35 Facts About Mick Harford

Michael Gordon Harford was born on 12 February 1959 and is an English football manager and former professional player.

Mick Harford is the chief recruitment officer at Luton Town, a club where he has spent a large portion of both his playing and non-playing career.

Mick Harford began his career in 1977 with Lincoln City, later moving to Newcastle United and Bristol City.

Mick Harford moved to First Division side Birmingham City in 1982 and thereafter spent 16 seasons playing in the top division of English football for a number of clubs, including Luton, Derby County, Chelsea, hometown club Sunderland, Coventry City and Wimbledon.

Mick Harford has held assistant manager positions at Colchester United, MK Dons and Millwall, and coaching roles at Wimbledon and Swindon Town.

Mick Harford featured against Denmark in a September 1988 fixture.

Mick Harford was part of the Luton side that won the League Cup in 1988 against Arsenal.

Mick Harford is a fan favourite of Luton supporters and is often voted as the club's best ever player, such is the regard he is held in at Kenilworth Road.

Mick Harford managed to head the ball from outside his own six-yard box, past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, into his own net as Luton won the game and avoided relegation.

In 2017 an article claimed that Mick Harford admitted that the own goal was deliberate.

However in a direct quote from an interview in 2018, Mick Harford stated the goal was not deliberate.

Mick Harford scored 12 goals from 29 league games as the Hatters were relegated from what was about to become the Premier League.

Mick Harford scored the winning goal, but never featured for the club again owing to a back injury.

Mick Harford would go on to make 60 appearances for the Dons, many in midfield, and scored his last professional goal at the age of 38 years and 34 days against West Ham United in 1997, before he retired and moved into a coaching role at Selhurst Park.

Mick Harford's first came on 17 February 1988 in a goalless friendly draw with Israel.

Mick Harford was to be offered his job back, but refused to work under the new board.

Mick Harford helped new manager Mike Newell to a 10th place finish, and his value was proved by then Nottingham Forest manager Joe Kinnear's attempts to make him his assistant manager at Forest.

Mick Harford was then appointed caretaker manager, and he performed admirably despite the problems at the club.

Gary Megson was then appointed full-time manager in January 2005 and Mick Harford subsequently left the club.

Mick Harford then joined his former Derby County teammate Geraint Williams at Colchester United in the summer of 2006, becoming the club's assistant manager.

Mick Harford was linked with another return to Kenilworth Road following the sacking of Mike Newell in March 2007, but the job instead went to Kevin Blackwell.

Mick Harford left Colchester to become assistant manager at Queens Park Rangers in June 2007, before becoming caretaker after the departure of John Gregory.

Mick Harford left QPR after the appointment of Luigi De Canio.

In January 2008, Mick Harford was unveiled as the new manager of struggling and cash-strapped Luton Town until the end of the season.

Mick Harford led Luton Town to victory in the Football League Trophy final in a fiercely contested match against Scunthorpe United on 5 April 2009.

However, one week later in the league, the 30-point deduction imposed on the club proved too large an obstacle to overcome, and Mick Harford's Luton succumbed to relegation to the Conference.

On 1 October 2009, after a disappointing start to life in the Conference, Mick Harford left Luton by mutual consent.

In December 2009, Mick Harford became assistant manager of QPR for a second time.

Mick Harford lasted until 1 March 2010 when he was replaced by Neil Warnock.

On 17 May 2012, Mick Harford was appointed as assistant manager to Karl Robinson at Milton Keynes Dons.

Mick Harford left just over a year later to re-join Millwall as assistant manager.

Mick Harford later became Millwall's head of scouting before being replaced by Terry Bullivant in July 2015.

In January 2016, Mick Harford made a return to Luton Town as chief recruitment officer with responsibility for scouting.

In July 2021, it was revealed by Luton Town that Mick Harford would be stepping away from duties at the club as he was fighting Prostate cancer and would begin radiotherapy treatment in August.

In November 2022, following the departure of Nathan Jones to Southampton, Mick Harford was re-appointed caretaker manager.