Bob Latchford
Encyclopedia
Robert Dennis "Bob" Latchford (born 18 January 1951) is an English
former association footballer who played as a centre forward
. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League
, playing for Birmingham City
, Everton
, Swansea and Coventry City
in the First Division
, and won 12 full caps for England
.
Latchford was the complete centre-forward: good in the air and on the ground. Despite his size - 6 feet (1,83m) tall - he was very fast over short distances, making him a great 'poacher' of goals and he also scored with some great diving headers.
Latchford was born in Kings Heath
, Birmingham
. He was transferred from Birmingham City to Everton for £350,000, a British transfer record
at the time (Howard Kendall
and Archie Styles
were transferred to Birmingham City as part of the same deal, with Birmingham being paid just £80,000). At Everton, Latchford was the top scorer for six successive seasons. He scored 30 goals in the 1977–78 season
, winning a £10,000 prize offered by a national newspaper for the first footballer to reach that number in a single season. During the mid-seventies, Latchford was widely considered as one of the top English forwards of his generation. He earned his first full cap for England in a World Cup qualifier against Italy
in 1977. In April 2006 a book was published telling the story of his 1977/78 season. Co-written with journalist Martin O'Boyle, the book supports Everton's former players charity.
The closest he came to a winner's medal at Everton was a finalist in the League Cup
in 1977. Latchford made 268 appearances (3 as substitute) for Everton scoring 138 goals. He was a great inspiration to a whole generation of Everton fans in the 1970s. Latchford left Everton for top-flight Swansea in 1981, scoring a hat-trick
on his debut for the Swans. He later also played for Dutch NAC Breda (15 Appearances - 13 Goals), Newport County
and finally Merthyr Tydfil F.C. before retiring as a player in 1987.
During his time at Everton, he was the club's leading post Second World War goalscorer with 138 goals, a record which was not broken until 1989 when Graeme Sharp
exceeded Latchford's tally. By the time Latchford left Everton, only Dixie Dean
(pre Second World War) had scored more goals for the club in history. http://www.evertonfc.com/stats
Latchford won 12 caps and scored 5 goals for England.
Now living in Germany with his family, Bob makes regular trips back to England to speak on the after-dinner circuit and also has a regular column on Everton independent website, NSNO.co.uk, where he comments on Everton Football Club.
He has two brothers, Peter and David, who were both footballers but both played as goalkeepers.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
former association footballer who played as a centre forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, playing for Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, Swansea and Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, and won 12 full caps for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Latchford was the complete centre-forward: good in the air and on the ground. Despite his size - 6 feet (1,83m) tall - he was very fast over short distances, making him a great 'poacher' of goals and he also scored with some great diving headers.
Latchford was born in Kings Heath
Kings Heath
Kings Heath is a suburb of Birmingham, England, five miles south of the city centre. It is the next suburb south from Moseley on the Alcester Road.-History:...
, Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. He was transferred from Birmingham City to Everton for £350,000, a British transfer record
British football transfer record
The progression of the British football transfer fee record tracks the increases in the record for the highest transfer fee paid or received by British association football clubs. A transfer fee is the sum of money paid by one club to purchase the contract, and therefore the playing services, of a...
at the time (Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
and Archie Styles
Archie Styles
Arthur Styles , known as Archie Styles, is an English former professional association footballer who played as a left back. He made more than 150 appearances in the Football League for several different clubs....
were transferred to Birmingham City as part of the same deal, with Birmingham being paid just £80,000). At Everton, Latchford was the top scorer for six successive seasons. He scored 30 goals in the 1977–78 season
1977-78 in English football
The 1977–1978 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England, from August 1977 to May 1978:-First Division:Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side took on the First Division by storm, by winning the League Cup on 22 March and confirming themselves as league champions the following month...
, winning a £10,000 prize offered by a national newspaper for the first footballer to reach that number in a single season. During the mid-seventies, Latchford was widely considered as one of the top English forwards of his generation. He earned his first full cap for England in a World Cup qualifier against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
in 1977. In April 2006 a book was published telling the story of his 1977/78 season. Co-written with journalist Martin O'Boyle, the book supports Everton's former players charity.
The closest he came to a winner's medal at Everton was a finalist in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
in 1977. Latchford made 268 appearances (3 as substitute) for Everton scoring 138 goals. He was a great inspiration to a whole generation of Everton fans in the 1970s. Latchford left Everton for top-flight Swansea in 1981, scoring a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
on his debut for the Swans. He later also played for Dutch NAC Breda (15 Appearances - 13 Goals), Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
and finally Merthyr Tydfil F.C. before retiring as a player in 1987.
During his time at Everton, he was the club's leading post Second World War goalscorer with 138 goals, a record which was not broken until 1989 when Graeme Sharp
Graeme Sharp
Graeme Marshall Sharp is a former footballer. He started his playing career at Dumbarton before signing for Everton for £120,000 in 1980....
exceeded Latchford's tally. By the time Latchford left Everton, only Dixie Dean
Dixie Dean
William Ralph Dean , better known as Dixie Dean, was an English football player. Dean originally started his career with Birkenhead based Tranmere Rovers before moving on to Everton, the club he had supported as a child, where he became one of the most prolific goal-scorers in English football...
(pre Second World War) had scored more goals for the club in history. http://www.evertonfc.com/stats
Latchford won 12 caps and scored 5 goals for England.
Now living in Germany with his family, Bob makes regular trips back to England to speak on the after-dinner circuit and also has a regular column on Everton independent website, NSNO.co.uk, where he comments on Everton Football Club.
He has two brothers, Peter and David, who were both footballers but both played as goalkeepers.
Honours
- with Birmingham City
- FA Youth CupFA Youth CupThe Football Association Youth Challenge Cup is an English football competition run by The Football Association for under–18 sides. Only those players between the age of 15 and 18 on 31 August of the current season are eligible to take part...
runners-up 1967. - Football League Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
promotion 1972. - Club's top scorer 1972, 1973.
- FA Youth Cup
- with Everton
- Football League CupFootball League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
runners-up 19771977 Football League Cup FinalThe 1977 Football League Cup Final was played between Aston Villa and Everton and required three games to decide the winner, the only time this has happened in the League Cup. The first match took place at Wembley Stadium on 12 March and the game ended in a dull goalless draw...
. - Club's top scorer 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978.
- Football League Cup
- with Swansea City
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners 1982, 1983. - Club's top scorer 1982.
- Welsh Cup
- with NAC Breda
- Eerste DivisieEerste DivisieThe Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
promotion 1984.
- Eerste Divisie
- with Merthyr Tydfil
- Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners 1987.
- Welsh Cup
External links
- Profile at Neil Brown's player database
- Profile at Swansea City A.F.C.
- Everton Giants at Everton F.C.