Campbell was born in
Stevenston,
Ayrshire. He gave up his chemistry studies to join English
First Division club
Leicester City, together with
John Calder, his teammate at junior club Dalry Thistle, in July 1931. He scored on his debut for the club, against
Birmingham in December 1932, but despite a respectable goal return – 14 goals from 22 games – he failed to establish himself in the first team. A year later he signed for
Lincoln City for a fee of £1,250, then a club record, but was unable to help the club avoid relegation to the
Third Division North at the end of the
1933–34 Football League season. By the time he retired from League football due to injury in the summer of 1939, Campbell had produced 108 goals from only 193 first-team games. He then joined
Midland League club
Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, Campbell went on to complete his studies, earning a degree in chemistry and ophthalmics, and became superintendent
chemist/
optician for the
Lincoln Co-operative Society. He retired in 1975, and died in July 1999 at the age of 89. ==References==