Dave Bamber

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.

Dave Bamber
Personal information
Full name John David Bamber
Date of birth (1959-02-01) 1 February 1959
Place of birth Prescot, England
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) [1]
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1983 Blackpool 81 (29)
1983 Coventry City 19 (3)
1983–1984 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)
Total 438 (148)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Born in Prescot, Lancashire, in youth and junior football, Bamber played for Leicester University and St. Helens Town. 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 later in 1983, 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]

Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other[A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Blackpool 1979–80 Third Division 7110000081
1980–81 Third Division 153000021174
1981–82 Fourth Division 38155121304817
1982–83 Fourth Division 26102144003215
Total 812982655110037
Coventry City 1983–84 First Division 193102100224
Walsall 1983–84 Third Division 103000000103
1984–85 Third Division 104003000134
Total 207003000237
Portsmouth 1983–84 Second Division 4100000041
Trelleborgs FF 1985 Allsvenskan 4100000041
Swindon Town 1985–86 Fourth Division 239001000249
1986–87 Third Division 42933341045820
1987–88 Second Division 41133263505518
Total 106316510715413747
Watford 1988–89 Second Division 183002120224
Stoke City 1988–89 Second Division 236320000268
1989–90 Second Division 202002011233
Total 4383220114911
Hull City 1989–90 Second Division 193000000193
1990–91 Second Division 92002000112
Total 285002000305
Blackpool 1990–91 Fourth Division 23171000402817
1991–92 Fourth Division 42262146525335
1992–93 Second Division 24130000102513
1993–94 Second Division 224003310267
1994–95 Second Division 2000200040
Total 11360319911213672
Career Total 43614821103623348527189
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

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)

Further reading
  • Calley, Roy (20 October 1992). Blackpool: A Complete Record 1887–1992. Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd. ISBN 1-873626-07-X.
  • Singleton, Steve, ed. (2007). Legends: The great players of Blackpool FC (1 ed.). Blackpool: Blackpool Gazette. ISBN 978-1-84547-182-8.
  • Mattick, Dick (2002). Swindon Town Football Club – 100 Greats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. p. 14. ISBN 0-7524-2714-8.
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