Scottish Football Reminiscences and SketchesBone, David Drummond
History
Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches
Bone, David Drummond
Football
Mr. Campbell seems to have had no real starting point in his football
career. The love of the game and its early associations came to him as
if by nature. I am told that when he was quite a boy he used to appear
on the ground at Queen's Park to see his brother Edward playing with old
club companions. He soon began to dribble about, and afterwards show
splendid ability in long-kicking and tackling, and in 1873-74 played for
the Queen's Park in her best matches. The final cup tie, however, was
his first big event, and no doubt the lessons and confidence he obtained
in that match served him well in after years, when he was destined to be
the greatest favourite both among players and spectators that ever took
part in any cup tie or International. Mr. Campbell has now retired from
active duty on the field, but his love for the game, and the welfare of
the players engaged in it, induced him to accept the presidentship of
the Association for 1889-90, and one and all are alive to the fact that
he discharges his duties with the greatest fidelity. As a brilliant
tackler and neat kicker at half-back, it might honestly be said of him
that he had no equal. Men who played against him on great occasions (for
Mr. Campbell always rose to his best form in these) have good cause to
remember how he could "head" the ball away from goal at a critical
moment, and get it through quite a forest of legs. As he was not one of
the cracks in the final cup tie of 1874, I must honestly confess I can't
remember how he played, but as his club scored a victory, and he was one
of the half-backs, he must have done well. Mr. Campbell rarely, if ever,
spends a Saturday afternoon away from Hampden Park in the winter time;
takes a lively interest in his mother club, and, what is of more
account, can still play in his favourite position with great dash and
precision. He has the unique distinction of playing in ten
Internationals with England, and been an office-bearer of his club since
1873.
~Thomas Lawrie.~
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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