman's friend and former teammate Dick Sheppard, who was on loan from Bristol Rovers and attempting to make a comeback after being so seriously injured eleven months earlier in Jarman's 500th match. Late in the game Sheppard conceded a penalty, which Jarman stepped up to take and scored. The goal was little more than a consolation for Newport however as they still lost 3–2. This was one of only two appearances Sheppard made for Torquay, and he would go on to play one more time for Rovers before finally retiring from professional football. At this point, prior to the 1995 Bosman ruling, players did not have to be released at the end of their contracts so Newport could have demanded a transfer fee for him if they felt he had any value and if they had wanted to do so.

After leaving Newport Jarman wouldn't play in the Football League again. Over the course of his career he made a total of 474 Football League appearances, plus a further 18 from the substitute's bench, scoring 135 goals in a fourteen-year period between 1959 and 1973.

New York and non-league In 1974, Gordon Bradley, manager of the New York Cosmos, brought Jarman into the team to replace young American striker Joey Fink who had scored eleven goals in fourteen games in 1973. Although initially enthusiastic about his move across the Atlantic Ocean Jarman grew increasingly homesick, being separated from his young family who had remained in Bristol. He produced only four goals in eighteen games before he was released and returned to his home city.

By this point Jarman had grown disillusioned with professional football and had decided that he wouldn't try to find a new League club in England. Instead he was persuaded to join Mangotsfield United by his former Bristol Rovers teammate Doug Hillard, who was now manager of the Mangos. By September 1974 he had received international clearance and was in the Mangotsfield side.

As a manager Shirehampton Recreation Ground, the former home of Portway Bristol F.C. Jarman's fist step into football management came in 1976, when he was appointed player-manager of Portway Bristol for their debut season in Division One of the Western Football League. One of his first signings for the club after being appointed was his old friend, goalkeeper Dick Sheppard, who by now had retired from professional football. Jarman spent two years in charge of Portway Bristol, finishing in eighth place in the league during the 1976–77 season and seventh in 1977–78. Under Jarman's leadership the Rovers youth team had their most successful period up to that point, finding success in both league and cup competitions. During his spell in charge they achieved their highest league position, progressed further than ever before in the FA Youth Cup, and twice won a prestigious international youth tournament in Tilburg, Netherlands.

On 13 December 1979 the Bristol Rovers' first team manager, Scotsman Bobby Campbell, was relieved of his duties following a poor run of results which had left the club near the bottom of the Division Two league table. The club appointed Jarman as caretaker manager while the vacant position was advertised and applicants were interviewed. During this spell the first team's performance improved and Jarman was rewarded by being given the job on a full-time basis.

The team's improvement in form continued until the end of the 1979–80 season, and they eventually finished six points clear of the relegation zone. One of Jarman's first actions as manager was to re-appoint Terry Cooper to the coaching staff. Cooper had been sacked a few months earlier by Jarman's predecessor, but the decision to bring him back to the club backfired on Jarman when the Bristol Rovers board opted to replace Jarman as manager with Cooper almost as soon as the season ended. Cooper initially kept Jarman on as his assistant manager, but fired him on 22 September 1980, along with Bobby Campbell who was by this point the club's chief scout, in order to bring in his own coaching team.

He subsequently held various coaching and scouting positions at a number of clubs, including Norwich City (where he was appointed by his former colleague Gordon Bennett), Blackburn Rovers and Manchester City, and he managed both Bath City and Mangotsfield United.

Cricketing career

Jarman made his debut for the Gloucestershire first eleven on 8 July 1961 in a County Championship match against Middlesex at the Wagon Works Ground in Gloucester. Batting at number 7 in the first innings he ended on 22 not out as Gloucestershire were dismissed for 144. Coincidentally, batting at number 8 in that lineup was wicket-keeper Barrie Meyer, Jarman didn't bat in the second innings as Gloucestershire declared at 432–6 before going on to lose the match by one wicket. Overall he played 45 first-class matches between 1961 and 1971, scoring 1041 runs and making three half centuries. He also bowled 39.1 overs without taking any wickets and allowing 131 runs.

Career statistics Football