Joe Bambrick

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Joe Bambrick

| image = Joe Bambrick - Blue plaque, Rodden Street, Belfast, 27-Jan-2008.JPG

| image_size = 200

| caption = Blue plaque noting Bambrick's home in Roden Street, Belfast

| fullname = Joseph Gardiner Absolom Bambrick

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1905|11|3}}

| birth_place = Belfast, Ireland

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1983|10|13|1905|11|3}}

| death_place = Belfast, Northern Ireland

| height = {{height|m=1.80}}

| position = Centre forward

| years1 = 1926–1927 |clubs1 = Glentoran |caps1 = 22 |goals1 = 28

| years2 = 1927–1935 |clubs2 = Linfield |caps2 = 183 |goals2 = 286

| years3 = 1935–1938 |clubs3 = Chelsea |caps3 = 59 |goals3 = 34

| years4 = 1938–1939 |clubs4 = Walsall |caps4 = 35 |goals4 = 15

| totalcaps = 299 |totalgoals = 364

| nationalyears1 = 1928–1938 |nationalteam1 = Ireland (IFA) |nationalcaps1 = 11 |nationalgoals1 = 12

| nationalyears2 = 1927–1932 |nationalteam2 = Irish League XI |nationalcaps2 = 12 |nationalgoals2 = 9

}}

Joseph Gardiner Absolom Bambrick (3 November 1905 – 13 October 1983) was a Northern Irish footballer who played as a forward for Chelsea, Walsall, Glentoran, and Linfield.{{cite web|title=Joe Bambrick|url=http://nifootball.blogspot.com/2006/07/joe-bambrick.html|publisher=Northern Ireland Football Greats|accessdate=28 October 2011}}

A former gas worker of medium build, he was a prolific goalscorer in the Irish League and the Football League, adept at getting into good scoring positions and athletic enough to make the final touch count. "Head, heel, or toe, slip it to Joe" became a famous catch-phrase when referring to him. His scoring of six goals for Ireland v Wales at Celtic Park on 1 February 1930 in a 7–0 win, still remains the record score for a British Isles player in an international fixture.

Club career

=Irish League=

Bambrick began his professional career with Glentoran, spending a season there before moving to Belfast rivals Linfield. His scoring record with Linfield was phenomenal: he scored a total of 286 league goals in just 183 games, 50 of these coming in the 1930–31 season, which was the highest in the world that year.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/worldtops.html |title=World League Topscorers |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation |date=19 February 2006 |accessdate=23 December 2015}} In total that season he managed 96 goals in all competitions, and his overall goal tally for Linfield was 509 goals managed in just 8 years, finishing as Irish League top scorer on four occasions.{{cite web|url=http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/07/joe-bambrick.html |title=NIFG: Joe Bambrick |publisher=Nifootball.blogspot.co.uk |date=31 July 2006 |accessdate=23 December 2015}}

=Chelsea=

On 24 December 1935, Bambrick signed for English side Chelsea for a fee of £3,000, making his debut the following day (Christmas Day) against Aston Villa. He then scored his first goal the day after (Boxing Day) also against Aston Villa at Villa Park. Bambrick scored Chelsea's goal in their highest-attended competitive match at their ground Stamford Bridge. A crowd of 82,905 watched the 1–1 draw with local rivals Arsenal on 12 October 1935.{{cite web |url=http://www.espn.co.uk/football/sport/story/118197.html# |title=First XI: Capital punishment ... games between Arsenal and Chelsea | Football First XIs |publisher=ESPN |date=27 October 2011 |accessdate=23 December 2015 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In total, he scored 38 goals in 66 appearances for Chelsea, including four hat-tricks (on two of these occasions he managed four goals).{{cite web|url=http://www.bounder.friardale.co.uk/Appearances/Ba-Bd.htm |title=Players Appearances Ba-Bd |publisher=Bounder.friardale.co.uk |accessdate=23 December 2015}}

=Walsall=

Bambrick gradually fell out of favour, losing the number 9 shirt to George Mills, transferring to Walsall in July 1938 where he spent a season before the outbreak of World War II led to his retirement. He returned to Linfield as a coach, but Walsall retained his registration and refused to release him to play for Linfield in war-time competitions. He eventually played for Linfield in the 1943 County Antrim Shield when he scored his final goal.

International career

Bambrick scored 12 goals in 11 games for Ireland, including six in one game against Wales.{{cite web|last=Ryder|first=Chris|title=Joe Bambrick: Footballer 1905 -1983|url=http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk/bambrick.htm|publisher=Ulster History Circle|accessdate=28 October 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102203820/http://www.ulsterhistory.co.uk/bambrick.htm|archivedate=2 November 2011|df=dmy-all}} His goal tally ensures that he still ranks as the joint-fourth highest goalscorer for the Northern Ireland national side.

=International goals=

Scores and results list Northern Ireland's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition
class="wikitable"
1	22 October 1928	Liverpool, England	{{fb\|ENG}}	1–2	rowspan=3\|1929 British Home Championship
2	rowspan=2\|23 February 1929	rowspan=2\|Belfast, Northern Ireland	rowspan=2\|{{fb\|SCO}}	rowspan=2\|3–7
3
4	rowspan=6\|1 February 1930	rowspan=6\|Belfast, Northern Ireland	rowspan=6\|{{fb\|WAL\|1807}}	rowspan=6\|7–0	rowspan=6\|1930 British Home Championship
5
6
7
8
9
10	5 December 1931	Belfast, Northern Ireland	{{fb\|WAL\|1807}}	4–0	1932 British Home Championship
11	27 March 1935	Wrexham, Wales	{{fb\|WAL\|1807}}	1–3	1935 British Home Championship
12	16 March 1938	Belfast, Northern Ireland	{{fb\|WAL\|1807}}	1–0	1938 British Home Championship