Stan Harland

Stan Harland 28/05/1975 - xx/xx/1978

Played 193, Won 86, Drew 58, Lost 49, Win Rate 44.56%

Many Yeovil fans will have spoken to Stan Harland without realising it. If you ever popped to Asda after a match in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s he would have greeted you and handed you a basket, maybe even asking the score and having a chat about football.

Harland was born in Liverpool in June 1940 joining New Brighton and then Everton, although he never made an appearance for the Toffees. He moved to Bradford City making over 120 appearances and 77 for Carlisle United before tasting success at Swindon Town. He signed at the County Ground the day before England won the World Cup in 1966. He was Swindon player of the year in 1967/68, and it was he who lifted the Football League Cup in 1969 when as captain he led Swindon Town to victory over Arsenal at Wembley.

He came to Yeovil as player-manager for what turned out to be his only managerial position aged 35. He took the Yeovil job after Derek Dougan and Mike England had turned it down, so clearly wasn’t first choice. He took Yeovil into Europe for the first time when they entered the Anglo-Italian Cup. He later worked as assistant-manager and coach at Portsmouth, but remained living in the Yeovil area. He worked at Asda right up to his untimely death in August 2001 at the far too young an age of 61.