Uddingston composer's popular song to feature in film about Sir Alex Ferguson

European Song, written by the late Harry Barry, celebrated Aberdeen FC's victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup final in 1983.Now it’s back centre stage in the documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, which was directed by Ferguson’s son Jason as the football legend recovered from a brain haemorrhage in 2018.Harry recorded European Song with the Aberdeen squad including players Jim Leighton, Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller and Mark McGhee as well as winning goal scorers Eric Black and John Hewitt.It was pressed as a 7-inch single in the Dons’ trademark red and white colours and had to be reissued when initial supplies of 100,000 copies ran out as fans queued at record stores in the Granite City.Demand was so great that distributors drove all the way to Wales to collect boxes of the record direct from the pressing plant.Harry, who died suddenly in 2013, has a huge back catalogue as a writer and producer.He played drums and sang on Ally’s Tartan Army with the 1978 Scotland World Cup squad and wrote most of the songs on the official album.He also wrote hundreds of songs and TV and radio jingles and songs over his 50 year career many which are still running today.Locally he was best known for The Big Elastic Band which produced two albums and countless singles.The debut recording When Big Roy Sang on Annie McGregor’s Juke Box was inspired by an Uddingston cafe owner. In 2010 he recorded Jimmy Shand’s on the Wireless which celebrated Uddingston life in the 1950s.The family set up the Harry Barry Prize for Music at his former school, Uddingston Grammar, in 2015. The annual award includes a trophy and professional studio time for a talented young musician.Harry’s daughter Kate, said: “We’re delighted that dad’s memory lives on in his music and look forward to the film.”*Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In premieres at the Glasgow Film Festival on March 6. It’s in cinemas from May 27 and on Amazon Prime Video from May 29.For more information on Harry or to download the track see www.harrybarrymusic.com