Colin Harvey - Managerial Career

Managerial Career

Following his retirement from the game in 1976, Billy Bingham invited Harvey back to Everton to become Youth Coach. This was a role in which he was successful, winning the 1977 Youth Cup in a side featuring future stars Kevin Ratcliffe and Steve McMahon.

Harvey was promoted to reserve team coach in 1981 at the same time that Howard Kendall became manager.

In 1983, Harvey was promoted to first team coach, which coincided with the beginning of Everton's most successful period in their history in the mid-1980s (two Championships, FA Cup and a European Cup Winners' Cup). Indeed, many ex-Everton players including striking partners Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp, cite Harvey's promotion to first team coach as the main reason for the team's reversal of fortune and the great success that followed. Colin was appointed manager of Everton in June 1987 after the departure of Howard Kendall. During his spell as Manager, Everton finished 4th, 8th and 6th respectively in the old First division and also reached the 1989 FA Cup Final, losing 3-2 to Liverpool. Harvey's time as manager ended on 31 October 1990, when he was sacked as manager of an Everton side which stood 18th of 20 sides in the First Division - their worst-ever start to a league season. On 7 November 1990, Everton appointed Howard Kendall as their new manager and Harvey returned to Goodison Park in the old manager-coach partnership.

Harvey left Everton shortly after Kendall's departure in December 1993, and in November 1994 became assistant to Oldham Athletic's new player-manager Graeme Sharp following the departure of Joe Royle to Everton. Sharp left Oldham in March 1997, and Harvey followed him out of the Boundary Park exit door, but was soon back in the game as Burnley assistant manager to Adrian Heath, however after just a matter of months he was appointed Everton's youth coach when Howard Kendall became manager for a third time.

As youth coach, Harvey was once again successful in winning the FA Youth Cup in 1998. During his spell as Youth Coach, Harvey nurtured the talents of England internationals Francis Jeffers and Wayne Rooney, where once again the Youth Team progressed to the Youth Cup Final in 2002.