The real Kevin Campbell: The man mountain who raged against dying of the light, as told by his grieving family
Even in a three-hour court hearing of unspeakable bleakness on Monday morning, fragments of the light Kevin Campbell always radiated shone through.
It was the inquest into his death, staged in a windowless room in central Manchester, where a picture emerged of how desperately ill he had been before losing his life in June last year. He underwent life-saving dialysis in an intensive care unit, arrived at a cardiology unit in a wheelchair having rallied, and was then hammered again by a heart infection.
The consultant pathologist who tried to coax him back to life at the very last could scarcely believe how hard Campbell raged against the dying of the light when he encountered him on a Monday morning that June.
‘He was awake, alert, conscious and talked to me a bit,’ Dr Robert Henney said. ‘It wasn’t what I was expecting.’ Hope rekindled, more blood tests were requested, though it was hopeless. Campbell died on the Saturday.
The family who plainly still grieve deeply for him were asked, after coroner Zak Golombeck absolved the Manchester Royal Infirmary of any blame, whether they wanted to add any insights into the kind of man Campbell was. A tough ask, after a morning of such unsparing detail. Those at a slightly greater remove, now journeying on without him, found reflections slightly easier.
It was the way he would shake your hand, rub your shoulder vigorously and proclaim, ‘How are you, main man?’ that his friend Dave Cockram wanted to tell me about.
Legendary former Premier League striker Kevin Campbell tragically passed away in June 2024
An inquest was held into his death and fragments of the light he always radiated shone through
Campbell’s son Tyrese is at Sheffield United and Kevin’s strong paternal pride was unmissable
Sincerity, modesty and – a quality in Campbell that many have related to me – a rather old-fashioned emphasis on style and good manners. This man mountain had such posture and stature until illness took them away.
The bow ties he wore as a TV pundit were very much a fit with that. So, too, his habit of wearing one every Thursday to remember a particular friend who had died. ‘A beautiful man,’ says one who worked with him.
Jason Lavelle was one of the last of his friends to see him, in hospital, eight days before he died, by which time his most basic movement was terribly limited and conversation so difficult.
‘He said my name – “J”,’ Lavelle tells me. ‘He pulled his arm up from under the covers very slowly to reach mine – it took some time and effort so I said “No” but he was determined. He managed to do it.’
Lavelle had brought messages from fans at Arsenal, his first club. ‘He was nodding all the time to acknowledge the names,’ Lavelle says. ‘That was Kev for you.’
Campbell was always predisposed to having fun, dancing to the sounds of favourite musicians like American singer and songwriter Joyce Sims, as he did at one of the many dinners he spoke at, at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel, a number of years ago.
His musical tastes were eclectic. He had his own record label, ‘2 Wicked’, for a time, yet would lead rousing renditions of the Foundations’ ‘Build Me Up Buttercup’ in the Goodison dressing room.
His infectious self-assurance on a football field brought confidence to others. It was 26 years ago this week that he scored twice for Everton at home to Coventry, setting in train a run of four wins in five which kept the club up.
Campbell was sincere, modest and had an old-fashioned emphasis on style and good manners
Campbell is loved by fans of all of his former clubs and has legendary status at Everton
The image of Campbell carrying Wayne Rooney on his shoulders, after the teenager’s stunning winner against Arsenal at Goodison in 2002, became iconic. Rooney has acknowledged how much Campbell helped him and Francis Jeffers felt just the same. Ask West Brom and Nottingham Forest fans about him. They loved him for all the same reasons.
At half-time during Everton’s recent match against Arsenal, Harold Campbell accepted the crystal pyramid which marked his brother’s entry into Everton’s Hall of Fame.
The first allocated date for him to receive it clashed with his son Tyrese’s debut for Stoke City. Tyrese, now a Sheffield United player, was at the same primary school as my own children. The burning paternal pride was unmissable as father watched son score almost every goal for the school team and run away with every sports day.
The wish now is to bring something lasting out of the spirit Campbell exuded. His family have launched the Kevin Campbell Foundation, to fundraise and partner charities in support of projects which can enrich young people’s lives. ‘We want to push the legacy on now,’ says Lavelle, an ambassador for the foundation.
The coroner discerned on Monday that Kevin Joseph Campbell was no ordinary individual. ‘He was someone I watched growing up,’ he said, departing from the usual formalities. ‘He had such an impact on society and what has struck me are the comments about him as a human being, both within sport and away from it. He was special. That’s really shone through.’
Campbell’s (second left) iconic spirit was exuded throughout his successful time at Arsenal
Wayne Rooney has previously acknowledged the impact Campbell had on his own career
Starmer is insulting memories of Hillsborough victims
I listened once more to the BBC Radio commentator Peter Jones’ heart-breaking last reflections from the afternoon of the Hillsborough Disaster.
The grainy film footage on the accompanying YouTube clip is a reminder that nearly half a lifetime has elapsed since the peerless Jones told us, in the still of that late afternoon: ‘And the sun shines now.’
It was 36 years on Tuesday, to be precise. Long enough to ensure the calculated efforts by South Yorkshire Police officers to deflect blame by besmirching Liverpool supporters would now be a criminal offence.
The Labour government, led by a former head of public prosecutions, promised last year that a Hillsborough Law – preventing such institutional subterfuge and lies, which the victims of Grenfell and the Post Office scandal also know all about – would be brought before parliament by this year’s Hillsborough anniversary.
It hasn’t. So, on Monday we were treated to Keir Starmer’s people suggesting that this legalised ‘duty of candour’ could apparently result in civil servants being prosecuted if they lied about arriving late for work. What preposterous nonsense.
Hillsborough and its aftermath simply demand protection against public servants whose lies cause injustice. Starmer’s obfuscation and spin insult the memory of those who died.
Keir Starmer has failed to bring a Hillsborough Law before parliament like he promised last year
Starmer’s obfuscation and spin of his failure is an insult to the memory of those who died
What Chelsea’s hefty outlay on agents reveals
The £60.4million Chelsea spent on agents fees last year – double any other club bar Manchester City – would seem to explain why the club ’sold’ its women’s team to itself, to earn £200million.
Chelsea felt their valuation would be deemed acceptable, despite the Saudi Arabian state paying only £100million more than that for Newcastle, with their lavish playing squad and 52,000-seater stadium. ‘Follow the money’, they say. Good luck with that one.
Chelsea spent £60.4m on agent fees last year, then sold its women’s team to itself for £200m
Ratcliffe should take a look at Frank
In my eyeline at the Emirates on Saturday evening was Brentford’s excellent left back Keane Lewis-Potter, one of that club’s shrewd, uncomplicated acquisitions – £16million from Hull City – who isn’t much talked about.
What a remove Brentford’s intelligence and order were from the unexpurgated chaos of Manchester United’s rabble at Newcastle the next day.
When Sir Jim Ratcliffe swallows more pride and admits he got it wrong again – which he certainly has with Ruben Amorim – Thomas Frank at the helm would bring United some desperately needed sanity as they seek a way out of their mess. Don’t hold your breath.
