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Alec Campbell (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Alistair Kenyon Campbell (29 May 1890 – 16 June 1943) was a professional footballer
who played (as a centre-half) nearly 200 games for Southampton
in the first quarter of the twentieth century, before briefly becoming manager at Chesterfield
.
to Scottish parents and was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Southampton, where he was captain of both the football and cricket
elevens. Whilst still at school he played for England
at amateur level in an international against Netherlands
, the only known occasion that a schoolboy has represented his country at that level.
Before embarking on his career as a footballer, Campbell played seven matches for Hampshire County Cricket Club
in 1908 and 1909 as a right-handed batsman.
and joined them in 1908, making his professional debut in a Southern League
match at Millwall
on 27 February 1909, as a replacement for Bert Trueman
. He "quickly emerged as one of the club's brightest-ever prospects" but, unfortunately for the Saints, in September 1909 he (together with several other amateur internationals) was persuaded to join Samuel Hill-Wood's team at Glossop North End
.
interrupted his career. During the war he guested for West Ham United
as well as turning out regularly for Southampton. Although he was offered terms to join West Ham at the end of the war, he decided to stay in Southampton where he had been offered a directorship with a firm of fruit importers.
, he lost his place to George Bradburn
, before regaining it in March for the remainder of the season, becoming team captain. At 6 ft 2 in he was a distinctive figure on the pitch with his "telescopic legs". According to Holley & Chalk's "Alphabet of the Saints" he was "undoubtedly one of the club's best-ever centre-halves" and led the team to many fine performances. Under manager Jimmy McIntyre
Saints were admitted into Division 3 of the Football League in 1920, and just missed out on promotion in their first season, but a year later
McIntyre had successfully guided Southampton into Division Two as champions of Football League Division 3 (South).
, when, now aged 36, he joined Poole Town
. Poole had just turned professional and joined the Southern League
, Eastern Division. Although only placed 14th out of 17 sides in 1926-27, the season was distinguished by an excellent FA Cup
run, in which Poole beat Third Division (South) side Newport County 1-0 and met Everton
in the 3rd Round proper, where they were beaten 3-1 by a Dixie Dean
hat-trick at Goodison Park
in front of a 65,000 crowd.
, remaining only until December. In his 25 games in charge, Chesterfield picked up nine victories with eleven defeats. After leaving Chesterfield he quit football entirely.
During World War II
he served as an officer in the Royal Artillery
, but died of pneumonia
in Cosham
's Queen Alexandra Hospital
in June 1943.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played (as a centre-half) nearly 200 games for Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in the first quarter of the twentieth century, before briefly becoming manager at Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
.
Early career
Campbell was born at South StonehamSwaythling
Swaythling was once a village but over the years it has gradually become a suburb and electoral ward of Southampton in Hampshire, England. The ward has a population of 13,394....
to Scottish parents and was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Southampton, where he was captain of both the football and cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
elevens. Whilst still at school he played for England
England national amateur football team
The England national amateur football team was the amateur representative team for England at football. It was formed in 1906, due to the growth of the professional game which meant that amateur players could no longer easily find places in the main England national team.-First match and unbeaten...
at amateur level in an international against Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, the only known occasion that a schoolboy has represented his country at that level.
Before embarking on his career as a footballer, Campbell played seven matches for Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club
Hampshire County Cricket Club represents the historic county of Hampshire in cricket's County Championship. The club was founded in 1863 as a successor to the Hampshire county cricket teams and has played at the Antelope Ground from then until 1885, before moving to the County Ground where it...
in 1908 and 1909 as a right-handed batsman.
Southampton
He was soon spotted by Southampton Football ClubSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and joined them in 1908, making his professional debut in a Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
match at Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
on 27 February 1909, as a replacement for Bert Trueman
Bert Trueman
Albert Henry Trueman was an English footballer who played as a half-back for various clubs in the early twentieth century.-Football career:...
. He "quickly emerged as one of the club's brightest-ever prospects" but, unfortunately for the Saints, in September 1909 he (together with several other amateur internationals) was persuaded to join Samuel Hill-Wood's team at Glossop North End
Glossop North End A.F.C.
Glossop North End A.F.C. are an English football club based in Glossop, Derbyshire. Former members of the Football League, they are currently in the North West Counties League and are members of the Derbyshire County Football Association. They play their home matches at Surrey Street, which has a...
.
Wartime football
He remained at Glossop until January 1914, before returning to The Dell. He had failed to break back into the first team before the outbreak of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
interrupted his career. During the war he guested for West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
as well as turning out regularly for Southampton. Although he was offered terms to join West Ham at the end of the war, he decided to stay in Southampton where he had been offered a directorship with a firm of fruit importers.
Return to Southampton
After regular football had restarted in 19191919-20 in English football
The 1919–1920 season was the 45th season of competitive football in England, and the first following the end of World War I.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition...
, he lost his place to George Bradburn
George Bradburn (footballer)
George Bradburn was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for Southampton and Walsall in the years immediately after World War I.-Football career:...
, before regaining it in March for the remainder of the season, becoming team captain. At 6 ft 2 in he was a distinctive figure on the pitch with his "telescopic legs". According to Holley & Chalk's "Alphabet of the Saints" he was "undoubtedly one of the club's best-ever centre-halves" and led the team to many fine performances. Under manager Jimmy McIntyre
Jimmy McIntyre
James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
Saints were admitted into Division 3 of the Football League in 1920, and just missed out on promotion in their first season, but a year later
1921-22 in English football
The 1921–22 season was the 47th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The league underwent a major expansion for the second consecutive season, adding 20 teams from the Midlands and Northern England. They were placed in the new Third Division North, and the existing southern-based...
McIntyre had successfully guided Southampton into Division Two as champions of Football League Division 3 (South).
Poole Town
Campbell remained with the Saints until the end of the 1925-26 season1925-26 in English football
The 1925–26 season was the 51st season of competitive football in England. This marked the year that Huddersfield Town won the League three years running, making them the first team in Football League history to do so.-Honours:-First Division:...
, when, now aged 36, he joined Poole Town
Poole Town F.C.
Poole Town F.C. is a football club based in Poole, England. They were established in 1890 and joined the Western League Division Two in 1930. They won the Western League title in 1957 and reached the First Round Proper of the FA Cup four times in their history. They are currently members of the...
. Poole had just turned professional and joined the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, Eastern Division. Although only placed 14th out of 17 sides in 1926-27, the season was distinguished by an excellent FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
run, in which Poole beat Third Division (South) side Newport County 1-0 and met Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the 3rd Round proper, where they were beaten 3-1 by a Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
hat-trick at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
in front of a 65,000 crowd.
Management career
In April 1927 he was appointed manager at ChesterfieldChesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, remaining only until December. In his 25 games in charge, Chesterfield picked up nine victories with eleven defeats. After leaving Chesterfield he quit football entirely.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he served as an officer in the Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
, but died of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in Cosham
Cosham
Cosham is a northern suburb of Portsmouth lying within the city boundary but off Portsea Island. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 along with Drayton and Wymering and Bocheland , Frodington and Copenore on the island.The name is of Saxon origin and means "Cossa's homestead"...
's Queen Alexandra Hospital
Queen Alexandra Hospital
The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham, Portsmouth, is one of several hospitals serving the city of Portsmouth...
in June 1943.
As a player
SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
- Football League Third Division SouthFootball League Third Division SouthThe Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
Champions: 1921-221921-22 in English footballThe 1921–22 season was the 47th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The league underwent a major expansion for the second consecutive season, adding 20 teams from the Midlands and Northern England. They were placed in the new Third Division North, and the existing southern-based...