King Joey

Joe Harper is a hero to tens of thousands of football fans with a fantastic career that saw him one of the country’s most prolific goalscorers. His instinctive talent in the penalty box ensured that he would be a firm favourite with supporters wherever he played. He is especially celebrated in Aberdeen and inducted into their Hall of Fame as the club’s highest scoring player, and his spells at Everton and Hibernian saw him gain fans across the country. This book gives a unique insight into professional football during Harper’s era when he played alongside Martin Buchan, Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness.

His Scotland career was dogged by controversy and here, Joe tells us, for the first time the truth about the incident in a Copenhagen nightclub that saw him receive a lifetime ban from playing with the national team. The ban was later lifted, and he was selected for the Scotland squad for their infamous run in the 1978 World Cup.

Joe Harper has remained in the public eye since his retirement from competitive football, enjoying a successful stint as manager of then Highland League side, Peterhead. He is now a regular pundit on Aberdeen’s Original 106 radio station and an opinionated–and often contentious–columnist for the Aberdeen Evening Express.