James Chambers (English footballer)

Football player infobox
playername = James Chambers


fullname = James Ashley Chambers
height = height|ft=5|in=10
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1980|11|20|df=y
cityofbirth = Sandwell
countryofbirth = England
currentclub = Doncaster Rovers
clubnumber = 6
position = Right Full Back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1999–2004
2004–2007
2006
2007–2008
2008–
clubs = West Bromwich Albion
Watford
→ Cardiff City (loan)
Leicester City
Doncaster Rovers
caps(goals) = 71 (0)
90 (0)
07 (0)
24 (0)
00 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = () 19:17, 3 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate =

James Ashley Chambers (born 20 November 1980) is an English footballer. He currently plays for Doncaster Rovers. He is predominantly a right-back, although he has played at centre-back, left-back and right-wing in his career.

Career

Chambers' early career mirrored that of his twin brother Adam Chambers. Both played for Grove Vale F.C., whom they joined in 1996, before signing for West Bromwich Albion as apprentices in July 1997.cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | pages = p48 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4] After progressing through Albion's youth system, both twins turned professional in January 1999. James made his debut in a 0-0 draw with Port Vale on 15 January, 2000. He made 78 appearances in total for the Baggies, with a significant number coming in the 2000-01 season.

With few chances available at the newly promoted Premiership side, he was allowed to move to Championship side Watford on loan in August 2004. [ [http://www.bsad.org/colinwho/chambers.html Player Profile: James Chambers] ] He impressed manager Ray Lewington enough to sign him on a permanent three-year contract in a deal worth up to £250,000. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/watford/3689040.stm Hornets land Chambers] ] Chambers started regularly in his first season at the club and also featured in the club's run to the League Cup semi-finals that year. He scored his two career goals to date the 4th round 5-2 victory over Premiership side Southampton, [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/3988393.stm Watford 5-2 Southampton] ] and played in the quarter-final victory over Portsmouth and semi-final defeat to Liverpool.

Chambers competed with Lloyd Doyley for the right-back spot in 2005-06, as well as spending some time playing at left-back. Watford reached the play-offs, finishing third, and Chambers started on the right-wing in the semi-final first leg against Crystal Palace, putting in an impressive display. [ [http://www.bsad.org/0506/reports/palace/par1.html Report: Crystal Palace vs Watford] ] He kept his place for the second leg and the final, against Leeds United, where his deflected strike led to an own goal by Leeds goalkeeper Neil Sullivan. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/4771857.stm Leeds 0-3 Watford] ] Watford won 3-0, and were promoted to the Premiership.

Chambers started Watford's first game in the top-flight, a 2-1 loss to Everton where he was substituted at half-time. Aside from a League Cup appearance against Accrington Stanley, he did not play another first team match until he joined Cardiff on a month's loan in October 2006. [cite news
title=Bluebirds sign Chambers on loan
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6043844.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-10-12
accessdate=2007-10-24] Playing as a left back for the early Championship leaders, [cite news
title=Chambers applauds Cardiff spirit
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6067042.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-10-19
accessdate=2007-10-24] he started all seven games in his time at Ninian Park. Watford then rejected Cardiff's request to extend the loan. [cite news
title=Cardiff seek Chambers replacement
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/cardiff_city/6143226.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2006-11-13
accessdate=2007-10-24]

He returned to the Watford side at right-back, but sustained an injury against Newcastle United that kept him out of the team until March. He featured sporadically after that, as Watford were relegated from the Premiership, but did play in the side's FA Cup quarter-final victory over Plymouth Argyle and semi-final loss to Manchester United.

In June 2007 Chambers turned down a new contract at Watford to sign a three year contract with fellow Championship side Leicester City. [cite news
title=Leicester sign Watford's Chambers
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/6240562.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-06-26
accessdate=2007-06-26]

On 4 August 2008, Chambers signed a three-year-deal with Doncaster Rovers. Chambers had a clause in his contract at Leicester allowing him to move on a free transfer should the club be relegated. This cluase was activated following the Foxes relegation into Coca Cola League One.cite news| title = Rovers Move For Chambers| url = http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1357944,00.html| publisher = LCFC.co.uk| date = 2008-08-04| accessdate = 2008-08-04] He became Rovers' seventh signing of the summer, leading up to their first season back in the second tier of English football after fifty years in the lower leagues.

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=18900|name=James Chambers

Persondata
NAME=Chambers, James
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=November 20, 1980
PLACE OF BIRTH=Sandwell, England
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=