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Bobby Campbell (Northern Irish footballer)

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Bobby Campbell
Personal information
Full name Robert McFaul Campbell
Date of birth (1956-09-13)13 September 1956
Place of birth Belfast, Northern Ireland
Date of death 15 November 2016(2016-11-15) (aged 60)
Place of death Huddersfield, England
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1972–1974 Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1974–1975 Aston Villa 10 (1)
1975 → Halifax Town (loan) 15 (0)
1975–1977 Huddersfield Town 31 (9)
1977–1978 Sheffield United 37 (11)
1978 Vancouver Whitecaps 13 (9)
1978 Huddersfield Town 7 (3)
1979 Halifax Town 22 (3)
1979 Brisbane City 20 (10)
1979–1983 Bradford City 148 (76)
1983 Derby County 11 (4)
1983–1986 Bradford City 126 (45)
1986–1988 Wigan Athletic 69 (27)
Total 509 (198)
International career
1982 Northern Ireland 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert McFaul Campbell (13 September 1956 – 15 November 2016) was a Northern Irish international footballer who played as a centre forward.

Club career

Born in Belfast, Campbell started his career at Aston Villa, making his professional debut in April 1974. He failed to establish himself in the first team, making 10 league appearances for the club before being sold to Huddersfield Town in May 1975. He joined Sheffield United in 1977, but left the club after just one season. He briefly returned to Huddersfield Town for a second spell before signing for Halifax Town.

In December 1979, he joined Bradford City. He made over 300 appearances for the club, and became the club's all-time leading goalscorer with a total of 143 goals. Whilst at Bradford he won promotion from Division Four in the 1981–82 season and the Football League Division Three title in 1984–85, the latter of which paled into insignificance when 56 spectators were killed in a stand fire while playing Lincoln City in the final game of the season.

Campbell left Bradford in 1986 and joined Wigan Athletic, where he finished his playing career. In 1986–87, Campbell finished as Wigan's top goal scorer with 20 goals, helping the club to reach the quarter-final of the FA Cup for the first time in its history. He was the club's top scorer again with a further 16 goals in the 1987–88 season, most notably scoring a hat trick against local rivals Bolton Wanderers at Burnden Park in the first round of the League Cup.[1]

International career

In 1975, Campbell was selected to play for the Northern Ireland youth team at the European Under-18 Championship in Switzerland, but was sent home, along with teammate Bertie McMinn, after being involved in a car crash.[2] The Irish FA subsequently banned both players from representing the country at all levels.[3] After several attempts to overturn the decision, including a petition from supporters,[4] the ban was eventually lifted in 1981.[5]

In April 1982, Campbell was included in the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming British Home Championship,[6] and was subsequently capped twice during the tournament. He was also selected by his country for the 1982 FIFA World Cup later that year, but failed to make an appearance.

Post-retirement

After retiring from football in 1988, Campbell worked as a steward at a working men's club in Huddersfield. In 2013, he was dismissed by the club after he and his wife were accused of fraud,[7] but the charges were dropped after the case was taken to court.[8]

On 15 November 2016, Campbell was found dead after hanging himself in his garage.[9][10]

Career statistics

Source:[11][12]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Aston Villa 1973–74 Second Division 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1
1974–75 Second Division 7 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 9 0
Total 10 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 12 1
Halifax Town (loan) 1974–75 Third Division 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
Huddersfield Town 1975–76 Fourth Division 11 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 14 2
1976–77 Fourth Division 20 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 8
Total 31 9 0 0 3 1 0 0 34 10
Sheffield United 1977–78 Second Division 37 11 0 0 1 0 4[a] 3 42 14
Vancouver Whitecaps 1978 NASL 13 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 9
Huddersfield Town 1978–79 Fourth Division 7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 3
Halifax Town 1978–79 Fourth Division 22 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 23 3
Brisbane City 1979 NSL 20 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 10
Bradford City 1979–80 Fourth Division 21 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 8
1980–81 Fourth Division 42 19 1 0 4 3 0 0 47 22
1981–82 Fourth Division 45 24 1 0 6 3 4[b] 2 56 29
1982–83 Third Division 40 25 4 2 5 3 4[b] 3 53 33
Total 148 76 6 2 15 9 8 5 177 92
Derby County 1983–84 Second Division 11 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 12 4
Bradford City 1983–84 Third Division 32 9 1 0 0 0 2[c] 1 35 10
1984–85 Third Division 46 23 3 3 4 0 0 0 53 26
1985–86 Second Division 41 10 2 0 4 2 0 0 47 12
1986–87 Second Division 7 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 8 3
Total 126 45 6 3 9 2 2 1 143 51
Wigan Athletic 1986–87 Third Division 35 16 5 4 0 0 5[d] 0 45 20
1987–88 Third Division 34 11 2 1 4 4 2[c] 0 42 16
Total 69 27 7 5 4 4 7 0 87 36
Career total 509 198 20 10 35 16 21 9 585 233
  1. ^ Appearances in the Anglo-Scottish Cup
  2. ^ a b Appearances in the Football League Group Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearances in the Football League Trophy
  4. ^ Three appearances in the Football League Trophy, two appearances in the Third Division play-offs

References

  1. ^ "Latics Legends: Bobby Campbell". Wigan Athletic. Archived from the original on 7 October 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  2. ^ "Accident ends a Swiss visit for Ulster footballers". Belfast Telegraph. 10 May 1975. p. 1.
  3. ^ "Irish FA place ban on two youth stars". Belfast Telegraph. 2 July 1975. p. 24.
  4. ^ Brodie, Malcolm (28 October 1981). "It's time to lift this cruel ban". Belfast Telegraph. p. 24.
  5. ^ "Ban lifted on Campbell, McMinn". Belfast Telegraph. 23 December 1981. p. 16.
  6. ^ "Campbell's Kingdom". The Guardian. 22 April 1982. p. 20. ProQuest 186375304.
  7. ^ Rutherford, Adrian (20 March 2014). "Ex-Northern Ireland star Bobby Campbell and wife to face court charged with fraud". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  8. ^ Gibbons, Brett (17 October 2014). "Fraud case against ex-Aston Villa star Bobby Campbell thrown out". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  9. ^ Sutcliffe, Robert (24 November 2016). "Hundreds turn out to celebrate the life of Huddersfield Town and Bradford City legend Bobby Campbell". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  10. ^ "Bradford City legend Bobby Campbell took his own life, mourners are told". Telegraph & Argus. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
  11. ^ Bobby Campbell at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  12. ^ Bobby Campbell at National-Football-Teams.com
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