Player Profile

Big and strong Bimpson was a handful for defences in the Second Division rotating between the inside-right position and centre-forward. Scoring runs of four goals in five appearances and 11 goals in 16 in seasons 1957/58 and 1958/59 respectively showed he had a knack for delivering the goods. He was given his debut at Aston Villa on 7 March 1953 and played in seven more League games before the end of the season, scoring three goals. His most productive season for the club was in 1953/54 when he hit the net 12 times in 24 league matches. On his day he could be brilliant, a brace against Manchester United in August 1953 and a four-goal show in the first half against Burnley at Anfield a month later prove that. But he was never considered to be a regular in the side and when Dave Hickson arrived from Goodison in November 1959, Bimpson faded out of the first-team picture altogether and was transferred to Blackburn Rovers two weeks later.

Bimpson took a step up the League ladder with first division Rovers, scoring eight goals in 29 matches from 1959-1961. He starred in Rovers' cup run in 1960 when he scored in the 4-1 victory over Sunderland in the third round and netted a brace in a 3-1 win at Tottenham in the fifth round. Rovers went all the way to Wembley where Bimpson wore the number seven shirt. Rovers struggled on the day, losing 3-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the so-called "Dustbin final" as Wolves' players were pelted with all kinds of garbage by the Rovers' fans when they were on their victory lap. Bimpson later went on to play for Bournemouth, Rochdale and Wigan.