Bill Harper

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William "Bill" Harper (January 19, 1898 – April 1989) was a Scottish football goalkeeper.

Harper was born in Tarbrax, Lanarkshire and began his career in local junior football, with Winchburgh Thistle and Edinburgh Emmett. When World War I broke out he joined the 5th Brigade of the Scots Guards, and served on the Western Front. He was not just a footballing man; a keen boxer, he eventually became the Guards' heavyweight champion, and captained their rugby team to the regimental championship.

He resumed his football career after hostilities ended and in 1921 signed for Hibernian. He spent four seasons at Easter Road and made over 100 Scottish First Division appearances, and appeared on the losing side in two Scottish FA Cup finals (1922-23 and 1923-24). Also at Hibernian, he made his debut for Scotland, against Northern Ireland on March 3, 1923. In all he would win nine caps while with the Edinburgh club.

In November 1925 Harper became one of Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman's first signings, joining the London club for £4,000, then a record fee for a goalkeeper. He made his Arsenal debut against Bury on November 14, 1925, which Arsenal won 6-1. Harper became Arsenal's first-choice keeper straight away, displacing Jock Robson and young Welshman Dan Lewis. He also continued to play for Scotland, winning two more caps, the last of which came against England on April 17, 1926, bringing his total to eleven.

Harper finished 1925-26 and started 1926-27 as Arsenal's No. 1, but Chapman blamed Harper for a 4-2 defeat in a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on December 18, 1926 and ruthlessly dropped him for Lewis, who would go on to keep goal in Arsenal's ill-fated 1-0 FA Cup final loss to Cardiff City that season. Harper left Arsenal in the 1927 close season, and moved to the United States, playing for Fall River of the American Soccer League. He returned to England in 1930 after three years abroad, and surprised many by re-signing for Arsenal. Dan Lewis had by now left the club, and Harper became first choice over Charlie Preedy and Gerard Keizer. In his first season back at Arsenal, Harper won a First Division winners' medal, as Arsenal took their very first title in 1930-31.

Chapman was never able to settle on a single regular first-choice goalkeeper, and Harper was dropped again at the start of 1931-32 in favour of Preedy. After Chapman signed Frank Moss in November 1931, Harper slipped to third choice and was soon sold to Plymouth Argyle. In all, Harper had played 73 times for Arsenal in his two spells there.

Harper remained with Plymouth Argyle for the rest of his career; he played fewer than 100 league games in the eight years before World War II broke out, but continued to serve the club long after that, as trainer, groundsman and even laundryman. Such was his contribution to the club that he was awarded a testimonial match against Arsenal in 1972, and Plymouth's training ground, Harper's Park, is named after him. He died aged 91, in 1989.