# Harry Osman > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Osman > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harry_Osman.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Osman > Source revision: 1298666986 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Harry James Osman** (29 January 1911 – 17 December 1998) was an English [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as an [outside left](/source/Outside_left) for [Southampton](/source/Southampton_F.C.) for two seasons in the 1930s and went on to become manager of [Winchester City](/source/Winchester_City_F.C.) where he "discovered" future [England](/source/England_national_football_team) international [Terry Paine](/source/Terry_Paine). ## Playing career Osman was born in the village of [Bentworth](/source/Bentworth,_Hampshire) near [Alton, Hampshire](/source/Alton,_Hampshire) but moved as a child to [Okeford Fitzpaine](/source/Okeford_Fitzpaine) in Dorset.[1] As a teenager, he played football for Okeford United, before joining [Poole Town](/source/Poole_Town_F.C.), playing in the [Western League](/source/Western_Football_League), in 1930. In December 1935, he joined [Plymouth Argyle](/source/Plymouth_Argyle_F.C.) of the [Football League Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division), where he remained until the summer of 1937. Despite making only five appearances for Plymouth, he had caught the eye of [Tom Parker](/source/Tom_Parker_(footballer,_born_1897)) when he was manager of [Norwich City](/source/Norwich_City_F.C.).[1] On joining [Southampton](/source/Southampton_F.C.) in 1937, Parker signed Osman from Plymouth, as well as several youngsters from his previous club. Osman moved back to Hampshire on a free transfer,[2] making his debut for Southampton (in the [Football League Second Division](/source/Football_League_Second_Division)) on 28 August 1937, the first day of the [1937–38 season](/source/1937%E2%80%9338_in_English_football). Osman made an immediate impact, scoring in a 4–3 defeat by Parker's old club.[3] His next goal came on 18 September (against [West Ham United](/source/West_Ham_United_F.C.)) before starting a run of form in October which saw him score eight goals in four games, including a [hat-trick](/source/Hat-trick) in a 6–3 defeat at [Luton Town](/source/Luton_Town_F.C.). On Christmas Day 1937, the Saints played a home league match against [Swansea Town](/source/Swansea_Town_F.C.) in which Osman scored to bring the result level at 1–1; this was the last goal scored at [The Dell](/source/The_Dell_(Southampton)) on a Christmas Day.[3] Although Christmas Day fixtures continued on–and–off until 1959, all the Saints' subsequent Christmas Day matches were away from home.[3] Osman's form continued and he only missed two matches at the end of the season, when he was the Saints' [top–scorer](/source/Southampton_F.C._seasons) with 22 goals (a club record for an outside–left).[2] His form had attracted the attention of bigger clubs, but a reported bid of £7,000 from [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham_City_F.C.) failed to materialise.[2] [The following season](/source/1938%E2%80%9339_in_English_football), Osman continued to play well in an unsettled Southampton side that struggled to maintain any form. Unable to find the exciting form of the previous season, Osman managed only nine goals (from 30 appearances) before he was sold to Second Division rivals [Millwall](/source/Millwall_F.C.) in March 1939 for a fee of £2,000,[2] a move that came as a shock to the Southampton fans, although, in hindsight, this turned out to be a very good piece of business.[1] His career at Millwall was interrupted by the Second World War. He returned to The Dell as a guest player in War Leagues in 1939–40, before joining the [Tank Corps](/source/Royal_Tank_Regiment) where he was wounded while serving in [Italy](/source/Italian_campaign_(World_War_II)).[1] After the war, he returned to Millwall making 23 appearances (with three goals) in [1946–47](/source/1946%E2%80%9347_in_English_football) before transferring to [Bristol City](/source/Bristol_City_F.C.) in October 1947. At the end of the [1947–48](/source/1947%E2%80%9348_in_English_football) season he dropped down to lower league football with spells at [Dartford](/source/Dartford_F.C.) and [Canterbury City](/source/Canterbury_City_F.C.) (where he was appointed player-manager) before returning to [Hampshire](/source/Hampshire) with [Winchester City](/source/Winchester_City_F.C.) in 1952. ## Managerial career Osman made a few appearances as a player for Winchester City before taking over as manager in 1953, while also running the Wykeham Arms [pub](/source/Pub) in the city.[1] In 1955, Osman played a 15-year-old [Terry Paine](/source/Terry_Paine) in Winchester City's [Hampshire League](/source/Hampshire_League) side. Paine's potential was obvious even at this age and Osman alerted his former Southampton teammate, now Southampton's manager [Ted Bates](/source/Ted_Bates_(footballer)) to Paine's potential.[1] Bates had Paine watched and in August 1956, beat [Arsenal](/source/Arsenal_F.C.) to his signature.[4] After retiring from football management in October 1957, Osman emigrated to [Palm Beach, Florida](/source/Palm_Beach,_Florida) where he died on 17 December 1998.[5] ## References 1. Holley, Duncan & Chalk, Gary (1992). *The Alphabet of the Saints*. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 261. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3. 1. Chalk, Gary & Holley, Duncan (1987). *Saints – A complete record*. Breedon Books. p. 291. ISBN 0-907969-22-4. 1. Chalk & Holley. *Saints – A complete record*. pp. 98–99. 1. Bull, David (1998). *Dell Diamond*. Hagiology Publishing. pp. 161–162. ISBN 0-9534474-0-5. 1. [Social Security Death Index (SSDI) (Search for Harry J. Osman)](http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harry Osman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Osman) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Osman?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.