Sol Campbell

by Simon Astaire

  ‘I remember the day like it was yesterday. I remember his eyes. They were so motivated,’ says Patrick Vieira. ‘We wanted to win the game for Sol.’

  The team had a final debrief from Wenger. ‘I spoke about how important it was to win this game and to get the focus just on that, and basically to be professional and focus on what was important.’ Wenger did not show a flicker of emotion to what was happening out there. ‘It was a football game that we wanted to win and I wanted Sol to be a part of that. Sometimes, when you say to a guy don’t make a special occasion of it, you make it special,’ says Wenger.

  The two teams walked on to the pitch together. Sol looked quickly from left to right, striding boldly forward to take the afternoon into his own hands. Within the first minutes, he made his presence felt. He swooped, swooshed and smacked the ball away from Spurs’ Les Ferdinand. It was an extraordinary tackle. ‘I had some apprehension but after five minutes, when he played his first ball, I thought okay, he will be alright,’ says Wenger. ‘I knew that, on the day, it created such adrenalin in his body and I trusted in him, because somehow this guy is extremely proud and he will not fall on a day when everyone looks at him.’

  One action summed up Sol Campbell, his game, his character. At half-time, a team-mate of Les Ferdinand said, ‘Hey Les, he was trying to get you.’

  Ferdinand shook his head. ‘No, he wasn’t. That was just Sol. Making sure that everyone knew he meant business.’

  As the second half got underway, Sol felt he could take on anything and everything. Nothing was going to stand in his way. Then a moment that would haunt him forever. ‘I went up for a corner late in the second half,’ he recalls. ‘I was looking at the faces in the Spurs end. Then I caught sight of him. A knife to my heart. Behind the goal, I knew that face. My older brother. Tony. A Spurs fan, in among the slurry of bile violating my name.’ Sol pauses, almost choking, his voice neutered. Who are you? What are you doing? ‘I couldn’t believe he was there.’ The two have rarely spoken since. Sol could not understand why his brother continued to go to the games when he was surrounded by so much HATE. ‘I heard he had been going all season. I was…’ He struggles now to find the words. ‘I mean, we are brothers. We are blood.’

  The game ended 1-1. As the final whistle was blown, Sol walked away from the Park Lane End towards the tunnel. The Spurs players shook his hand, Steffen Freund gave him a hug and Glenn Hoddle appeared in his line of vision. The Spurs manager acknowledged the ex-captain; he recognised what Campbell had been through, and admired his performance and the dignity that went with it.

  Wenger said, ‘At the end of the day, you cannot assist him with every ball he plays. He has to do his own job, inside of himself. On that day I saw him change; he became different.’

  He didn’t give any post-match interviews. His performance had spoken a million words. As the Arsenal team prepared to leave the ground, Sol left the dressing room and took a step outside into the empty stadium. All was peace again. He looked at the empty rows. There was an urge to cry out to anyone, to anything. He opened his mouth but there was no sound.

  ‘Come on Sol. It’s time to get going,’ one of the Arsenal staff called.

  Sol looked at White Hart Lane once more and turned away to leave the ground. Thank God that’s over.

  • • •

  Arsenal 2 Chelsea 0, FA Cup Final, Millennium Stadium Cardiff, 4 May 2002

  Arsenal: Seaman, Lauren, Campbell, Adams, Cole, Wiltord (Keown 90), Parlour, Vieira, Ljungberg, Bergkamp (Edu 72), Henry (Kanu 81).Subs Not Used: Dixon, Wright. Goals: Parlour (70), Ljungberg (80).

  Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot (Zenden 76), Gallas, Desailly, Babayaro (Terry 45), Gronkjaer, Lampard, Petit, Le Saux, Gudjohnsen, Hasselbaink (Zola 68). Subs Not Used: De Goey, Jokanovic.

  Att: 73,963. Ref: Mike Riley.

  After a dire first half in which the two London heavyweights trade blows to little effect, two stunning goals by Ray Parlour and Freddie Ljungberg seal the game for the Gunners. Parlour’s curling right foot effort from 25 yards into the top corner, and Ljungberg’s surging run and finish from the halfway line ten minutes later, mean Arsenal complete part one of their bid to be 2002 League and Cup Double champions.

  The fourth of May to the eighth of May 2002: four days that would prove to be the most satisfying and successful of Sol Campbell’s football career.

  Sol has fond memories of his team’s FA Cup final victory over London rivals Chelsea. ‘I played centre-back alongside Tony Adams that afternoon which was really good because with England I always played with him in a three at the back. Mind you, it was a bit harsh on Martin Keown who had played in most of the FA Cup games that season. But Tony was one of the best defenders England has ever produced. I respected him. He was not the most naturally gifted player but he overcame his weaknesses. His passing was not the best but he was dogged and his positional sense was exceptional. His nickname of Captain Courageous was spot-on. He had a great presence and desperately wanted to win. He wasn’t the fastest of players but he saw things before anyone else, and made up for a lack of speed by thinking two paces ahead of the opposition. He was a good talker with everyone. He was Mr Arsenal and it was a privilege to win the League and Cup double in the same team and on the same pitch.’

  The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on Cup day was an exultant carnival. ‘I hadn’t heard noise like it,’ says Sol. ‘It was a magical day. It was tough opposition; Chelsea were a great side. We were rocking and rolling, the atmosphere was amazing. The stadium was designed acoustically because the Welsh like to sing. The volume the crowd reached was even more than at Wembley, as it had been designed to rebound and amplify. So whenever there was singing, you couldn’t hear anything else. It was just an incredible atmosphere. I really liked playing in Cardiff and, of course, to win. Winning the FA Cup is epic. It is very special in the hearts of the English people. To be a part of that history is incredible, it will live on forever.’ Sol’s voice cracked, as if he might at any moment burst into tears. Patrick Vieira and Tony Adams lifted the cup as the golden evening sun glistened over the stadium. It was a very happy day for all Gunners fans.

  • • •

  Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1, Old Trafford, 8 May 2002

  Manchester Utd: Barthez, Phil Neville, Blanc, Brown, Silvestre, Scholes, Keane, Veron (Van Nistelrooy 58), Giggs, Solskjaer, Forlan (Fortune 68). Subs Not Used: Carroll, O’Shea, Wallwork.

  Arsenal: Seaman, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Ljungberg, Parlour, Vieira, Edu, Wiltord, Kanu (Dixon 89). Subs Not Used: Jeffers, Bergkamp, Wright, Stepanovs. Goals: Wiltord (55).

  Att: 67,580. Ref: Paul Durkin.

  Arsenal survived a ferociously fought first-half in which United battled sometimes illegally to gain a foothold in the match, before a mistake by Silvestre allowed Ljungberg a shot which Barthez saved magnificently, only for Wiltord to steer the ball home. The Gunners’ resilience proved enough to seal the league title and add another Double to their previous triumphs in 1971 and 1998.

  On Wednesday 8 May, Arsenal went up to Manchester and Old Trafford needing a point from their last two games to clinch the league title: ‘It was a sensational time for me, one of the great nights of my career. Because of the pressure I was under, I could not fail. I felt I had been tracked from the day I signed. I was part of a fantastic team and I just loved it. To win the Premiership, and in Manchester, was sensational. You know you’re the best team in the land.’

  Sylvain Wiltord was the hero of the hour. Sol says, ‘He was a great striker, a fox in the box; quiet for a lot of the game, and then suddenly popping up from nowhere to be in the right place at the right time to score. He did it that day. Those type of strikers are difficult to defend against.’ When the final whistle went, Sol strode forward and hugged his team-mates, his head held high as if this moment was always meant to be. Could life get any better than this? The Old Trafford crowd clapped graciously. ‘The Manchester United fans behaved with real class.’

  The Premier Lea
gue trophy was presented at Highbury on Saturday 11 May, the last day of the season. It was the final game for Arsenal stalwarts Tony Adams and Lee Dixon. Dixon says of Sol: ‘He was quiet in the dressing room. I didn’t get to know him and I don’t think anyone really did.’

  Two goals by Thierry Henry help Arsenal secure a 4-3 victory over Everton and the title celebrations begin in earnest. As the Premier League trophy is presented to him, club captain Tony Adams holds it aloft in a way that he has done before. He passes it along the line. Sol gently places both hands on the silver trophy, picks it up and then abandons a cautious approach, shaking it with pure joy. ‘Adulation, fulfillment, recognition and redemption. I felt all those on that day. I also felt a little sad that I had to go through extreme pressure to get to this point. But ultimately, I was happy that my instinct to join Arsenal had been proved right,’ Sol says.

  The Highbury crowd gathers in a crescendo of cheers and applause. Sol is witnessing one of the great scenes of his life. The team goes on its lap of honour. Martin Keown passes Sol the trophy. ‘Go on, Sol,’ he says, pointing to the press box, ‘Show them! Show them what you did!’ Sol smiles and lifts the trophy again.

  The next day, a Sunday, Arsenal celebrated their double triumph in an open-top bus parade through the streets of north London. The victory celebrations reached a climax at Islington town hall, where the excited thousands heard Sol and his team-mates thank their supporters. ‘It was an unbelievable scene,’ says Sol. ‘I will never forget to my dying moments the joy of our fans that day. It’s what makes being a footballer so special.’

  He felt exhausted. The pressure of his first season for Arsenal had been ever present. ‘I was so pleased. I’m a team player, not every footballer is, but I am and it gave me a pure joy that my team were champions. It was almost like I’d found another family.’ And he means it. His words are passionate and moving. ‘When I got home that night I broke down. I thought of everyone who helped me get through. People like Pat Rice and those behind the scenes who were an important part of my journey, and who had put their heart and soul on the line. I thanked them out loud.’

  Arsenal lost just three matches in the Premier League in the 2001-02 season, all at home. Their league record was: Played 38, Won 26, Drew 9, Lost 3. ‘To be a part of that history is incredible,’ says Sol. ‘It will live on forever. I felt peace and redemption. I knew then for certain, I’d made the right choice.’ His voice was soft and yet his pride resonated with such energy that his words might have been heard all over the neighbourhood.

  • • •

  The following season, 2002-03, saw Sol maintain his form and Arsenal as title challengers again. After a ten-game unbeaten start in the Premier League, the Gunners struggled in Europe where they failed to progress beyond the Champions League group stage, but a fine run to the FA Cup final, during which they knocked out both Manchester United and Chelsea, saw them approach the crucial spring period in fine form and looking to repeat their Double exploits of the previous season.

  For Sol though, a red card at Highbury in April against Manchester United would mean a premature end to his season. ‘It was a dreadful decision; the worst of my career. The baby-faced assassin went down like a sack of potatoes. He wasn’t given that title for no reason.’ Sol pauses and says, ‘I was devastated and pissed off.’

  After referee Mark Halsey had discussed the incident with his linesman – who confirmed that he had seen the Arsenal defender ‘deliberately elbow Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the face’ – he marched straight over to Sol and showed him the red card. Sol turned and walked as quickly as he could towards the tunnel, his stomach churning with indignation. By the time his head had disappeared from view, he had already started to calculate how long he was going to be suspended. When he was alone in the dressing room, which felt more like a mortuary, he’d already worked out he’d probably miss the FA Cup final. ‘I felt like fucking shit!’

  Those were still the days when, if a player was sent off in the league, the suspension would include cup games. Arsenal immediately launched an appeal but it didn’t help. The last thing Manchester United were going to do was support Sol’s case, with rivals Arsenal challenging them for the title. The decision stood. He was told by the FA that he would be banned for four matches, including the FA Cup final.

  The announcement of his suspension is heard again later that night on the television. He remembers clearly the newscaster saying ‘Sol Campbell will miss the FA Cup final,’ as if he was saying it a dozen times over. He called his former Spurs team-mate Gary Mabbutt, who was now a member of the FA disciplinary committee, to see if he could help, but his efforts were in vain. Arsene Wenger was furious at the perceived injustice of it all. ‘Every week there are examples of people who have done ten times more than he did and they are not punished. The team will support Sol and fight to win the League and FA Cup for him.’

  For the first match of Sol’s suspension, Arsenal fell to a 3-2 home defeat to Leeds, which virtually spelt the end of their chase to retain their title. Despite wins in their final two games, they finished the season in second place, five points behind Manchester United.

  In the Cup final, against underdogs Southampton, Sol sat uncomfortably in his suit just behind the Arsenal bench. He yearned to play and found the game difficult to watch. Arsenal retained the cup by beating Southampton 1-0, Robert Pires scoring late on in the first-half. ‘It was difficult not being involved. Of course, you want your team to win but it nags that you’re not out there helping. It fact, I was heartbroken.’ As the final whistle went, Sol hugged his manager and went onto the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates. For Arsene Wenger it had been a year to enjoy. ‘Overall, we had a good twelve months; we won the FA Cup twice on the trot and we were very close to a double Double.’

  • • •

  The Invincibles

  ‘He knew what he wanted and he went to get it. The only comparable player in my whole career was Marcel Desailly,’ says Patrick Vieira. He talks about Sol, as he does about his other Arsenal colleagues, without giving way to interruption, making it clear who is the boss.

  Sol also talks about his Arsenal team-mates proudly as they approached a defining 2003-04 season. ‘Naturally there were clashes, clashes of egos, but we got on with it. Our attitude was to get onto the next game; to win trophies. We had good men, proud men, each team member had talent and no-one liked playing below their best.

  ‘Robert Pires had the special knack of anticipating where to be, he could smell a chance where others couldn’t. Thierry Henry was fantastic, a natural gambler, he could create space out of nothing. He could shift the ball against his opponent’s body weight, so as a defender you were always off balance. Dennis Bergkamp was one of the best players I’ve had the privilege to share a pitch with; his vision was incredible. He stretched me physically and mentally in training – he filled my memory bank (“Give me more, give me more!”) and I gained the tools to play against any type of player.’ Sol becomes a little tentative when picking out individual players. As if one voice is speaking about those we all want to hear about, while his other voice is babbling about the other members of this extraordinary team. ‘Don’t forget [Ashley] Cole, Touré, Lauren…Their strength of mind. After a while you get to know the team’s mentality, you understand them and their approach in sustaining it. I loved all that; I hated slackers, and those thinking they were good when they weren’t that special. There was a lot of that at Tottenham, a lot of people trying to talk their way onto the pitch instead of working for it. Pure froth; it used to irritate. I didn’t have any time for that. [At Arsenal] I was surrounded by talented players in every part of the field.’ He sighs at the memory of those halcyon days and says, ‘Arsene knew I would never let him down.’

  Thierry Henry doesn’t disagree. ‘Sol always gave a hundred per cent. He gave his heart and soul. He understood the game and was at his best when his back was against the wall.’ And like Vieira, he compares Sol with Desailly: ‘On pure defensiv
e ability, I compare him with Marcel Desailly, and also Lilian Thuram. All three were unbeatable in their prime.’

  Arsene Wenger adds: ‘Sol had become one of our main players, and we now had an absolute physical presence and stability at the back. He is monstrous and, with his full power and also his ability to score a goal, you have an outstanding player. With Jens Lehmann, Ashley Cole, Lauren, Touré, they were all winners. With a defence like that, of course it made my job much easier. For a long time, people had it in their minds that the old Arsenal defence was irreplaceable – Dixon, Bould, Adams, Winterburn – but we changed four or five and we had a fantastic defence.’

  Those who played for the Invincibles, as the Arsenal team of 2003-04 were later to be known, reached the height of their powers at the same time. ‘It didn’t matter what age you were; everyone was firing on all cylinders. Our time had come. Fortune chooses you. You do not choose it,’ Sol says. Wenger is more pragmatic in his assessment: ‘It was a balanced team, made up of mature players with top quality as well.’