Bobby Campbell: Talented footballer who became a hard-but-fair manager and restored Chelsea to the top flight

The Merseysider had entered the professional game as a neatly constructive wing-half with Liverpool

Campbell: his Chelsea side won the Second Division title 17 points ahead of Manchester City (Bob Thomas)

Tough, sometimes abrasive, but usually jaunty, Bobby Campbell guided Chelsea to the premier flight of English football in 1988-89, the Londoners winning the Second Division title by 17 points from Manchester City. During the following autumn, Chelsea fleetingly led the First Division, with the likes of Kerry Dixon, Graham Roberts and Peter Nicholas shining, but they fell away to finish fifth. Then, after spending heavily, they dropped to mid-table in 1990-91, Campbell was replaced as manager by Ian Porterfield that summer and, though he remained briefly at Stamford Bridge as chairman Ken Bates’ personal assistant, his time at the top was over.

The Merseysider had entered the professional game as a neatly constructive wing-half with Liverpool, earning England youth international honours, then meshing attractively with midfielders Jimmy Melia and Johnny Wheeler as the Reds battled to rise from the second tier. However, he lacked pace and was not outstanding defensively, eventually finding his way blocked by Gordon Milne and Tommy Leishman and failing to impress the new manager, Bill Shankly.

In summer 1961 Campbell was freed to join Wigan Athletic, returning to League competition in November with Portsmouth, making a marginal contribution to their Third Division championship triumph of 1961-62. He stepped down to Aldershot of the basement division in 1966, soon retiring as a player though injury, then rejoining Pompey to coach for five years from 1967. Next he helped Gordon Jago lead Queen’s Park Rangers into the First Division in 1973, then coached under Bertie Mee at Arsenal until 1976 before becoming Fulham’s chief coach later that year.

In December Campbell replaced Alec Stock as manager at Craven Cottage, causing some internal resistance, as many expected Alan Mullery to get the job, and he managed to steer his charges clear of demotion in the spring. There followed two seasons of mid-table hope and inconsistency and a high turnover of players amid unsettling financial constraint, culminating in relegation to the Third Division in 1979-80.

Sacked following a poor start to the new season, Campbell spent 18 months as assistant manager of Aldershot before taking the helm of Portsmouth in March 1982 and leading an attractive team featuring the gifted young play-maker Neil Webb to the championship of the third tier in 1982-83.

Surprisingly he was dismissed in May 1984 after a season of consolidation at the higher level, going on to short spells as assistant manager of Arsenal under Don Howe, coaching QPR reserves and work in Kuwait before starting at Chelsea, initially as assistant to John Hollins, in March 1988. Later he returned to Kuwait with Al Arabi.

IVAN PONTING

Robert John Campbell, footballer and manager; born Liverpool 23 April 1937; died 6 November 2015.