Players - Ken Campbell

Ken Campbell
Birthdate: 6 September 1892
Birthplace: Cambuslang, Scotland
Date of death: 28 April 1977
Other clubs: Clyde Vale (1908), Rutherglen Glencairn (1908-10), Cambuslang Rangers (1910-11); Southport Central, Partick Thistle (wartime guest), Partick Thistle (1920-22), New Brighton (1922-23), Stoke (1923-25), Leicester City (1925-29), New Brighton (2 / 1929-31)
Signed from: Cambuslang Rangers
Signed for LFC: £10, 09.05.1911
International debut: 26.02.1920 vs. Wales
International caps: 8 caps (3 as a LFC player) - 08.04.1922
Liverpool debut: 10.02.1912
Last appearance: 05.04.1920
Contract expiry: 31.03.1920
Win ratio: 44.37% W:63 D:26 L:53
Total games/goals opposite LFC: 7 / 0
Wartime games/goals: 37 / 0
League games / goals: 125 / 0
Total games / goals: 142 / 0
League clean sheets: 30
Total clean sheets: 37

Player Profile

Campbell became Liverpool's last line of defence before the final seven League games of the 1911/12 season when Liverpool were in deep relegation trouble. Tom Watson showed immense faith in such an inexperienced 20-year-old. Liverpool survived by winning three out of their last four with Campbell keeping three clean sheets. Liverpool's first-choice keeper for the last seven years, Sam Hardy, moved to Villa Park at the end of the season and Campbell missed only one first division match during the 1912/13 season. The man who replaced him on that occasion, the young Elisha Scott, would subsequently ensure that Campbell's spell as Liverpool's first-choice 'keeper was relatively brief, even though he was a Scottish international. Campbell only missed four League games in the 1913/14 season but before the half-way point of the following season, Scott had taken over between the posts. According to a contemporary profile of Campbell he was said to be "the idol of the Anfield crowd, especially the ladies."

When World War I ended and League football resumed, Campbell did find himself a regular once again, but only because of Scott's unavailability. As Scott returned in goal Campbell joined Partick Thistle, but was still living on Merseyside travelling north for games. Finally, in the summer of 1922 the Scottish international surprised everybody, except his family, by moving to New Brighton, a Lancashire Combination club. He wanted to move closer to home and opened a sports outfitter in nearby Wallasey later that year which was to become his base for the rest of his life. On the playing front, he moved to Stoke in March 1923, but featured mainly in the Second Division as the Potters were relegated a couple of months after he joined them. Campbell tasted life in the top-flight once more with newly-promoted Leicester City, who finished seventh in the First Division in his second season. Leicester finished third and second in the next two seasons, but Campbell was no longer first choice by then. Campbell spent the final couple of years of his career at New Brighton, returning there in 1929.
Appearances per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 125 17 0 0 0 142
1911-1912 7 0 0 0 0 7
1912-1913 37 4 0 0 0 41
1913-1914 34 8 0 0 0 42
1914-1915 15 0 0 0 0 15
1919-1920 32 5 0 0 0 37
A more detailed look at the player's appearances
Apps Minutes Opponent
9 810 Newcastle United
8 720 Blackburn Rovers
8 720 Sheffield United
8 720 Aston Villa
8 720 Bradford City
7 630 Sunderland
7 630 Everton
6 540 Bolton Wanderers
6 540 Chelsea
6 540 Middlesbrough
6 540 Manchester United
6 540 Burnley
5 450 Arsenal
5 450 Sheffield Wednesday
5 450 Tottenham
5 450 Oldham Athletic
5 450 Manchester City
5 450 Preston North End
5 450 WBA
4 360 Derby
4 360 Notts County
2 180 Bradford Park Avenue
2 180 Barnsley
2 180 Gateshead
2 180 West Ham United
1 90 Bristol City
1 90 Luton Town
1 90 Huddersfield Town
1 90 Gillingham
1 90 QPR
1 90 Birmingham City
Total Venue
72 Home
68 Away
2 Neutral
Total Competition
125 League
17 FA Cup
Total W D L Win % Manager
105 44 19 42 41.9% Tom Watson
19 12 5 2 63.2% David Ashworth
18 7 2 9 38.9% George Patterson
Clean sheets per season
Season League FA LC Europe Other Total
Totals 30 7 0 0 0 37
1911-1912 3 0 0 0 0 3
1912-1913 6 1 0 0 0 7
1913-1914 8 3 0 0 0 11
1914-1915 1 0 0 0 0 1
1919-1920 12 3 0 0 0 15
Wartime Appearances / Goals
Season Appearances Goals
1915-1916 11 0
1916-1917 9 0
1917-1918 14 0
1918-1919 3 0
Milestone Appearances
# Date Against Stadium Competition
1 10.02.1912 Blackburn Rovers Ewood Park League
50 06.09.1913 Blackburn Rovers Ewood Park League
100 24.10.1914 Burnley Turf Moor League
Related Articles
Kenneth Campbell's life story - Chapter 6

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter six was published on 18 June 1921.

Kenneth Campbell's life story - Chapter 5

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter five was published on 11 June 1921.

Kenneth Campbell's great cup run - Chapter 4

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter four was published on 4 June 1921.

Kenneth Campbell adapting to Liverpool's first team - Chapter 3

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News in May and June of 1921. In the first two chapters he had just left Scotland for Liverpool and was adapting to Merseyside life.

Kenneth Campbell’s unique life story - Chapter 1

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter one was published on 7 May 1921.

Young Scot makes his bow

An excerpt from the Daily News on 21 May 1921.

Kenneth Campbell continues his life story – Chapter 2

Scottish keeper, Kenny Campbell, told his life story in the Weekly News. Chapter two was published on 14 May 1921.

Related Quotes

"Of course, I was introduced to Sam Hardy. He greeted me very kindly, like the splendid fellow he is. “Glad to meet you, young ‘un,’ he said: “hope you like Liverpool, and I wish you all success.” I was proud to meet the man I had heard so much about, and there should be no need to tell you that it was on him I focused my eyes during the whole of that game at Bolton. What a great player he is, was my impression. I watched him carefully, and am not ashamed to own that I learned thoroughly one or two things which have been helpful to me in my career. I noticed, for instance, that there was no gallery play with Sam. He had an unerring eye, and if a ball was going past the upright he made no wild grab at nothing. He simply stood still and watched it go by with the tail of his optic. The same when a high ball came in. Sam didn’t make a jump upwards and catch the bar, as is the fashion of many goalkeepers. An upward glance told him the flight of the ball, and he stood as unconcerned as though the ball had been in midfield. To me his intuition seemed extraordinary. He seemed to place himself right in the spot where a shot was to come in, and by so doing was able to clear his lines with the least possible fuss. Frankly, my ideas of goalkeeping underwent a change, and, although I had a fairly respectable reputation as a ‘keeper at that time, my own feelings were that I was but a tyro. And right here just let me say that I was indebted to Sam for many valuable tips during his term at Anfield while I was there."

Kenneth Campbell on Sam Hardy

Scrapbook
Amusing and amazing stories of Army life - The Weekly News 2 July 1921
Amusing and amazing stories of Army life - The Weekly News 2 July 1921
Campbell congratulates the Lawlers - May 1965
Campbell congratulates the Lawlers - May 1965
Cup ties I shall never forget - The Weekly News 16 July 1921
Cup ties I shall never forget - The Weekly News 16 July 1921
Doctor thought I was swinging the lead - 9 July 1921
Doctor thought I was swinging the lead - 9 July 1921
Ken Campbell and Billy Lacey profile pics
Ken Campbell and Billy Lacey profile pics
Ken Campbell congratulates Tommy Lawrence on 1965 Cup win
Ken Campbell congratulates Tommy Lawrence on 1965 Cup win
Mini biography in Liverpool match programme on 10 February 1912
Mini biography in Liverpool match programme on 10 February 1912
My five minutes with the king - The Weekly News 18 June 1921
My five minutes with the king - The Weekly News 18 June 1921
My remarkable discovery and capture by Liverpool FC - The Weekly News 7 May 1921
My remarkable discovery and capture by Liverpool FC - The Weekly News 7 May 1921
Remarkable speech by Tom Watson - The Weekly News 11 June 1921
Remarkable speech by Tom Watson - The Weekly News 11 June 1921
The debt I owe to Sam Hardy - The Weekly News 21 May 1921
The debt I owe to Sam Hardy - The Weekly News 21 May 1921
When Albert Shepherd bested Liverpool - The Weekly News 4 June 1921
When Albert Shepherd bested Liverpool - The Weekly News 4 June 1921
When Charlie Buchan's smile irritated me - The Weekly News 28 May 1921
When Charlie Buchan's smile irritated me - The Weekly News 28 May 1921
When I was signed for four pounds - The Weekly News 14 May 1921
When I was signed for four pounds - The Weekly News 14 May 1921
Why I re-signed for Partick Thistle - The Weekly News 23 July 1921
Why I re-signed for Partick Thistle - The Weekly News 23 July 1921
Other Clubs
Club Season Club rank League apps League goals Total apps Total goals
Clyde Vale 1908 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Rutherglen Glencairn 1908-1910 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Cambuslang Rangers 1910-1911 Scotland N/A N/A N/A N/A
Partick Thistle 1918-1919 Scotland Division 1 1 0 1 0
Partick Thistle 1919-1920 Scotland Division 1 4 0 4 0
Partick Thistle 1920-1921 Scotland Division 1 38 0 48 0
Partick Thistle 1921-1922 Scotland Division 1 34 0 39 0
New Brighton 1922-1923 Lancashire Combination N/A N/A N/A N/A
Stoke City 1922-1923 England First Division 8 0 8 0
Stoke City 1923-1924 England Second Division 11 0 11 0
Stoke City 1924-1925 England Second Division 9 0 9 0
Stoke City 1925-1926 England Second Division 7 0 7 0
Leicester City 1925-1926 England First Division 26 0 27 0
Leicester City 1926-1927 England First Division 39 0 40 0
Leicester City 1927-1928 England First Division 6 0 6 0
Leicester City 1928-1929 England First Division 8 0 8 0
New Brighton 1929-1930 England Third Division North 26 0 28 0
New Brighton 1930-1931 England Third Division North 29 0 30 0
Total 246 0 266 0