Lee Chapman

Lee Roy Chapman was born on December 5, 1959, in Lincoln, England. He began his professional football career at Stoke City in 1978, making his league debut while on loan at Plymouth Argyle. During his initial years with Stoke City, he quickly became a vital player and was the top scorer in the 1980–81 and 1981–82 seasons. This strong performance led to a significant transfer to Arsenal in 1982 for £500,000. Although his time at Arsenal and a subsequent move to Sunderland were brief, his career regained momentum after joining Sheffield Wednesday in 1984 under manager Howard Wilkinson, where he scored 63 goals in 149 appearances.

Chapman’s career saw further progression when he joined Nottingham Forest in October 1988, contributing to their League Cup and Full Members Cup victories in 1989. He then reunited with Howard Wilkinson in January 1990 at Leeds United, where he played a crucial role in the team winning the Second Division title in 1990 and ultimately the First Division title in the 1991–92 season before the inception of the Premier League. He was Leeds’ top scorer in the 1992–93 season with 14 goals. Chapman also had spells with West Ham United, Ipswich Town, Southend United, and Swansea City in the UK, and played internationally for Chamois Niortais in France and Strømsgodset in Norway. Across his career, he scored over 200 first-team goals.

Beyond his playing career, Chapman has pursued entrepreneurial ventures in the hospitality sector, co-owning restaurants with his wife, Leslie Ash. His personal life also notably involved legal action in 2011 against the News of the World for voicemail hacking, alongside his wife.