Bob Wilson (footballer born 1941)
Bob Wilson ( 2009).
Robert Primrose "Bob" Wilson, OBE ( born October 30, 1941 in Chesterfield) is a former Scottish football goalkeeper. After starting out as an amateur player of trained teachers used at Arsenal at the end of the 1960s, his sudden opportunities. He won the Fairs Cup in 1970 and the following year the "Double" from the English league and FA Cup. Later he worked for nearly three decades as Arsenal's goalkeeping coach and, as a moderator for the broadcasters BBC and ITV in various formats football reporting.
Sports career
Playing career
Wilson was a promising goalkeeper talent at a young age and after good performances in the domestic Chesterfield Grammar School, he came quickly in selecting teams for use. This included the English national students, in which he acted alongside players such as the eventual champions Nobby Stiles. That he nevertheless not earlier envisaged the way into professional football, was due to the concerns of his father. This was a football career of his son against hostile and insisted that this the Loughborough College visited. So Wilson was trained as a teacher of sports and history and in parallel he hired himself out as an amateur athlete. The dream of the own professional career, he had not given up and the reserve team of Wolverhampton Wanderers he joined in August 1963 Arsenal FC to London.
The new teammates took the novice with his duffel coat and college scarf skeptical at first, and the start time proved beyond difficult because Wilson, the unusual middle name " Primrose " ( German: Primrose ) had inherited from his mother looks ( a Scottish tradition acquisition of the maiden name of the mother in front ), taught in parallel at the Rutherford School in Paddington. Nevertheless, he completed his first season in 1963/64, eight appearances for the first team and after completing his training, he signed a professional contract in August 1964. The transfer fee payable in excess of 3,000 pounds was Arsenal's first transfer of payment for an amateur. In the following nearly four years, his role was mostly limited to the replacement 's behind Jim Furnell and after numerous operations in the reserve team came in March 1968, the opportunity for which he had long been waiting for. Furnells error in the FA Cup against Birmingham City, which was responsible for the resignation, prompting coach Bertie Mee to a change in the goalkeeper position. Furnell should then never play for Arsenal and Wilson, who had improved steadily over the years, took over from then on the jersey with the " number 1".
Wilson worked quickly a reputation particularly brave and daring to play, as he often deep with a spectacular diving save his own technique in parades on the ground and kicks opponent exposed without regard to their own health. In the 1968/69 season he missed none of 42 league games and the first possible title just because of a 1:3 - final defeat ( after extra time ) against Swindon Town in the League Cup. Although he 1969/70 broke his arm in the following season, he battled back in Arsenal's starting line-up and in April 1970 he won after a playoff victory against RSC Anderlecht (1:3, 3:0) the Fairs Cup. In the "Double - 1971/72 season ," as it were as Arsenal won the English championship and the FA Cup, Wilson was " ever present " and to further reward he came in the fall of 1971 under Tommy Docherty against Portugal ( 2-1 ) and the Netherlands (1:2) to the first (and only ) two A- international caps for Scotland. He had benefited from a rule change that in 1970 allowed players to be allowed to play for the Scottish home of a parent who was so far not been completed before an international match for England. However Dochertys successor Willie Ormond familiar in the aftermath of the Scotland -born Bobby Clark from FC Aberdeen.
Later in the first half of the 1970s, Wilson initially remained Arsenal's main goalkeeper, but a violation of the 1972 FA Cup semi-final against Stoke City made sure that he had to sit in the lost final against Leeds United ( 0-1). Geoff Barnett represented him for some time before Wilson his place after recovering won back. The numerous injuries, however, had taken its toll, and in May 1974 he announced at the age of only 32 years, his retirement as an active player.
Subsequent activities
He found his new role in the next 28 years as a goalkeeper coach. This feature was previously not been existent in English football and in fact Wilson had the concept of the Brazilian national copied at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Under his direction, worked until 2003, later Arsenal goalkeeper Pat Jennings, John Lukic and David Seaman. Highlights were the other two " doubles " in the years 1998 and 2002 and only Pat Rice was next to Wilson also involved in a total of three Arsenal Doubles.
After the first broadcast experience in reporting the 1970 World Cup for the BBC, he was active for the same station as the host of the show Football Focus 1974-1994. Until 2002 he worked for ITV and then in addition to his position as " Anchorman " at the Euro 1996 and the 1998 World Cup, he presented to 1999 games of the Champions League.
In 1999 Wilson founded the Willow Foundation charity after his suffering from a nerve sheath tumor daughter had died the year before. Six years later, he succeeded in that the first operating only in Hertfordshire organization could start their work nationally. For his merits in this respect Wilson in 2007 was awarded by the Queen with the Order of the British Empire.
Title / Awards
- English Championship (1): 1971
- English Cup ( 1): 1971
- Fairs Cup ( 1): 1970