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Chris Harper


Jacko51

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Like many others, for me Chris was Mr Port Vale when it came to reporting on the club. Before the days of the internet, when I was away at Uni, my old dad used to send me the green 'un and first thing on Monday or whenever it arrived, Chris's reports were always the first, and best, that I looked at. Miles away from home, it gave me a real flavour of the club, the matches and the players. I could never understand why he moved from reporting on the Vale but it was a golden age.

 

RIP Chris - respected, much loved, unrivalled and irreplaceable. Sincere condolences to your family.

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Just read about Chris on the Sentinel website and felt sure there would be many appreciative comments on here, as there are.

 

Chris was the Vale reporter when I started following the club in 1969 and even as a young teenager I could see quality of his informed, knowledgeable writing and enjoy his reports whenever I was able to pick up the Sentinel or Green 'Un in distant Macclesfield. So when I started work as a cub reporter at the Sentinel four years later, I was in awe of this much-respected journalist. I needn't have been. As others have said, Chris was very approachable and kind and when he heard I was a Vale fan would always have a chat about the club's fortunes and mention the odd behind-the-scenes stuff, too. After a few months I moved to the Crewe branch office and in my fairly early days he once suggested I should cover a Vale game while he was on holiday. The sports editor then, Peter Buxton, must have, rightly, thought I was too inexperienced at that stage, but I was grateful for Chris's suggestion and I did later go on to be the Crewe Alex reporter for a couple of years.

 

Not that Chris forget me while I was in exile in South Cheshire -- he made sure I was included in the Sentinel squad for a five-a-side challenge match against Radio Stoke during a Festival of Sport in the mid-1970s at the Cobridge Stadium, where Vale once played, I believe. Oh, and we won.

 

The Sentinel. Port Vale, the people of the Potteries and many sports clubs beyond football benefited greatly from the writing of Chris Harper, a true professional, a journalist with integrity and a gentleman. Very sorry to hear he has died at what is no great age these days.

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Like many others on here Chris was my link to the Vale when I first started following them in the mid 60's. His reports were eagerly awaited, avidly read and, in my early teens, often cut out and stuck in a scrap book; I still have those somewhere in the loft in Lichfield!

 

I never knew Chris personally, but in those pre-internet days the news articles he wrote brought the club to life and gave us all an insight into what went on behind the scenes.

 

It is his match reports I remember most fondly. I can still recall some of the wording I read all those years ago.... like John James "sinking to his knees as he hit a shot" (v Workington away in a cup replay) "but he was soon jumping for joy as the ball found the corner of the net" and then the report of the John Woodward inspired comeback at Shrewsbury where Vale were "roared on by a large following".

 

Made the waits at Rowley's or Nadin's paper shop for the late Sentinels to arrive on a Saturday worthwhile!

 

An important part of my life at that time.

 

Thanks Chris... and RIP.

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Very sad news indeed. He never "pulled his punches", was always fair and if you could not get to the game his report was a just reflection of the game and a tribute to his honesty. I seem to recall he was "banned" by the club for a short while because he printed something they did not like. I often thought what his reports and comments would have been on the last days of the "old regime" I am sure they would have made interesting reading.

 

He will be much missed.

 

My sentiments exactly.

 

I feel really sad at this news, it's like a little part of my formative years have gone with him.

 

RIP Chris, the route to the truth for many a Vale fan.

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Can only echo what others have said about Chris. As a lad I started watching vale as a serious fan, back in 1976. So keen was I, that I started a scrap book of Sentinel cuttings of all Chris Harpers match reports. Still got what amounted to 4 volumes of newspaper cuttings, all the way through to that promotion year in 1989. Still dig them out occasionally. Great memories.

So sorry to hear that Chris has passed away. Though I never met him, feels a bit like a member of the family has gone.

Chris RIP, and thanks for those memories

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A very sad loss indeed. Chris Harper had a very rare talent as reporters go, he told it how it was and the fans trusted and respected his work because of that. His byword was 'objectivity' rather than 'subjectivity' and the Vale were very lucky indeed to have such a class act working on their behalf.

 

I'm afraid you couldn't say the same for the other reporters on the Sentinel at the time, but the Vale reports were accurate and you knew exactly what had gone on. There was no cow-towing to the the Chairman or Manager, just good honest observation, description and assessment.

 

Thank you very much for your efforts Chris. I think the quality of this thread speaks volumes for how respected you were by all Vale fans. Rest in peace, mate. Condolences to his wife and family.

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