Nevertheless he was sent to Scotland to school, by one report to the Edinburgh Institution by another to Edinburgh Academy. However, both played rugby yet Campbell, despite being imposing, standing over six feet tall, on leaving education and moving to Glasgow for work turned to football. He followed his elder brother, Edward, in, at sixteen, joining Queen's Park in 1870, was lodging in 1871 as a Commercial Clerk at 4, Albert Drive, Cathcart, in October 1873 made his debut, aged 19, for its First Team, in 1881, still a Clerk, now with an Iron Merchant, lodging at Kilmailing Terrace, again in Cathcart, and would turn out for the club until 1886, eighty odd games in all. He would do so mostly under his name but also as C. "Elliott". Why the pseudonym is unclear beyond it being the middle name of his deceased, elder sister, Isabella.  

Throughout his career Campbell played almost always at half-back. He was on the right in what was then a pairing in winning the 1874 Scottish Cup Final, he had been there in winning the first of thirteen Scotland caps two weeks earlier and there still a dozen years later in winning the 1886 Scottish Cup Final and in his last international, a home draw with England that same year. And in between he had been multiple captain of both club and country and played in further Scottish Cup Finals in 1875, 1876, 1880, 1881 and the 1882 replay, plus two FA Cup Finals, in 1884 and 1885.