Part one of the big interview with Dave Bamber: ​Wembley despair turned to joy for Seasiders cult hero

​Hall of famer, cult hero, goalscorer supreme – there are many terms of endearment used by Blackpool supporters when they refer to former Tangerines striker Dave Bamber.

The tall, imposing ex-centre forward struck 110 goals across two spells for the Seasiders which bookended a fine 15-year playing career spanning all four divisions of English football.

His second stint at Bloomfield Road was particularly prolific with Bamber finding the back of the net on 73 occasions at a ratio of better than a goal every two games.

Despite his contribution to the club over his eight years on the Fylde coast, which included promotion, Bamber is perhaps best known for the crucial opportunity he failed to convert.

Much to his chagrin, there’s only one thing – ‘that penalty’ – which people want to talk about when he’s recognised and stopped in the street beneath the shadow of the town’s famous tower.

Bamber – now aged 66 – was the man who missed the sudden death spot-kick in 1991 which condemned Blackpool to another year in the old Fourth Division.

A hugely competitive season saw the Seasiders finish fifth in the final league table – and miss out on automatic promotion by just a single point.

Indeed, champions Darlington accumulated just four points more than Billy Ayre’s side, who went into the play-offs alongside Lancashire rivals Burnley, Torquay United and Scunthorpe United.

Having edged past The Iron 3-2 on aggregate, Pool met Torquay, who had beaten the Clarets 2-1 over two legs, in the battle of the seaside resorts at Wembley.

Paul Groves gave the Tangerines an early lead in the play-off final but United hit back with two goals before half-time – the second of which came from the penalty spot after Bamber was adjudged to have handled the ball while attempting to block a cross.

Blackpool laid siege to their opponents’ goal after the break and finally got on level terms when Mark Curran comically sliced a clearance into his own net after David Eyres’s spectacular overhead kick had crashed against the crossbar.

Despite bringing on young substitute Trevor Sinclair – who would go on to appear in the Premier League for clubs such as QPR, West Ham United and Manchester City as well playing for England – Pool were unable to find a winning goal in extra time.

It meant a full season of blood, sweat and tears came down to the lottery of a penalty shoot-out.

Both sides missed a penalty each and with the scores locked at 4-4, Torquay’s goalkeeper Gareth Howells took the sixth and calmly slotted past his opposite number Steve McIlhargey.

Bamber was tasked with keeping his team’s promotion hopes alive but under intense pressure, he unfortunately skewed his side-foot effort well wide of Howells’ left-hand post.

It was cue for wild celebrations within the Torquay camp, and complete desolation for anybody with a Tangerines persuasion.

More than 30 years on, the memory of that play-off final is still ripe in Bamber’s memory, even if it does not cross his mind too much nowadays.

He revealed that he only took the spot-kick because nobody else fancied the challenge.

Bamber said: “It only lingers in my mind if somebody reminds me about it. I never really think about it.

“I remember I had been out injured for quite a while and we had played extra-time.

"I remember it was a really cold evening and I wasn’t down to take a penalty, so I was sitting on a ball.

“I think Billy Ayre hadn’t realised that their goalkeeper had taken the penalty so it was us to go.

“He was umming and aahhing as to who would take the next one, so I said to Eyresey, ‘You strike a good ball, you take it’.

“Eyresey went, ‘No I’m not taking it’. So I said the same to Trevor and Alan Wright, but nobody fancied it. So I just said, ‘I’ll take it then’.

“I walked up to the penalty spot and I was literally knackered because I had played 90 minutes plus extra-time.

“I just thought, ‘I’ve got to score. Just put it in the right corner’. As I was about to hit it, I saw the keeper diving to the side I was going to put it and I just thought, ‘Oh F***! I am going to have to put it right in the corner!’

“I’ve opened my body up and put it right in the corner of the pitch!”

To add insult to injury, the Gulls’ fanbase went onto create a fanzine called ‘Bamber's Right Foot’- mocking the striker’s miss.

Bamber certainly bore the full weight of Pool’s play-off final heartache in the immediate aftermath.

However, a week or so later, he attended a social function in the town and was buoyed by the reception he received. It proved to be a turning point as he inspired Blackpool to promotion the following season.

He struck 26 league goals to finish top of the goalscoring charts in Division Four alongside Mansfield Town’s Phil Stant.

“I wasn’t going to go (to the function) because I just didn’t feel like talking to anyone,” he added.

“But I ended up going and people were so good to me.

“They were like, ‘Let me buy you a pint, you scored 19 goals, you got us there.

“Of course the following season, I think I scored 37 goals and we won promotion.”

In 1992, Blackpool finished fourth in the table, and ironically went on to beat Scunthorpe in the play-off final 4-3 on penalties.

Bamber was not required on that occasion to take a spot-kick, although he had scored Blackpool’s goal – a trademark back post header from Tony Rodwell’s cross – as they drew 1-1 with Scunny.

“I suppose it was bitter-sweet with the way it all transpired,” said Bamber.

“The fans got two trips to Wembley and we ended up winning promotion.”

Bamber appeared for nine different clubs during his career, but admits he cherishes his time as a Seasider the most.

He ultimately settled in the area with his wife Joanne, daughters Francesca and Danielle, and son Jamie.

His life after football also became intertwined with the town, after he set up a successful building contractors firm which is based in Coleridge Road.

“For sure, Blackpool has always been my club,” Bamber said. “I scored so many goals for the club, started my career off here, finished off here.”

Read the second part of the Dave Bamber story – in the Gazette