​The third and final part of the Dave Bamber story - Bamber missed out on ‘his destiny’ of becoming Tangerines manager

​Dave Bamber never envisaged a life outside of football as he always believed he was destined for a lifetime involved in the game.

​The former Blackpool striker – who started and ended his playing career at Bloomfield Road – had no doubts that a career in management awaited him once he hung up his boots.

University educated and a footballer who played with intelligence, it appeared the Prescot-born centre forward had all the attributes to become a successful boss.

And back in 1994, the then Blackpool owner Owen Oyston seemed to think so too as he shortlisted Bamber to take over from Billy Ayre as the new Seasiders manager.

Ultimately, Oyston plumped for Sam Allardyce to take the reins and the rest is history.

Big Sam got the opportunity to cut his managerial teeth with the Tangerines and subsequently went on to enjoy a hugely successful career operating at the highest level.

For Bamber, his flirtation with the Bloomfield Road hot seat would ultimately lead to him severing his ties with the professional game completely.

Instead he pursued a career in business, setting up successful firm Bambers Building Contractors, which is based in Coleridge Road, in Blackpool.

Now aged 66, Bamber is proud of what he has accomplished since his playing days ended but does he harbour any lingering regrets about missing out on managing the Seasiders?

"Oyston loved me because I did well for him as a player,” said Bamber. “I think he paid £25,000 for me and I scored all those goals for him.

"He always used to ask my opinions and he asked me in a round-about-sort-of-way if I would like the job six months before he sacked Billy.

"At the time, I was player-coach and was looking after the reserves.

"I am not a back-stabber and I would never have done that.

"But I did apply for the job when Billy eventually did go but he gave it Sam Allardyce."

A hamstring injury prevented Bamber from being available for Allardyce and sensing the new manager saw him as a threat, he departed Bloomfield Road when his contract ran out.

He added: "That was it! I ended up not staying in football and I moved into this business. I had always been interested in property and building.

"But I always thought I would stay in football and become a manager. I would take all the facets of the different managers I had worked under – the good and bad bits of Alan Ball, the great assets of Lou Macari.

“I could always spot a good player and I had a clear idea of how I would play.

"But I had moved around the country a lot and I had two kids at the time, I just thought, ‘Could I be bothered getting sacked and then moving around the country all the time?’

"I just thought I would rather set a business up here so that my kids can grow up in a settled place. I just wanted to enjoy my kids growing up.”

While he missed out on becoming Blackpool’s boss then, Bamber did almost take charge of the Tangerines when he re-signed for the club, initially on loan in 1990.

A bizarre set of circumstances saw Graham Carr – father of comedian Alan – sign Bamber from Hull City only to be sacked soon after.

The loan man was then asked to take charge of the team ahead of the coach trip to play Hereford despite the fact that he had not even been introduced to his new team-mates.

However, by the end of the coach journey along the M6 to Edgar Street, Billy Ayre had been placed in charge.

He said: "I walked up to the coach at Blackpool for the trip to Hereford and a director came up to me and said, ‘You’re in charge today!’

“I said, ‘What?’; the director said that the manager had been sacked the day before.

"So I got on the coach and all the other players were looking at me. I hadn’t trained or anything.

"I just sat down, but anyway further down the motorway, Billy Ayre got on at one of the services and said that he was in charge.

"But at that point, I was going to be player-manager for the day. We drew 1-1 and I scored with a bot of an overhead kick.

A few games later, Ayre made Bamber’s transfer permanent, paying £50,000 for his services.”

Before he eventually moved into the building industry, Bamber admits it took him a while to adjust to life outside of the ‘football bubble’.

"I can understand how some former players go off the rails,” he said. “I struggled for a couple of years after finishing. It was a very big adjustment.

"I guess players now especially those in the Premier League don’t have the same problems because they are financially secure.

"They won’t have to worry about the money side of things but they still have to adjust to becoming a normal person in the street.

"You have that adrenalin rush as a footballer. For me, it was scoring goals but you don’t have that any more.

"It is mentally, an incredibly difficult time. The institutionalised nature of your life, everything is set out for you; the routine; you go into training every day.

"You’re performing every week, it’s winning, scoring – the high of that and then when you finish it’s ‘I am a nobody now, I have no standing, no job’. I definitely struggled with that.”

These days, Bamber looks back on his career with a great deal of pride.

Eight of his 15 years a pro were spent with Blackpool but he also featured for Coventry City, in the old Division One, Swindon Town, Portsmouth, Walsall, Watford, Stoke City, Hull City as well as a brief stint in Sweden with Trelleborgs.

It was the Sky Blues who ended Bamber’s first stint at Blackpool, signing him in 1983. Although illness prevented him from making the most of his opportunity, there were highlights.

He said: "When I got the move to Coventry who were in the top division – so the Premier League now – I was on £250 per week.

"I think every five games I played, my wages went up by £25 per week.

"I remember we beat Liverpool 4-0 and that was when nobody beat Liverpool in the days of Souness and Dalglish. Little Terry Gibson scored a hat-trick.

"I remember I scored a great goal at Arsenal.”