Dennis Harper is an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 former professional footballer who played in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

 for Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

. He played as an inside forward

Inside forward

In football, the position of inside forward was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries. The inside forwards would support the centre forwards, running and making space in the opposition defence, and, as the passing game developed, supporting him with passes...

.

Harper was born in Wednesbury

Wednesbury

Wednesbury is a market town in England's Black Country, part of the Sandwell metropolitan borough in West Midlands, near the source of the River Tame. Similarly to the word Wednesday, it is pronounced .-Pre-Medieval and Medieval times:...

, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

. He started his football career with Darlaston

Darlaston Town F.C.

Darlaston Town F.C. are a football club based in Darlaston, West Midlands, England. For the 2011-12 season, they are members of the West Midlands League Premier Division.-History:...

 before joining Birmingham City

Birmingham City F.C.

Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...

, initially as an amateur

Amateur

An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....

, in 1955. Awarded a professional contract in the 1956 close season, he was not even a regular in the reserve team

Reserve team

Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...

 when given his First Division

Football League First Division

The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 debut at the age of 20, when Noel Kinsey

Noel Kinsey

Noel Kinsey is a Welsh former international footballer, who played as an inside right for Norwich City, Birmingham City and Port Vale.-Club career:...

, Bryan Orritt

Bryan Orritt

Bryan Orritt is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as an inside forward or wing half. He made more than 200 appearances in the Football League, and was capped three times for Wales at under-23 level....

, Bill Finney

Bill Finney

Charles William Thomas "Bill" Finney was an English professional footballer born in Stoke-upon-Trent who made 113 appearances in the Football League. An inside forward, Finney played for Crewe Alexandra as an amateur before turning professional with Stoke City as an 18-year-old...

 and Bert Linnecor

Bert Linnecor

Albert Roy "Bert" Linnecor is an English former professional footballer who made 281 appearances in the Football League playing for Birmingham City, and Lincoln City. He played as a wing half or inside forward.-Career:...

 were all injured at the same time. The game, a 3–1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....

 on 20 February 1957, proved to be the only appearance that Harper made in the Football League

The Football League

The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

. He went on to play non-league football

Non-league football

Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...

 for Romford

Romford F.C.

Romford F.C. is an English football club based in Romford, Greater London. The club are currently members of Division One North of the Isthmian League, and play at Mill Field in Aveley.-History:...

, Burton Albion

Burton Albion F.C.

Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

 and Nuneaton Borough