:''This article relates to the Irish footballer. For others, see John Campbell.'' John Peter Campbell (28 June 1923 – January 1968) was a footballer from

Derry Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...

, Northern Ireland. Campbell grew up playing

Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...

at school. He was also an accomplished sprinter, and an Ulster champion over 100 and 200 metres. He first played football for Foyle Harps, before being signed-up by Derry City, and from there he moved to Belfast Celtic in 1945. At 'Paradise', Campbell won Irish League and

Irish Cup The Irish Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly referred to as the Irish Cup (currently known as the Samuel Gelston's Whiskey Irish Cup for sponsorship purposes) is the primary football knock-out cup competition in Northern Ireland. Ina ...

winner's medals, as well as representing the Irish League. Perhaps his most famous contribution to the club's history was scoring both goals in a 2–0 win over Scotland during Celtic's swansong tour of America. By the time of the US Tour, Campbell had already departed Belfast Celtic for

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

. He played in 62

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

games for Fulham before his career was ended by injury early in the 1952–53 season.FULHAM : 1946/47 - 2007/08
Newcastle Fans. During his time in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

he earned two caps, and indeed his wing-play earned praise from the maestro himself,

Stanley Matthews Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer who played as an outside right. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the British game, he is the only player to have been knighted while stil ...

. When his career ended, Campbell returned to

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

to work as a scout for Fulham. He died from bowel cancer at the young age of 44. Inadvertently, Campbell's death brought a brief return of football to 'Paradise', a Belfast Celtic Select playing a benefit match which raised £800 for his family.

References

External links

Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database profile
1923 births 1968 deaths Belfast Celtic F.C. players Derry City F.C. players Men's association football wingers Fulham F.C. players Gaelic footballers who switched code Derry Gaelic footballers NIFL Premiership players Northern Ireland men's international footballers Association footballers from Derry (city) Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland Ulster Scots people {{NorthernIreland-footy-bio-stub