There's Only One Dave Bamber

John David Bamber began his professional career at Blackpool in 1979, joining the club from Manchester University. His starting debut came on December 29, 1979, in a loss at Chester City. He scored his first goal for the Seasiders on April 7, 1980, in a league encounter against Carlisle at Bloomfield Road. During the next four years of struggle, Bamber scored 36 goals in 100 games in all competitions under four different managers.

Coventry came in for his services prior to the 1983/84 season. Blackpool, though sad to see Bamber leave, had the emerging Paul Stewart to fall back on.

He went on to play for six other clubs - Walsall, Portsmouth, Swindon, Watford, Stoke and finally Hull City - before returning to Blackpool to bring his fifteen-year playing career to a close. He was re-signed by the Seasiders initially on loan, in December 1990, by the departing Graham Carr. A month later, shortly before kick-off against Tottenham Hotspur in an FA Cup tie on January 5, 1991, new Seasiders manager Billy Ayre agreed to pay Hull £50,000 for his services.

Bamber played at Wembley twice in successive seasons (1990-91 and 1991-92) in his second spell at Blackpool, both in the play-off finals, and both of which went to penalty shoot-outs. In the first final, against Torquay, Bamber put his spot-kick wide of Gareth Howells' left-hand post, handing promotion to the Tangerines' south-coast opponents. Following this loss the Gulls named their fanzine Bamber's Right Foot, in mockery of the striker's miss.

The following year, however, Blackpool were victorious in the same manner against Scunthorpe and were promoted to the new Division Two. Bamber, who played despite needing an operation on his knee (preserving his record of being an ever-present throughout the season), scored Blackpool's regulation-time goal. Not surprisingly he didn't partake in the penalty shoot-out.

After retiring from football he has now become a property developer in the Blackpool area.


Honours :-

Swindon Town -

Division Four champion: 1985-86
Division Three play-off winner: 1986-87

Blackpool -

Division Four play-off winner: 1991-92

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