https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/f...onservatives-take-council-positions-election/ Bobby Campbell, a player for Portsmouth under George Smith, managed the club for 88 games between May 1982 and May 1984. With a win percentage of 45.45 he could lay claim to best win/loss ratio of any manager since back-to-back Premier League winner Bob Jackson, and would not have this record matched or surpassed until Harry Redknapp's first spell in charge. During his time as a player under Smith he won the old Third Division in 1962 and would match that as a manager in 1983.
What a season that was in 82-83. I remember our league match at home to Cardiff was a featured game on The Big Match. In those days, when Match of the Day showed highlights of just TWO games and The Big Match (Sunday afternoon on ITV), THREE [they don't know they're born these days] they used to very occasionally feature a Second Division [Championship] game, but a Third Division [League One] game was almost unheard of. Unfortunately the game, played in front of around 22,000 if memory serves, ended 0-0. RIP Bobby
What a wonderful side he had in that 82/83 season. Many of the class acts he inherited like Doyle and Rafferty but then he managed to purchase Neil Webb. What a class act and such a pity he had his career ruined by injury. Don't think he featured much for United after their FA Cup Final win in 1990. Thanks for the memories Bobby!!
My memories of Bobby Campbell are as a player. A very firm tackler he played at half back and today would be described as a defensive rather than attacking mid-fielder. I would say that he was a better than average 2nd div player(now championship) let alone 3nd div. Pompey went down and then bounced back up immediately from thev3nd div at that time (1962). At the time Campbell came to the club Dickinson had been playing full back. They then signed inside forwards Brown ( past Scottish international in his 30s who had played in the Blackpool - Stanley Matthews cup winning side) and resigned Johnny Gordon from Birmingham. In the promotion season in the3nd division Dickenson returned to the half back position and Brown dropped back to be the other half back. The two were a very successful pairing but they squeezed Bobby Campbell out of regular 1st team football. RIP Bobby Campbell
He was also responsible for signing two excellent strikers in Alan Biley and Mark Hateley - what a partnership that was !! Bobby Campbell
Too true but after one eventful season back in the 2nd division (Championship) Deacon pressed his trigger. Don't know what he did wrong, maybe he was not happy selling Hateley and left with few funds for a promotion push, but thankfully Bally was up to the job of squeezing the maximum out of playing squad that was inadequately funded, by the then chairman.
Unfortunately, John Deacon suddenly switched his financial investments from PFC into the Portsmouth Basketball team
