Mark Chamberlain
Personal information
Full name Mark Valentine Chamberlain[1]
Date of birth (1961-11-19) 19 November 1961[1]
Place of birth Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England[2]
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Position(s) Winger; right-back
Youth career
1976–1978 Port Vale
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1982 Port Vale 96 (18)
1982–1985 Stoke City 111 (17)
1985–1988 Sheffield Wednesday 66 (8)
1988–1994 Portsmouth 167 (20)
1994–1995 Brighton & Hove Albion 19 (2)
1995–1997 Exeter City 59 (4)
1997–1998 Fareham Town
Total 518+ (69+)
International career
England Schoolboys 2 (0)
England Youth 2 (0)
1982–1984 England U21 4 (1)
1982–1984 England 8 (1)
Managerial career
1997–1998 Fareham Town (player-manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mark Valentine Chamberlain (born 19 November 1961) is an English former international footballer. He is the younger brother of Neville Chamberlain, and the father of Beşiktaş and England international player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kidderminster Harriers's Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain.

He began his professional playing career with Port Vale in 1978, where he remained for four years before being sold on to rivals Stoke City, having already been selected for the PFA Fourth Division Team of the Year in 1981–82. In 1985, he signed with Sheffield Wednesday, before he moved on to Portsmouth three years later. He remained with "Pompey" until 1994, at which point he transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion. The following year he joined Exeter City, before entering into management at Fareham Town in 1997. Between 1982 and 1984 he won four caps for the England under-21s and eight caps for the senior team.

Club career

Port Vale

Chamberlain was born in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, to Banny and Anastasia, who emigrated to England from Jamaica in the 1960s.[4][5] Chamberlain started his career with local side Port Vale, making his debut under Dennis Butler as a substitute in a 2–2 home draw with Scunthorpe United on 19 August 1978, aged 16.[1] His full debut came on 14 April 1979 in a 3–2 win over Barnsley at Vale Park, and his first goal came two days later in a 3–2 defeat at Huddersfield Town.[1] Chamberlain said: "It was a bonus too, to find the net. Neil Griffiths encouraged me to 'hit it', after I had nipped in before the full back, and the ball flew in."[6] He turned professional the following month, having made eight appearances in 1978–79.[1] Chamberlain then made eleven goalless appearances in 1979–80, whilst his brother was the club's top-scorer in what was Vale's worst season in the Fourth Division.[1] He became a first team regular from October 1980 under John McGrath and scored 10 goals in 36 games in the 1980–81 campaign.[1] He was an ever-present in the 55 game 1981–82 season, also being selected in the PFA Fourth Division team and chosen as The Star's best player of the division.[1] He scored eight goals during the campaign, most memorably when he stood off the pitch at Field Mill to avoid being caught offside, then returned to tackle a startled Rod Arnold and tap the ball into an empty net.[7]

Stoke City

He was sold to local rivals Stoke City in August 1982, along with Mark Harrison for a combined fee of £180,000.[1] His brother also made the switch later in the season. Asked if this move caused him to receive any "stick" from his friends, he replied: "No not really. Mind you I wouldn't, I didn't really have any mates."[8] He proved to be a good signing for manager Richie Barker, and got the better of Arsenal's left-back Kenny Sansom.[9] He replaced Paul Maguire on the left-wing and scored six goals in 39 appearances in 1982–83 as the "Potters" finished 13th in the First Division.[10] Chamberlain scored seven goals in 46 games in 1983–84, helping the club to avoid relegation by two places and two points. However, he scored just twice in 32 appearances in 1984–85, as Stoke finished bottom of the division with a mere 17 points; they won just three of their 42 games and were 23 points short of safety.[10] Barker had abandoned Chamberlain and the midfield in favour of desperate long ball tactics.[9] New manager Mick Mills stabilised the club in the Second Division in 1985–86, but let Chamberlain go as he wished to build his own team.

"We had really good players like McIlroy, O'Callaghan and Dave Watson. Barker tried to coach us into the long-ball game after going on courses with the likes of Howard Wilkinson, but it just didn't suit us. We had a good nucleus of old pros and youngsters like myself, Paul Bracewell and Steve Bould. The older players left when they saw what was happening."

— Chamberlain speaking to Harry Redknapp in 2020.[4]

Sheffield Wednesday

In September 1985, he moved on to Sheffield Wednesday for a fee of £300,000,[11][12] who went on to finish fifth in the top-flight under Howard Wilkinson in 1985–86, missing out on European football due to the ban imposed on English clubs following the Heysel Stadium disaster. The "Owls" finished 13th in 1986–87 and 11th in 1987–88, with Chamberlain playing 66 league games before transferring to Alan Ball's Second Division side Portsmouth in August 1988 for a fee of £200,000.[12]

Portsmouth

"Pompey" finished two places above the drop in 1988–89, before 12th and 17th finishes in 1989–90 and 1990–91. He then helped Jim Smith's side to the FA Cup semi-finals in 1991–92, and featured in the 1–1 draw with Liverpool at Highbury, but not in the replay at Villa Park. The club finished in third-place in 1992–93, missing out on automatic promotion by goal difference, and were beaten by Leicester City at the play-off semi-final stage. They then finished a disappointing 17th in 1993–94, and Chamberlain moved on to Liam Brady's Brighton & Hove Albion in August 1994, having played 167 games in his six years at Fratton Park.[13]

Later career

The "Seagulls" finished 14th in the Second Division (the old Third Division) in 1993–94, and Chamberlain moved on to Exeter City in the Third Division (the old Fourth Division). Peter Fox's "Grecians" finished bottom of the Football League in 1994–95, albeit level on goal difference with Scarborough, and only avoided dropping into the Conference because Macclesfield Town's Moss Rose did not meet the Football League's capacity standards. Chamberlain was converted to the right-back position.[9] Exeter rallied to a 14th-place finish in 1995–96, though Chamberlain left St James Park after the club finished third-from-bottom in 1996–97, ahead of rock bottom Hereford United by just the one point.

International career

An England under-21 international, Chamberlain broke into the England senior squad under Bobby Robson during his first season at Stoke City, scoring on his debut against Luxembourg at Wembley on 15 December 1982, at age 21.[10] During the match, teammate Luther Blissett became the first black player to score for England, having bagged two of his three goals before Chamberlain found the net.[14] He also made a substitute appearance in the 1–0 home defeat to Denmark on 21 September 1983;[15] this crucial result eventually led the Danes to win qualification to Euro 1984 ahead of England. He played in England's 2–0 win over Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium on 10 June 1984.[16] He picked up a total of eight caps, though some believed he could have gone on to pick up many more,[17] and Port Vale coach Graham Barnett in particular said that he was "like a bloody gazelle... a black jewel... he's got the bloody lot... he's class... so much better than John Barnes."[18]

Style of play

Chamberlain was a pacey winger with excellent ball control and decision making.[10] Stoke City fan and author Simon Lowe wrote that "His slim, athletic build made him seem taller than his modest 5ft 9in height. But his dribbling style was upright, chest puffed out, with the ball in front being almost toe-ended on by his right foot, while his arms worked like pistons. A favourite trick saw Chamberlain wave his left foot over the ball and wiggle his hips before jagging it past the defender with the outside of the right foot."[6] Former Port Vale teammate Robbie Earle wrote that "He could do it all: Run, pass, shoot, make goals and score them. Chambo was the perfect wide man who could play on either flank and delighted in making chances for his teammates".[19]

Coaching career

Chamberlain became player-manager of non-League Fareham Town after leaving the Football League in 1997.[12] In April 2008, he took up the position as assistant coach of the Timor-Leste national football team.[12] Six months later he returned to England and joined the coaching staff at Portsmouth to coach the U13s.[12]

Personal life

Chamberlain married Wendy R. Oxlade in 1991.[20] His sons Alex and Christian are also footballers,[21] as was his older brother Neville. When the pair played together for Port Vale they used to swap shirts at half-time so as to confuse opposition players attempting to mark him.[22] After making his England debut, he guest starred on The Sooty Show in 1983.[4]

In 2019 and 2020, Chamberlain featured in both seasons of ITV television show Harry's Heroes, which featured former football manager Harry Redknapp attempting return a squad of former England international footballers to a level of physical fitness sufficient to compete in a game against legendary players from Germany.[23]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[24]
Club Season Division League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Port Vale 1978–79 Fourth Division 810000—81
1979–80 Fourth Division 1100000—110
1980–81 Fourth Division 3195100—3610
1981–82 Fourth Division 4685140—559
Total 961810240—11020
Stoke City 1982–83 First Division 3661020—396
1983–84 First Division 4071050—467
1984–85 First Division 2812120—322
1985–86 Second Division 7300000073
Total 1111741900012418
Sheffield Wednesday 1985–86 First Division 212511000273
1986–87 First Division 24540201[lower-alpha 1]0315
1987–88 First Division 21130412[lower-alpha 1]0302
Total 66812171308810
Portsmouth 1988–89 Second Division 28600002[lower-alpha 1]0306
1989–90 Second Division 38610301[lower-alpha 1]0436
1990–91 Second Division 252311100294
1991–92 Second Division 16130401[lower-alpha 1]0241
1992–93 First Division 41410204[lower-alpha 2]0484
1993–94 First Division 19100302[lower-alpha 3]0241
Total 167208113110019822
Brighton & Hove Albion 1994–95 Second Division 19210311[lower-alpha 4]0243
Exeter City 1995–96 Third Division 33100201[lower-alpha 4]0361
1996–97 Third Division 26310202[lower-alpha 4]0313
Total 594104030674
Career total 5186936540317061177

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[25][26]
National teamYearAppsGoals
England 198211
198310
198460
Total81
Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Chamberlain goal.
List of international goals scored by Mark Chamberlain
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
115 December 1982Wembley Stadium, London, England1 Luxembourg5–09–0UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying

Honours

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 57. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ↑ "Chamberlain on Stoke, Portsmouth and his son Alex". Talk Sport. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Mark Chamberlain". www.adrianbullock.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Smith, Peter (20 May 2020). "Here's why Stoke-on-Trent was namechecked on ITV hit Harry's Heroes". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's path to the top eased by father's brave". Independent.co.uk. 29 September 2012.
  6. 1 2 Baggaley, Michael (14 April 2020). "Archive classics: Full debut for Port Vale and Stoke City ace Mark Chamberlain". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  8. ↑ Smyth, Rob (21 February 2009). "Saturday clockwatch – as it happened!". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. pp. 221–23. ISBN 1-874287554.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Matthews, Tony (18 December 2008). The Legends of Stoke City. Derby, United Kingdom: Breedon Books. pp. 42–3. ISBN 978-1-85983-653-8.
  11. ↑ "Stoke City FC 1982–1985". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Chamberlain, Mark". grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Portsmouth FC 1988–1994". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  14. ↑ "Goalscoring Black Players by Season". englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  15. ↑ "England 0 – 1 Denmark". uefa.com. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  16. ↑ Rudge, John; Lowe, Simon (2023), To Cap It All: The Autobiography of John Rudge, Pitch, p. 80, ISBN 9-781801-505017
  17. ↑ "Mark Chamberlain". Port Vale. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2009.
  18. ↑ Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 29. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  19. ↑ Earle, Robbie (12 January 2012). "Here's my promotion-winning Vale team". The Sentinel. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  20. ↑ "England BME Players - Mark Chamberlain". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  21. ↑ Richards, Alex (1 December 2017). "Alex Oxlade Chamberlain's brother looking to make headlines in the FA Cup". mirror.
  22. ↑ Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 10. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  23. ↑ Bond, Kimberley (19 March 2019). "Who is taking part in Harry's Heroes: Euro Having a Laugh?". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  24. ↑ Mark Chamberlain at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  25. ↑ "Mark Chamberlain". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  26. ↑ Mark Valentine Chamberlain at Englandstats.com
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