Hampson Walker Image 1 South Shields 1920

Description

Radcliffe, Lancashire born left half Walker Hampson began his football career with Black Lane St Andrew’s in 1909 and played for Colne from 1910, and was a triallist with Southern League club Norwich City in 1911 where his older brother Billy was playing, before returning to Lancashire, joining Lancashire Combination club Accrington Stanley in 1912. He signed for First Division Burnley in 1914 making his Football League debut against Everton that September. However after only 4 appearances for The Clarets that season, the suspension of peacetime football in May 1915 due to the onset of the First World War halted his career, during which he served as a Gunner in The Royal Garrison Artillery.

Injured in France, he returned to England and joined north east junior club Scotswood in 1918. On the resumption of peacetime football he joined Second Division South Shields from Scotswood, scoring twice in 52 appearances for South Shields before joining Charlton Athletic in the summer of 1921. He stayed only a single season in London and made 15 first team appearances, before heading back to the North East to join Hartlepools United. He scored 4 goals in 22 appearances at Victoria Park during 1922-23 before again moving the following summer, this time to Chesterfield. However at Chesterfield he only featured in 12 matches and despite trials with Rochdale and Grimsby Town he couldn’t get a professional contract and retired from the game in 1924, already aged 35.

His older brother Billy played for Bury, Norwich City, Newcastle United, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1924, and South Shields and managed several clubs, most notably Leeds United both sides of the Second World War. His younger brother Tommy was a goalkeeper who played for West Ham United, Burnley, Darlington, Cardiff City and Notts County throughout the 1920’s.