Jimmy Haarhoff

James Phiri Haarhoff (born 27 May 1981) is a retired professional footballer who played in the Football League for Birmingham City.[2] He played international football for Northern Ireland at under-18 level.

Jimmy Haarhoff
Personal information
Full name James Phiri Haarhoff[1]
Date of birth (1981-05-27) 27 May 1981
Place of birth Lusaka, Zambia
Position(s) Midfielder / Forward
Youth career
Maypole Juniors
19??–1997 Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2001 Birmingham City 1 (0)
2001–2002 Chester City 33 (2)
2002 → Droylsden (loan)
2002–2003 Droylsden
2003–2004 Moor Green
2004–200? Halesowen Town
National team
2000 Northern Ireland U18 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only
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Career

Haarhoff was born in Lusaka, Zambia.[1] As a youngster, he played football for Maypole Juniors in the Yardley Wood district of Birmingham, England,[3] before joining the youth system of professional club Birmingham City. He made his first-team debut – and his only first-team appearance – as a last-minute substitute in the Division One (second tier) match at home to Crystal Palace on 16 October 1999.[4]

As the holder of a British passport born outside the United Kingdom, Haarhoff was eligible to play international football for any of the Home Nations. He made his debut for Northern Ireland at under-18 level as a half-time substitute in a 3–1 defeat of their Denmark counterparts in a friendly international in February 2000. According to manager Roy Millar, "He has quick feet and is very pacey. He goes past players and is exciting to watch",[5] and his debut performance earned him a place in the starting eleven, also against Denmark, a couple of days later.[6]

After trials with Doncaster Rovers[7] and Chester City in December 2000, Haarhoff signed a short-term deal with the latter club in January 2001 after Birmingham released him from his contract.[8] He began well, but failed to make the starting eleven in the latter part of the season. With his contract due to expire, Haarhoff was one of several players called in by the chairman for two weeks' fitness training; those who failed to attend, Haarhoff included, were threatened with dismissal, but a few days later he was offered and accepted a two-year contract.[9] In October 2001, after a change of ownership and management at the club, Haarhoff was offered a loan move to Droylsden of the Northern Premier League, which he turned down.[10] In February 2002 he had been playing for the reserve team, but returned to the first team as a substitute to score a last-minute winner to knock Hereford United out and reach the quarter-final of the FA Trophy.[11] He was given a squad number prior to the 2002–03 season, but in August 2002 he joined Droylsden on a three-month loan,[12] a move which was made permanent five weeks later.[13]

Haarhoff signed for Southern League Premier side Moor Green in the 2003 close season,[14] but failed to settle, and dropped down a division to fellow Halesowen Town in March 2004.[15][16] He played eight games in what remained of the 2003–04 season, contributing to the club's promotion to the Premier Division, and 44 games in all competitions in 2004–05, of which 31 were in the league.[17][18] At the end of the season he was not offered a new contract, and opted to give up the pursuit of a career as a footballer in favour of his religion. In June 2005 he was baptised into the Seventh-day Adventist Church, in which his father Jim was an elder.[19][20]

Since his retirement as a player, Haarhoff has worked with Halesowen Town's and Birmingham City's community programmes,[21] and as a skills coach in the Birmingham area under the Football Association's Skills Coaches programme.[22] He went on to set up his own coaching company.[23]

References
  1. "Jimmy Haarhoff". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  2. "Jimmy Haarhoff". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  3. "FA Skills Coaching Programme". Maypole F.C. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  4. "Birmingham 2 Crystal Palace 0". sportinglife.com. 16 October 1999. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2009.
  5. "Haaroff handed green shirt". The News Letter. Belfast. 10 February 2000. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2012 – via HighBeam Research.
  6. Fullerton, Nicky (11 February 2000). "Draw for Millar's boys; N Ireland Under-18 1 Denmark Under-18 1". The News Letter. Belfast. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2012 – via HighBeam Research.
  7. "Archive News December 2000". doncasterrovers.co.uk. Forward Productions. December 2000. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2010.
  8. Ley, John (2 February 2001). "January transfers: EC offer to end stalemate". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
    "January 2001 News". Chester-City.co.uk. Steve Mansley. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  9. "May 2001 News". Chester-City.co.uk. Steve Mansley. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  10. "October 2001 News". Chester-City.co.uk. Steve Mansley. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  11. "February 2002 News". Chester-City.co.uk. Steve Mansley. Retrieved 5 April 2012.
  12. "Grant boost for Pace". NonLeague Daily. 28 August 2002. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  13. "Tate to return to Chester?". NonLeague Daily. 4 October 2002. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  14. "Frain joins former Blues at the Moorlands". NonLeague Daily. 28 July 2003. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  15. "Holleran brings in two more". NonLeague Daily. 20 March 2004. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  16. "Patience pays off for Holleran". NonLeague Daily. 25 October 2004. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  17. "Appearances: Season: 2004–2005. Competition: All". Halesowen Town F.C. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  18. "Appearances: Season: 2004–2005. Competition: Southern League League Premier Division". Halesowen Town F.C. Retrieved 20 October 2009.
  19. "Hay joins Yeltz – Forinton next?". NonLeague Daily. 17 May 2005. Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  20. Edinborough, Lorraine (17 June 2005). "On the Winning Side" (PDF). Messenger. 110 (13): p. 4. ISSN 0309-3654.
  21. "Community plans take root". Stourbridge News. 2 March 2006. Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  22. "The FA Skills Coaches". The Football Association. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008.
  23. Powell, Dave (17 February 2016). "Chester FC: Jimmy Haarhoff recalls his Blues playing days, living with Graham Barrow and quitting the game at 24". Chester Chronicle. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
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