Debbie Bampton

Deborah Bampton, MBE, (born 7 October 1961) is an English former international footballer who played as a midfielder. During her career Bampton won a treble at Arsenal and two doubles with Croydon.[1] She also was capped a sum of 95 times for England, scoring seven goals all in all.[2]

Debbie Bampton
MBE
Personal information
Full name Deborah Bampton
Date of birth (1961-10-07) 7 October 1961
Place of birth England
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
Barnfield
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
?–1981 Maidstone
1981–1982/3 Lowestoft Ladies
1983–1985 Howbury Grange
1985–1986 Millwall Lionesses
1987–1988 Despar Trani 80
1988–1991 Millwall Lionesses
1991–1992 Wimbledon
1992–1994 Arsenal
1994–2000 Croydon
2000 Doncaster Belles
International career
1978–1997 England 95 (7)
Managerial career
1994–2000 Croydon
2006–2008 Whitehawk FC Ladies
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Bampton was appointed an MBE in 1998 as a recognition of her services to women's football.[3][4] She also went on to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005.[2]

Club career

Bampton began her career at the age of 14. She played for Lowestoft Ladies F.C., the team winning the Women's FA Cup in 1928, although Bampton missed the final due to injury. She then moved to captain Howbury Grange, managed by her father Albert. She was a member of the side that won the Women's FA Cup in 1984.[5] In 1987 she moved to Italy, playing for Despar Trani 80 as a full–time professional alongside compatriot Kerry Davis. She spent just one season there, but won runners–up medals in both the Serie A and national Cup.[2]

She joined Arsenal Ladies in 1992. Bampton thereafter won with Arsenal the treble of League Cup, Premier League and FA Cup in that being her first season at the club. Her following 1993–94 season was without fruit in comparison to prior.[1][6][7] With this being so, in 1994 Bampton left Highbury to become player-manager of Croydon Women. In 1995–96, Croydon won the League title and the FA Women's Cup. Despite leaving the field after eight minutes due to injury, Bampton won her fifth FA Cup winners' medal when Croydon beat Liverpool in the 1996 final at the New Den.[8] She won the league with Croydon twice more before leaving to join Doncaster Belles as a player in 2000 after the Croydon club moved to Charlton.[9]

In 2004, she joined Eastbourne Borough Ladies FC, a team her father Albert was coaching. During their first season as a women's team they went on to win the Sussex County Cup and the League Cup,

She joined the coaching staff of Whitehawk Ladies in the 2006 close season, along with former Arsenal and England player Angela Banks.[10] In February 2008, she was manager of Whitehawk Ladies.[11] Bampton joined the coaching staff of Lewes FC Ladies in January 2009.[12]

International career

Bampton made her England debut whilst still at school, playing against the Netherlands in September 1978.[2]

Bampton hit the winning goal in Denmark as England qualified for the 1984 European Competition for Women's Football final.[13] In the second leg of the final at Kenilworth Road, Bampton scored in England's penalty shootout defeat to Sweden.[14] In 1985 she became the England captain following the retirement of Carol Thomas, then England's most capped player and still the second longest serving captain. In 1991 she was injured and replaced as captain by Gillian Coultard.[15] In 1995 new manager Ted Copeland restored her as captain,[16] and she led the Three Lionesses into their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup appearance that year.[17] Bampton recalled: "It was difficult, especially as Gill and I were roommates and at that point the England squad was split. A lot of people wanted Clare Taylor to be captain, but it was something I'd always wanted to do and so I just enjoyed it."[18] She retained the captaincy for England's failed 1997 UEFA Women's Championship qualification campaign.[19] In May 1997 Bampton made her final England appearance in a 6–0 friendly defeat to United States in Portland.[20] She won 95 caps for England, scoring three goals altogether.[2]

She was allotted 40 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England’s inaugural international.[21][22]

Playing style

Bampton was a tall, strong and industrious central midfielder. She characterised herself as "a box-to-box player" and said "I worked hard to win the ball, and I was always looking to make forward runs. I was not a natural goalscorer, but I did look to set up chances for others."[2]

Personal life

Bampton is a fan of a men's club, Arsenal[1]

Honours

Club
Lowestoft[1]
Howbury Grange[1]
Millwall[1]
Arsenal[6][7]
Croydon[1]

Individual

References
  1. "Players: Debbie Bampton". Women's Football Archive.com. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  2. Galvin, Robert. "Hall of Fame: Debbie Bampton". National Football Museum. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  3. "Queen's Birthday honours: Hurst joins the football knights". The Independent. 13 June 1998. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  4. United Kingdom list: "No. 55155". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 June 1998. p. 15.
  5. Slegg, Chris; Gregory, Patricia (2021). A History of the Women's FA Cup Final. History Press. ISBN 9780750997713.
  6. "Arsenal Ladies in the FA Cup". Arsenal.com.
  7. "Football / Women's FA Cup Final: Arsenal on trail of the treble". The Independent. 23 October 2011.
  8. "Players: Debbie Bampton". 8 November 2015.
  9. "Charlton's bonus chance". BBC Sport. 5 February 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  10. "Whitehawk swoop for ex-England stars". Fair Game. 29 June 2006. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  11. "Match Report: Whitehawk Ladies 0-1 Rushden & Diamonds Ladies". 25 February 2008. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  12. "Busy schedule for Lewes teams". Lewes FC. 2 January 2009. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  13. "Danmark - England 0 - 1". DBU.dk. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  14. Nilsson, Andreas. "EM för damer 1984". Svenskfotboll.se. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  15. Lopez, Sue (1997). Women on the ball. Scarlet Press. p. 106. ISBN 1-85727-016-9.
  16. Mike Rowbottom (6 June 1995). "Women boldly go where no men have been of late". The Independent. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  17. "England". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  18. "On the Ball with Debbie Bampton". On the Ball. Archived from the original on 7 March 2001. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
  19. Guy Hodgson (1 October 1996). "Bampton still has to break down barriers". The Independent. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
  20. "Women's match data 1996 - 1999". EnglandFC.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  21. "England squad named for World Cup". The Football Association. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  22. Lacey-Hatton, Jack (18 November 2022). "Lionesses introduce 'legacy numbers' for players past and present". mirror. Retrieved 19 June 2023.

Debbie Bampton – FIFA competition record (archived)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.