Dave Bamber

Last updated

Dave Bamber
Personal information
Full name John David Bamber
Date of birth (1959-02-01) 1 February 1959 (age 64)
Place of birth Prescot, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1979–1983 Blackpool 81 (29)
1983–1984 Coventry City 19 (3)
1984 Walsall 20 (7)
1984 Portsmouth 4 (1)
1985 Trelleborgs FF 4 (1)
1985–1987 Swindon Town 108 (31)
1988 Watford 18 (3)
1988–1989 Stoke City 43 (8)
1989–1990 Hull City 28 (5)
1990 → Blackpool (loan) 5 (4)
1990–1994 Blackpool 108 (56)
Total438(148)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John David Bamber (born 1 February 1959) is an English former professional footballer. He played for nine clubs during a fifteen-year career. Over half of his 148 goals in the Football League were scored during his three spells with Blackpool.

Contents

Career

Born in Prescot, Lancashire, Bamber played for Leicester University and St. Helens Town in youth and junior football. Bamber began his professional career at Blackpool in 1979. His starting debut came on 29 December 1979, in a loss at Chester City. He scored his first goal for the Seasiders on 7 April 1980, in a league encounter against Carlisle United at Bloomfield Road. During the next four years of struggle, Bamber scored 36 goals in 100 games in all competitions under four different managers. Coventry City came in for his services prior to the 1983–84 season. Bamber moved to Walsall in 1984, before a short stay at Portsmouth in 1984.

In 1985, he joined Swedish side Trelleborgs FF, making just four league appearances, scoring one goal, before moving back to England to play for Swindon Town later that same year. In two years with the Robins he made 108 league appearances, scoring 31 goals.

In 1988, he joined Watford with whom he made 18 league appearances and scored three goals before moving to Stoke City later that same year. In 1989, he joined Hull City, before returning to Blackpool in 1990 to bring his fifteen-year playing career to a close. He was re-signed by the Seasiders initially on loan, in December 1990, by the departing Graham Carr, who was immediately replaced by his assistant, Billy Ayre. "I signed for Graham Carr on the Thursday and got on the coach to go down to Hereford to find out that he'd been sacked," Bamber explained in 2012. [2] "Nobody seemed to know what was going on. Billy Ayre got on the coach further down the M6." A month later, on 5 January 1991, shortly before kick-off in an FA Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur, new Seasiders manager Billy Ayre agreed to pay Hull £50,000 for Bamber.

In his second spell at Blackpool, Bamber played at Wembley twice in successive seasons (1990–91 and 1991–92), both in the play-off finals, and both of which went to penalty shoot-outs. In the first final, against Torquay United, Bamber put his spot-kick wide of Gareth Howells' left-hand post, handing promotion to the Tangerines' south-coast opponents. Following this loss, the Gulls named their fanzine Bamber's Right Foot, in mockery of the striker's miss.

The following year, however, Blackpool were victorious in the same manner against Scunthorpe United and were promoted to the new Division Two. Bamber, who played despite needing an operation on his knee (preserving his record of being an ever-present throughout the season), scored Blackpool's normal-time goal. He did not partake in the penalty shoot-out. A persistent pelvic injury forced Bamber to retire in 1994.

Blackpool F.C. Hall of Fame

Bamber was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Bloomfield Road, when it was officially opened by former Blackpool player Jimmy Armfield in April 2006. [3] Organised by the Blackpool Supporters Association, Blackpool fans around the world voted on their all-time heroes. Five players from each decade are inducted; Bamber is in the 1990s. [4]

Post-retirement

After retiring from football, Bamber remained in Blackpool with his family, becoming a property developer.

Career statistics

Source: [5]

ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOther [A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackpool 1979–80 Third Division 7110000081
1980–81 Third Division153000021174
1981–82 Fourth Division 38155121304817
1982–83 Fourth Division26102144003215
Total812982655110037
Coventry City 1983–84 First Division 193102100224
Walsall 1983–84 Third Division103000000103
1984–85 Third Division104003000134
Total207003000237
Portsmouth 1983–84 Second Division 4100000041
Trelleborgs FF 1985 Allsvenskan 4100000041
Swindon Town 1985–86 Fourth Division239001000249
1986–87 Third Division42933341045820
1987–88 Second Division41133263505518
Total106316510715413747
Watford 1988–89 Second Division183002120224
Stoke City 1988–89 Second Division236320000268
1989–90 Second Division202002011233
Total4383220114911
Hull City 1989–90 Second Division193000000193
1990–91 Second Division92002000112
Total285002000305
Blackpool 1990–91 Fourth Division23171000402817
1991–92 Fourth Division42262146525335
1992–93 Second Division24130000102513
1993–94 Second Division224003310267
1994–95 Second Division2000200040
Total11360319911213672
Career Total43614821103623348527189
A.  ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the Anglo-Scottish Cup, Football League Group Cup, Football League play-offs, Football League Trophy and Full Members Cup.

Honours

Swindon Town

Blackpool

Individual

Related Research Articles

Trevor Lloyd Sinclair is an English football coach, former professional footballer and pundit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Ayre</span> English footballer and manager

William Ayre was an English footballer who played for three clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred League appearances in the process. After retiring from the playing side of the game, he became a manager, and took the helm at five clubs between 1984 and 2000. He guided Blackpool to two successive play-off finals, in 1991 and 1992, during his four years in charge of the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Hutchison</span> Scottish footballer and manager

Thomas Hutchison is a Scottish former footballer who played as a midfielder. He made over 1,100 appearances, including 314 in the Football League alone for Coventry City, and more than 160 apiece in the competition for Blackpool and Swansea City, plus shorter spells in the United States and Hong Kong. Hutchison gained 17 caps for Scotland between 1973 and 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Dodds</span> Scottish footballer

Ephraim Dodds was a Scottish professional footballer. He played in the 1936 FA Cup final, and, at the time of his death was the oldest surviving player to have played in a final at Wembley Stadium.

Paul Andrew Stewart is an English former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and forward.

Allan Duncan Brown was a Scottish football player and manager. Brown played as an inside forward for East Fife, Blackpool, Luton Town, Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic. He also represented Scotland, scoring six goals in 14 international appearances, and the Scottish League. Brown was player/manager of Wigan Athletic, and also managed Luton Town, Torquay United, Bury, Nottingham Forest, Southport and Blackpool.

Anthony Joseph Ellis is an English former professional footballer who commanded combined transfer fees of nearly £750,000 and scored 185 league goals in 518 league games during a sixteen-year Football League career. He was most recently Academy Manager at Rochdale.

Michael John Davies is an English former professional footballer. He spent the entirety of his eleven-year playing career with Blackpool, for whom he became a coach after his retirement from playing in 1995. He was also their joint temporary manager with Mick Hennigan between December 1999 and January 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Bedford (footballer)</span> English footballer

Henry Bedford was an English professional footballer who played as a forward. He scored 308 league goals in 488 league appearances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Johnston (footballer, born 1919)</span> English footballer (1919-1973)

Henry Johnston was an English footballer. He was the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year in 1951. He spent his entire professional playing career with Blackpool, with whom he appeared in three FA Cup Finals, winning one. During his career, he appeared in all three half-back positions, and even moved up to centre forward when needed.

Alan Suddick was an English professional footballer who played at inside-right for Blackpool, Bury, Newcastle United, Southport and Stoke City. A talented player, he was a dead ball specialist, with a unique ability to bend the ball, and was known in particular for his "banana" free-kicks; he would often crouch down before taking set pieces, so that the keeper could not see him, thus making his strikes more difficult to read.

Michael Edward Burns is an English former professional footballer.

Andrew Garner is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Derby County and Blackpool. He is a first-team coach at Mansfield Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Hampson</span> English footballer

James Hampson was an English professional footballer. He spent eleven seasons at Blackpool, where he remains record goalscorer with 252 goals in 373 games, and is still regarded as one of the best centre forwards to play for the club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Perry (footballer)</span> South African footballer (1930–2007)

William Perry was a professional footballer. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool from 1949 to 1962. Born in South Africa, he played for the England national team.

Michael Anthony Walsh is a former professional footballer who works as a football agent. A striker, he spent his club career in England and Portugal. Born in England, he represented the Republic of Ireland national team at international level.

Philip Ian Clarkson is an English former professional footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Parkinson (footballer, born 1869)</span> English footballer

John Parkinson was an English professional footballer. He played as a forward.

Edward Glyn James is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a defender. He spent his entire professional career with Blackpool.

The 1991–92 season was Blackpool F.C.'s 84th season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Four, then the fourth tier of English football. They finished fourth, missing out on automatic promotion by one point for the second consecutive season after a final-day defeat at Lincoln City, and were promoted via the play-offs to the new Division Two. It was Billy Ayre's first full season as manager.

References

  1. ↑ Rollin, Jack, ed. (1980). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1980–81 . London: Queen Anne Press. p.  70. ISBN   0362020175.
  2. ↑ "Billy Ayre: Blackpool to honour promotion-winning boss" – BBC Sport, 2 October 2012
  3. ↑ Singleton, Steve, ed. (2007). Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC (1 ed.). Blackpool: Blackpool Gazette. pp. 106–109. ISBN   978-1-84547-182-8.
  4. ↑ "The Hall of Fame – 1980's". Blackpool Supporters Association. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  5. ↑ Dave Bamber at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  6. ↑ Lynch. The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. p. 149.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.