| 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 | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[1] | ||
| Position | 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 internationalfootballer who played as acentre forward.
Born inBelfast, Campbell started his career atAston 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 toHuddersfield Town in May 1975. He joinedSheffield United in 1977, but left the club after just one season. He briefly returned to Huddersfield Town for a second spell before signing forHalifax Town.
In December 1979, he joinedBradford 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 astand fire while playingLincoln City in the final game of the season.
Campbell left Bradford in 1986 and joinedWigan 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 theFA 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 rivalsBolton Wanderers atBurnden Park in the first round of theLeague Cup.[2]
In 1975, Campbell was selected to play for theNorthern Ireland youth team at theEuropean Under-18 Championship in Switzerland, but was sent home, along with teammate Bertie McMinn, after being involved in a car crash.[3] TheIrish FA subsequently banned both players from representing the country at all levels.[4] After several attempts to overturn the decision, including a petition from supporters,[5] the ban was eventually lifted in 1981.[6]
In April 1982, Campbell was included in theNorthern Ireland squad for the upcomingBritish Home Championship,[7] and was subsequently capped twice during the tournament. He was also selected by his country for the1982 FIFA World Cup later that year, but failed to make an appearance.
After retiring from football in 1988, Campbell worked as a steward at a working men's club inHuddersfield. In 2013, he was dismissed by the club after he and his wife were accused of fraud,[8] but the charges were dropped after the case was taken to court.[9]
On 15 November 2016, Campbell was found dead after hanging himself in his garage.[10][11]
| 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 | ||
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| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
