Johnny Campbell

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

George Ramsay led Management Committee

First Squad Appearance

Monday, 2 September 1895

Debut Appearance

Monday, 2 September 1895

West Bromwich Albion (h), Division One

First Goal

Saturday, 7 September 1895

Final Appearance

Monday, 26 April 1897

Preston North End (a), Division One

Final Squad Appearance

Monday, 26 April 1897

Johnny Campbell

Player #113 for Aston Villa, John James Campbell, known as Johnny Campbell, played as a forward for the club in the inside forward position.

Johnny represented Villa in 1895-96 and 1896-97.

Johnny was born in Glasgow on 18 August 1872 and made his debut as a 23 year old on 2nd September 1895.

Villa had signed Johnny from Celtic and he went on to represent the club 63 scoring at an incredible rate over his 2 seasons at the club.

Johnny’s goalscoring prowess enabled Villa to win the League Championship (1895-96) and the League & FA Cup double (1896-97).

Johnny scored the crucial first goal in the final, held at Crystal Palace in front of 65,891 people, as Villa recovered from a 2-1 deficit to beat Everton, 3-2.

By a twist of fate, as rival teams for the league title were involved in league matches on the afternoon of the 1896-97 FA Cup Final, results meant that Villa’s lead at the top of the table became unassailable.

Therefore, Villa became the only club to have won the League and FA Cup on the same day.

Johnny played in 26 of 30 of Villa’s games in the 1895-96 Championship winning season achieving a remarkable feat of a goal per game over an entire season.

Johnny also had the honour of scoring the first ever goal at Villa Park in the league fixture against Blackburn Rovers on the 17th April 1897 as Villa ran out 3-0 winners.

Then in front of a crowd of 35,000 on the 19th April 1897 Johnny scored a brace at Villa Park in the 5-0 annihilation of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Villa News and Record of 1st September 1906 paid tribute to Johnny:

“The second greatest centre we have had [to Archie Hunter]. … He worked for position, and quickly and unobtrusively made openings for the [other] forwards.”

“[He was] a rare dribbler, a sure and adroit passer, unselfish, and a fine shot; a stalwart gentleman who played the game because he liked it …”

In the following season’s double winning season Johnny played 29 out of 30 of Villa’s league games but had to make do with just a goal every other game with 13 goals.

Sadly the following week, away to Preston North End at Deepdale was to prove his final outing in a Villa shirt aged just 24 with his return to Celtic sealed for the 1897-98 season.

Without doubt had Johnny remained with Villa longer as his age and talent would surely have allowed he would undoubtedly have been accorded legend status alongside the likes of Archie Hunter, Dennis Hodgetts and Jack Devey.

Johnny had played under the George Ramsay led Management Committee.

Johnny passed away in his native Scotland on the 2nd December 1947 aged 75.