Les Chapman
Encyclopedia
Leslie "Les" Chapman is an English former football player and manager and legendary Kit Man at Manchester City F.C. As a player, he made 749 appearances in the Football League
in a career that spanned 22 seasons, playing for Oldham Athletic
, Huddersfield Town
, Stockport County
, Bradford City
, Rochdale
, Stockport County
and Preston North End
, and also spent a season in the North American Soccer League
with the San Jose Earthquakes. As a manager, he took charge of Stockport County and Preston North End.
, Lancashire
and as a youngster played for Chadderton
Boys before going on to play for Huddersfield Town
's youth team during his schooldays. He spent the first months of his working life as a trainee accountant with Middleton Council before being recommended to Oldham Athletic
, where he signed as a professional. He made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old against Bristol Rovers
in February 1967, but went back to Huddersfield Town in September 1969.
for San Jose Earthquakes before returning to England and to Stockport County
. After one season at Edgeley Park
, Chapman left to sign for Bradford City
. He spent four seasons at Valley Parade
making 139 league appearances, before leaving on a free transfer for Rochdale
where he spent two seasons, playing nearly 100 games for the Spotland
side.
. In 1990, he took over the managership of the club himself but was later sacked in October 1992. He became reserve team coach at Manchester City
in January 1993 but was replaced by Kevin Bond
in July 1996. Then in 1996 he became youth coach at Huddersfield Town in place of Mark Lillis
but was sacked in October 1997. He then became Manchester City's kit man.
, is an actress perhaps best known for playing Rachel Jordache in the British soap opera
Brookside
.
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in a career that spanned 22 seasons, playing for Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
, Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
, Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
, and also spent a season in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
with the San Jose Earthquakes. As a manager, he took charge of Stockport County and Preston North End.
Early years
Chapman was born in RoytonRoyton
Royton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies by the source of the River Irk, on undulating land at the foothills of the Pennines, north-northwest of Oldham, south-southeast of Rochdale and northeast of the city of Manchester.Historically a...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and as a youngster played for Chadderton
Chadderton
Chadderton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England, historically a part of Lancashire...
Boys before going on to play for Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
's youth team during his schooldays. He spent the first months of his working life as a trainee accountant with Middleton Council before being recommended to Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
, where he signed as a professional. He made his first-team debut as an 18-year-old against Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers F.C.
Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
in February 1967, but went back to Huddersfield Town in September 1969.
Back at Oldham
In December 1974, he returned to Oldham Athletic, now in Division Two. He stayed at the club for the next four and a half years, during which they climbed back up to the Second Division. Chapman missed only five games during that time and it came as a surprise to many when he left at the end of the 1978–79 season. In total, he made 263 league appearances for Oldham Athletic and scored 20 times.Later years
Upon leaving Oldham, Chapman spent the summer of 1979 playing in the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
for San Jose Earthquakes before returning to England and to Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
. After one season at Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park is an association football and rugby union stadium in Stockport, England. The stadium was initially built for the rugby league club Stockport in 1901, but by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and in the same year, Stockport County Football Club, who were looking for a bigger ground,...
, Chapman left to sign for Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
. He spent four seasons at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
making 139 league appearances, before leaving on a free transfer for Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
where he spent two seasons, playing nearly 100 games for the Spotland
Spotland
Spotland is a district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Spodden, and is the home of Spotland Stadium.Historically a part of Lancashire, Spotland was formerly its own township within the ancient parish of Rochdale....
side.
Management career
In July 1985 he became player-manager of Stockport County but moved on a year later to become player-coach under John McGrath at Preston North EndPreston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
. In 1990, he took over the managership of the club himself but was later sacked in October 1992. He became reserve team coach at Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
in January 1993 but was replaced by Kevin Bond
Kevin Bond
Kevin Bond may refer to:*Kevin Bond , former footballer and assistant manager at Tottenham Hotspur*Kevin Bond *Kevin Bond , Grammy Award winning sound engineer...
in July 1996. Then in 1996 he became youth coach at Huddersfield Town in place of Mark Lillis
Mark Lillis
Mark Anthony Lillis is a former professional footballer and manager.-Player:Mark Lillis started his professional career at Huddersfield Town in Summer 1978. He played for Huddersfield for seven seasons before being sold in 1985 to Manchester City for £130,000...
but was sacked in October 1997. He then became Manchester City's kit man.
Personal life
Chapman's daughter, TiffanyTiffany Chapman
Tiffany Chapman is an English actress. She played Rachel Jordache in the soap opera Brookside from 1993 until the show's conclusion in 2003...
, is an actress perhaps best known for playing Rachel Jordache in the British soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
.