 Kimpton circa 1910 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriel Sibley Kimpton | ||
| Date of birth | (1887-08-12)12 August 1887 | ||
| Place of birth | Leavesden, England | ||
| Date of death | 15 February 1968(1968-02-15) (aged 80) | ||
| Place of death | Leavesden, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Leavesden | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1910–1920 | Southampton | 141 | (27) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1921 | DFC Prague | ||
| 1921–1922 | Polonia Warsaw | ||
| 1923 | Cracovia | ||
| 192?–1926 | Le Havre | ||
| 1928–19?? | Coventry City (coach) | ||
| 1934 | France | ||
| 1935–1936 | France | ||
| 1935–1938 | RC Paris | ||
| 1938 | FC Metz | ||
| 1939–1940 | Rouen | ||
| 1945 | Rouen | ||
| 1945–1946 | Le Havre | ||
| 1946–1950 | Cherbourg | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gabriel Sibley "Sid"Kimpton, also known asGeorge Kimpton, (12 August 1887[2] – 15 February 1968) was an Englishfootball player, who spent his entire playing career withSouthampton and subsequently became a manager in Europe coachingDFC Prague,Polonia Warsaw,Cracovia[3][4]Le Havre,Coventry City,France national team,[5]RC Paris,Rouen[6] andCherbourg.[7]
Kimpton was born inLeavesden, nearWatford and, after playing for his local village team, had an unsuccessful trial withWatford in 1909.
He joinedSouthern LeagueSouthampton in September 1910; after one match for the reserves,[1] he made his first-team debut on 22 October, taking over thecentre-forward's role fromPercy Prince, in a 3–0 defeat byCrystal Palace. Kimpton scored in his next match a week later, in a 3–2 defeat atBrentford. By the end of the season, Kimpton had made 29 appearances, scoring seven goals, as the "Saints" finished one point above the relegation places.[8]
According to Holley & Chalk, Kimpton's "main value was his reliability and versatility"; he was "never thought of as a great player (but) had plenty of pluck and bustle which made him hugely popular."[1]
For the 1911–12 season, Southampton's new managerGeorge Swift recruited eleven new players, including centre-forwardHenry Hamilton fromHuddersfield Town. Kimpton retained his place in the side, but moved back toright-half where he played for the first half of the season, before being replaced byJohn Denby in December. Kimpton returned to the side in March, when he took over theoutside-right berth fromJack Wilcox for the rest of the season, at the end of which Southampton were once again just above the relegation zone.[9]
George Swift resigned in the summer of 1912 andJimmy McIntyre was recruited as "trainer" withErnest Arnfield returning as "secretary" (manager). The Saints started the 1912–13 season badly, only winning one match by the end of October. As the managerial team tried to improve performances by recruiting new players, Kimpton managed to retain his place in the side, either at centre-forward or on the right-wing, until February when he was dropped.[10]
He returned to the side the following November and continued at outside-right for the rest of the 1913–14 season.[11] He started the 1914–15 season on the wing, before reverting to centre-forward at the end of October, where he remained for the rest of the season, scoring ten goals as the Saints finished in sixth place, their best Southern League finish for five years.[12]
During theFirst World War, Kimpton worked forThornycroft[1] but continued to turn out for Southampton in wartime leagues and friendlies.[13]
On the resumption of football in 1919, Kimpton was one of only three pre-war players who were re-signed by Southampton, but he was now in his thirties and only made two appearances in Southampton's final Southern League season.[14] Before he left the Saints, he was rewarded with a benefit match.[1] In his Southampton career, he made 149 appearances in peace-time matches, scoring 30 goals.
Kimpton led the first coaching lessons of theFFFA in 1934.[15] He was then called up to help theFrance national team for the1934 World Cup, played in Italy. He had only an advisory role, as the triumvirateGaston Barreau,Jean Rigal andMaurice Delanghe still led the team.[16]
He brought theWM formation in France.[16][17] Interviewed byL'Auto magazine about the level of French football players: "The French team could do better. (...) The French players must follow the discipline of football."[18]
Before the World Cup match France-Austria played on 27 May 1934 inTorino, Kimpton asked FrenchmidfielderGeorges Verriest to do a very tight individual marking on Austrian strikerMatthias Sindelar. He said: "You can follow Sindelar everywhere... even to the toilet! ".[19] France lost 3–2 "doubtful goal" against theWunderteam and more than 4000 people welcomed players and staff at theGare de Lyon. Kimpton was even acclaimed.[18]
Kimpton left the coaching staff of the France national team just after the World Cup. Gaston Barreau expressed relief, because he did not appreciate Kimpton's tactical options.[20] He returned to his coaching lessons held on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays in several stadia of Paris. Alongside his lessons, he became the manager ofRC Paris and again brought the WM formation with sport director ofles Pingouins, Victor Mestre.[15]
After the defeat of the France national team 3–1 versusGermany on 17 March 1935, theFFFA called up Kimpton to an assistant position to teach WM to French international footballers.[21] Kimpton was still theRC Paris manager at that time and only attended the meetings before the matches inChantilly and then inSaint-Germain-en-Laye,[22] because Gaston Barreau did not want to lost his prerogatives during the matches. The first results of France were good enough, but at the beginning of 1936, France lost 1–6 at home againstthe Netherlands and 0–3 versusCzechoslovakia) Kimpton was fired as an assistant but remained physio.[23] Manager Gaston Barreau could now decide the tactics of the French football team.[23]
At RC Paris, Kimpton was also criticised by the Parisian supporters for his "economic football". But he led the team to theFrench championship in1936 and to twoCoupe de France1936 and1939.[24] In 1936, Kimpton cried when Racing won theCoupe de France. In 1939, Kimpton decided with a toss in the locker-room who would play as left-midfielder betweenAndré Raux andLouis Wojtkowiak. The fivefrancs coin selected Wojtkowiak.[25]
Kimpton signed forFC Rouen during summer,[26] butWorld War II temporarily ended football. However,les Diables rouges played well.
During the war, Kimpton was interned by the Germans at theIlag inSaint-Denis, near Paris. He came back to FC Rouen after the war.[27] Under his management, Rouen won the last war championship.
Kimpton then managedHavre AC for one season,[28] and he was fired for poor results. He ended his career withAS Cherbourg.
RC Paris
