Hampton Harry Image 1 Bradford City 1912

Description

Dublin born half back Harry Hampton had come to the attentions of the Irish FA when his Irish-birth had come to light during his time with Dundee, where he only played for the reserves. He was selected at right-half for an international trial match for an Anglo-Irish XI against a Home Irish XI in January 1910.

Signed by First Division Bradford City from Dundee in March 1910, he made his football League debut almost immediately at Sheffield Wednesday. Hampton was mainly a squad player, slotting in at left or right-half as required. In City’s 1911 FA Cup-winning campaign he played just once, in a second round 2-1 win over Norwich City. By then Hampton had been awarded the first of 9 Ireland caps over the next 3 years, playing in January 1911 against Wales. Hampton won his final cap in a 3-0 victory over England that helped Ireland to their first outright British Championship success in February 1914.

Hampton returned to Ireland in May 1914, signing for Distillery, where he was used mainly as back-up to regular half-backs Bob McCracken, George Kay (later manager of Liverpool) and Tommy Milne and making 4 Irish League appearances in the autumn/winter of 1914. He later played for Brechin City.

During the First World War, having returned to live in Bradford, he served with the Labour Corps between 1916 and 1919 and was discharged with an injury to his knee. Bradford City had retained an insurance policy in the case of such an injury occurring to Hampton.

He was a second cousin of Chelsea and Motherwell goalkeeper Colin Hampton and they played together at Brechin City.