Читать книгу Scottish Football Reminiscences and Sketches - Bone David Drummond - Страница 20

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.