THE drink is orange squash and lemonade – it’s 10.30 on a Friday morning after all – but there is a rascally glint in the eye.

Bobby Campbell is holding court in a near-deserted Ambassador Club in Bradford city centre and happy to talk football in that distinct gravelly voice.

City’s record goal scorer has finally seen his old club win after doing the half-time draw against Swindon last week.

“I must have been the jinx this year,” he admitted. “I’d watched Bradford four times before and not seen a win.

“I watched them at Wigan the other week and they were cruising that one but lost. I saw Sheffield United at home, they were cruising that one and finished up drawing.

“Bradford have been a nightmare for my football bets. Every time I back them it’s wrong!”

But Campbell is optimistic about their chances going into the critical final weeks. He has his sights set on going to Wembley for the play-off final.

He has not seen the national stadium since its revamp – his last time was playing for Wigan in the Football League’s centenary tournament 28 years ago.

“It was an absolute Mickey Mouse thing, the Mercantile Classic or something. The top four teams in our league played in it, 20 minutes each way.

“It went to a penalty shoot-out and I was going to blast mine down the middle like I normally do. But Cooky (Paul Cook), my team-mate, pointed out the keeper dived early so I should just roll it in the corner.

“Lo and behold, he did go early and I scuffed it wide of the post the other way. The only time I played there and I missed a penalty!”

Campbell also went to the old Wembley twice with Aston Villa – and once ended up drunk among Arsenal fans as a 15-year-old.

“It was the centenary FA Cup final so they brought all the clubs down. Arsenal were playing Leeds but they couldn’t get me a ticket at the same end.

“They asked if I’d be all right stood on my own? I replied ‘I’m from Belfast, just give me that ticket’.

“I was in with all the Arsenal fans and somebody heard the accent and asked where I was from. When I told them, they were like ‘hey lads, this boy’s come all the way from Ireland on his own, give him a can of beer’.

“By the time the game was over and I was trying to find my way back to the Villa minibus, I was swaying all over the place.

“I told them some Arsenal fans had forced it on me but you could see they were thinking ‘what the hell have we signed!’”

Campbell, who turns 60 in September, admitted he fell out of love with football for a while because of the vast sums of money involved. Don’t get him started on Benito Carbone.

“He was a good player, don’t get me wrong, but on £35,000-£40,000 a week and he stands there throwing his hands in the air if he loses the ball! If he’d been on my team …”

He can relate far better to the current City side and their continuing progress under Phil Parkinson. But Campbell still feels there is one element lacking.

“They’ve got nobody vocal. I think City do lack a leader on the pitch – someone who wants a battle.

“I was at the old players’ do the other week and saw Phil. I told him what a great job he’s doing but said they need to make more noise, especially the big lad Hanson.

“I think he’s a bit too innocent. He needs to give defenders a bit more of a dig.”

Campbell reckons James Hanson gets a raw deal from officials blind to the fouls on him – and could do with more help from his team-mates.

“I feel sorry for the big lad. When he gets up, often nobody’s there around him.

“When I played, there was always David McNiven right there, John Hawley was brilliant as well and Don Goodman.

“I told them that I’d guarantee the centre half won’t get a clean header. It’s going to be scrappy and balls are going to drop so just read it and gamble.

“I watch Bradford and sometimes I don’t think they gamble enough. They are too happy to sit back.

“But it’s changed for centre forwards. Nowadays I’d get pulled up (for fouls) all the time.

“You cannot jump without putting your arms out, otherwise you’re just bobbing. You need that for your leverage.

“But then the defender goes down like he’s been shot. I’ll watch it and feel like one of those diving judges getting the board up with 6.0 for effort!

“When it’s the other way round, you don’t get a foul. The centre half can climb all over you and they’ll never give it in the penalty box.

“It’s like this grabbing nowadays at corners and free-kicks. It’s getting ridiculous – a couple of broken noses would get rid of it.”

But Campbell can see a team playing with conviction and is confident that Parkinson remains the right man at the helm.

“You can’t knock the manager’s record,” he said. “He seems to pick up decent players and has got the team ticking at the right time.

“They don’t concede either and that’s where the basis of your team is. The more clean sheets, the more wins you get – just look at Leicester.

“As long as you’re not letting goals in, that’s what counts and the team will keep doing well.”

And if they do go as far as Wembley again, Campbell will not be toasting them with soft drinks.