Alastair Campbell

Cricket

Campbell played first-class cricket for Hampshire, making his debut in the 1908 County Championship against Northamptonshire at Northampton, with him making a further appearance in 1908 against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham. The following season, he made a further five appearances in the 1909 County Championship. In seven first-class matches, he scored 91 runs at an average of 9.10, with a highest score of 21.

Football

Pre-war football

Campbell was spotted by Southampton, with him joining the club in 1908. He made his professional debut in a Southern League match at Millwall on 27 February 1909, as a replacement for Bert Trueman. He "quickly emerged as one of the club's brightest-ever prospects". Two further appearances for Southampton followed, before he was persuaded to join Samuel Hill-Wood's team at Glossop North End in September 1909, together with several other amateur internationals. He remained at Glossop until January 1914, making ten appearances. He then returned to Southampton, when he was offered employment as district manager of the Hyde Abbey Brewery. Upon his return, he resigned for Southampton as an amateur, but turned professional a month later and subsequently signed for Hampshire League side Boscombe before the outbreak of the First World War.

Wartime service and football

With the outbreak of the First World War, Campbell's football career was interrupted. He served in the British Army during the war,…

In April 1927 Campbell was appointed manager at Chesterfield, remaining only until December. In his 25 games in charge, Chesterfield picked up nine victories with eleven defeats. While manager at Chesterfield, he was engaged as a club cricketer. After leaving Chesterfield he quit football entirely. Returning to Southampton, Campbell was declared bankrupt the following year when the fruit importing business in which he held a directorship had unwisely invested in Brazilian bananas. Campbell served as an emergency commission in the Royal Artillery during the Second World War, holding the rank of lieutenant. He fell ill in 1942, spending time in the Belfast Military Hospital. Given a few months to live, he returned to England, where he died of pneumonia at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham in June 1943. Having been cremated at Southampton Crematorium, he is commemorated on the war memorial at South Stoneham Garden of Rest.

Campbell was born at South Stoneham to Scottish parents in May 1890, with his father being a noted sailor in Southampton. He was educated in Southampton at the King Edward VI Grammar School, where he was captain of both the football and cricket elevens. While at school he played for England at amateur level in an international against the Netherlands, the only known occasion that a schoolboy has represented his country at that level.

As a player for Southampton Football League Third Division South Champions: 1921–22