As a player, he made 747 appearances in the Football League in a career that spanned 22 seasons, playing for Oldham Athletic (two spells), Huddersfield Town, Stockport County (two spells), Bradford City, Rochdale and Preston North End,[3] and also spent a season in the North American Soccer League with the San Jose Earthquakes.
He spent the first months of his working life as a trainee accountant with Middleton Council before being recommended to Oldham Athletic, where he signed as a professional.
Upon leaving Oldham, Chapman spent the summer of 1979 playing in the North American Soccer League for San Jose Earthquakes before returning to England and to Stockport County.
In July 1985 he became player-manager of Stockport County but moved on a year later to become player-coach under John McGrath at Preston North End.
[citation needed] He then became Manchester City's kit man,[7] a position he held for 17 years before moving into semi-retirement with a job in the club's media department, capitalising on his popularity with the fans to help to produce video content.