Kenny Campbell

Kenneth Campbell (6 September 1892 – 28 April 1971) was a Scottish footballer, who played as a goalkeeper for Liverpool, Partick Thistle, New Brighton, Stoke City and Leicester City. Campbell also played in eight full international matches for Scotland between 1920 and 1922.

Kenny Campbell
Personal information
Full name Kenneth Campbell
Date of birth (1892-09-06)6 September 1892
Place of birth Cambuslang, Scotland
Date of death 28 April 1971(1971-04-28) (aged 78)
Place of death Macclesfield, England
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Clyde Vale
1908–1910 Rutherglen Glencairn
1910–1911 Cambuslang Rangers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1911–1920 Liverpool 125 (0)
1919Partick Thistle (guest) 1[1] (0)
1920–1922 Partick Thistle 76 (0)
1922–1923 New Brighton
1923–1925 Stoke City 35 (0)
1925–1929 Leicester City 79 (0)
1929–1931 New Brighton 55 (0)
Total 295 (0)
National team
1916Scotland (wartime) 1 (0)
1920–1922 Scotland[2] 8 (0)
1921 Scottish League XI[3] 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Liverpool

Born in Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland, Campbell played for local Junior-grade teams Rutherglen Glencairn and Cambuslang Rangers in his early years; he won the Glasgow Junior League with the latter and twice represented Scotland at that level.[4]

Liverpool manager Tom Watson brought him to Anfield in May 1911. In a contemporary interview he credited Donald McKinlay (a childhood acquaintance from his hometown) in assisting him during his early days at the club.[5]

Campbell did not make his debut until 10 February 1912 in a Division One match at Ewood Park, a game that saw the Reds lose to Blackburn Rovers 1–0. Known for having safe hands, the goalkeeper took over from Sam Hardy after Hardy moved to Aston Villa, and proved to be just as secure as Liverpool's last line of defence. He only missed one game during the 1912–13 season, before he was replaced by his young understudy, Elisha Scott.

Campbell did put up a decent fight for the number 1 jersey, playing in all but four games of the 1913–14 campaign, and he was between the sticks for the 1914 FA Cup Final at the Crystal Palace ground on 25 April. The game finished disappointingly for Liverpool, in a 1–0 defeat to Burnley. The match was to be the last to be played at this venue and it was played in front of a reigning monarch for the very first time, George V. Like many footballers of his era, Campbell's career was interrupted for four years due to the First World War, however upon his return to the game in 1919 he found himself once again number 1 for Liverpool. He stayed there until April 1920, when he played what turned out to be his last game for the club.

Later career

Campbell left Liverpool in April 1920, returning to Scotland to play for Partick Thistle for a fee of £1750[6] where he played in the club's underdog victory in the 1921 Scottish Cup – still the only occasion they have won the trophy.[7]

He returned south of the border to New Brighton (primarily for family reasons, as they had remained on Merseyside when he went to Partick)[8] before joining Stoke City in 1923.[9] Campbell was used as second choice 'keeper to Bob Dixon and in his four seasons spent at the Victoria Ground he made 35 appearances.[9] He then spent another four seasons at Leicester City before ending his career with a two-year spell with old club New Brighton.[9]

International career

Campbell was capped eight times by Scotland (four times while at Liverpool and four while at Partick), his debut coming in a British Home Championship match at Ninian Park, Cardiff against Wales in 1920; the game finished in a 1–1 draw.

He had also been selected in an unofficial wartime international in May 1916 (the only game of this nature during the course of the war itself).[10]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[11][12]

Club Season League Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Liverpool 1911–12 First Division 700070
1912–13 First Division 37040410
1913–14 First Division 34080420
1914–15 First Division 15000150
1919–20 First Division 32050370
Total 12501701420
Partick Thistle 1919–20 Scottish Division One 400040
1920–21 Scottish Division One 380100480
1921–22 Scottish Division One 34050390
Total 760150910
Stoke City 1922–23 First Division 800080
1923–24 Second Division 11000110
1924–25 Second Division 900090
1925–26 Second Division 700070
Total 35000350
Leicester City 1925–26 First Division 26010270
1926–27 First Division 39010400
1927–28 First Division 600060
1928–29 First Division 800080
Total 79020810
New Brighton 1929–30 Third Division North 26020280
1930–31 Third Division North 29010300
Total 55030580
Career Total 37003704070

International

Source:[13]

National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 192030
192120
192230
Total80

References

  1. "Kenneth Campbell continues his life story – Chapter 9 (Doctor thought I was swinging the lead)". The Weekly News via Partick Thistle History Archive. 9 July 1921. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  2. Ken Campbell at the Scottish Football Association
  3. "Scottish League player Kenny Campbell". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  4. "Scotland Junior International Results and Lineups". Scottish Football Historical Archive. Archived from the original on 5 May 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  5. "Kenneth Campbell continues his life story – Chapter 2". The Weekly News via PlayUpLiverpool. 14 May 1921. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  6. "A Rough Act to Follow – History of Thistle Keepers (newspaper article, 1992)". Partick Thistle History Archive. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  7. "How Partick Thistle won the Scottish Cup". The Sunday Post via Partick Thistle History Archive. 17 April 1921. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  8. Out Of The Limelight, Fife Press and Kirkcaldy Guardian, 9 September 1922, via Play Up, Liverpool
  9. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  10. "Scotland (wartime) player Kenneth Campbell". www.londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  11. Kenny Campbell at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  12. [A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players], John Litster / Scottish Football Historian magazine, October 2012
  13. Campbell, Kenny at National-Football-Teams.com
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