Bobby Collins
Encyclopedia
Robert Young "Bobby" Collins (born 16 February 1931) is a Scottish
former football
player, best known for his successful spells at Celtic
, Everton
and Leeds United. He also represented the Scotland national football team
and the Scottish League XI
.
in 1951, and the Scottish cup double in 1954. He was also called up for international duty in 1950, and maintained a frequent presence in the Scotland
squad in the later stages of the decade. Collins also represented the Scottish League XI
16 times, scoring 12 goals.
In 1958 he joined Everton
where he played until 1962. He was an astute addition to the Leeds squad by manager Don Revie
in 1962, helping the club avoid relegation. Leeds won promotion to the First Division
in 1964, and Collins captained the side towards a potential League and FA Cup
double a year later; however, Leeds missed out on the League on goal difference to Manchester United
, and lost the 1965 FA Cup Final
to Liverpool
. Collins's efforts in Leeds achievements were recognised as he was awarded the Footballer Of The Year title in 1965. His sparkling form at Leeds also won him a recall to the Scotland squad after a 6 year absence, and he earned three more caps. His international career ended with 31 appearances and ten goals. Collins continued to skipper Leeds until 1966, when he suffered a horrific broken thigh
bone in a Fairs Cup
tie against Torino. He briefly came back from the injury, but age and a struggle to reclaim previous form brought his Leeds career to an end.
Bury
signed Collins and he stayed there for two years. During a short period back in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton
, he doubled up as a scout for Revie, and recommended Joe Jordan
. Jordan went on to become a respected and feared striker with both Leeds and Scotland. In 1972 Collins was playing coach of Australian club Ringwood City
but left after a disagreement with the club board. He then had a spell as player/coach with Oldham. Collins signed for Shamrock Rovers in November 1973 making his début on the 11th at Glenmalure Park
. He played a total of 13 games, 11 in the league scoring once on his second appearance at Finn Harps.
and Barnsley
. He also coached within the Leeds youth set-up in the 1970s and then again in the late 1990s.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player, best known for his successful spells at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in 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...
and Leeds United. He also represented the Scotland national football team
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
.
Playing career
Despite of being just about 160 cm (5'3") tall, Collins was a strong, hard-working midfield player who was in the Celtic team as a 17 year old and stayed there for ten years, winning the Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
in 1951, and the Scottish cup double in 1954. He was also called up for international duty in 1950, and maintained a frequent presence in the Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
squad in the later stages of the decade. Collins also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
16 times, scoring 12 goals.
In 1958 he joined 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...
where he played until 1962. He was an astute addition to the Leeds squad by manager Don Revie
Don Revie
Donald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
in 1962, helping the club avoid relegation. Leeds won promotion to 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....
in 1964, and Collins captained the side towards a potential League and FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
double a year later; however, Leeds missed out on the League on goal difference to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, and lost the 1965 FA Cup Final
1965 FA Cup Final
The 1965 FA Cup Final took place on 1 May 1965 at Wembley Stadium. It was the 93rd year, 84th final and the 37th to be played at Wembley...
to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. Collins's efforts in Leeds achievements were recognised as he was awarded the Footballer Of The Year title in 1965. His sparkling form at Leeds also won him a recall to the Scotland squad after a 6 year absence, and he earned three more caps. His international career ended with 31 appearances and ten goals. Collins continued to skipper Leeds until 1966, when he suffered a horrific broken thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
bone in a Fairs Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
tie against Torino. He briefly came back from the injury, but age and a struggle to reclaim previous form brought his Leeds career to an end.
Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
signed Collins and he stayed there for two years. During a short period back in his native Scotland with Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
, he doubled up as a scout for Revie, and recommended Joe Jordan
Joe Jordan (footballer)
Joseph "Joe" Jordan is a Scottish football coach and former player and manager. He is currently first team coach for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, under manager Harry Redknapp....
. Jordan went on to become a respected and feared striker with both Leeds and Scotland. In 1972 Collins was playing coach of Australian club Ringwood City
Ringwood City
Ringwood City Soccer Club is an Australian association football club from Ringwood, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria. The club was formed in 1953, as Wilhelmina by Dutch Australians. It took the club only 4 years to get promoted into the Victorian State League. In 1966 they were...
but left after a disagreement with the club board. He then had a spell as player/coach with Oldham. Collins signed for Shamrock Rovers in November 1973 making his début on the 11th at Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park
Glenmalure Park, often simply known as "Milltown", was a football stadium on the Southside of Dublin city in Ireland. Located in the suburb of Milltown, it was home to Shamrock Rovers from 1926 to 1987, when it was sold to property developers by the club's directors...
. He played a total of 13 games, 11 in the league scoring once on his second appearance at Finn Harps.
Management career
Collins went into management, with spells at Huddersfield Town, Hull CityHull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
and Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
. He also coached within the Leeds youth set-up in the 1970s and then again in the late 1990s.
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 19 May 1957 St. Jakob-Park St. Jakob-Park' is a Swiss sports stadium in Basel. It is the largest football venue in Switzerland and home to FC Basel. "Joggeli", as the venue is nicknamed by the locals, was originally built with a capacity of 33,433 seats. The capacity was increased to 42,500 for Euro 2008, which was hosted by Switzerland...
, BaselBaselBasel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
2-1 2-1 WCQG9 2 22 May 1957 Neckarstadion, Stuttgart StuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
1-0 3-1 Friendly 3 22 May 1957 Neckarstadion, Stuttgart StuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
3-0 3-1 Friendly 4 13 November 1957 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
1-0 1-1 BHC 1958 British Home ChampionshipThe 1958 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1957–58 season. The competition was marred by the Munich air disaster on 6 February 1958, when an aircraft carrying the Manchester United football team home from a European Cup...5 1 June 1958 Dziesieciolecia Stadion, Warsaw WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
1-0 2-1 Friendly 6 1 June 1958 Dziesieciolecia Stadion, Warsaw WarsawWarsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
2-0 2-1 Friendly 7 11 June 1958 Idrottsparken IdrottsparkenIdrottsparken is a multi-purpose stadium in Norrköping, Sweden constructed in 1903. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home arena for IFK Norrköping, IK Sleipner and for IF Sylvia. The stadium had a capacity of 19,414 people until 2008/2009 when the arena was re-built....
, NorrköpingNorrköpingNorrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
2-3 2-3 WCG2 8 18 October 1958 Ninian Park Ninian ParkNinian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
3-0 3-0 BHC 1959 British Home ChampionshipThe 1959 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations. It came the year after the notable failure of England and Scotland to impress at the 1958 FIFA World Cup, for which all four nations qualified for the only time...9 5 November 1958 Hampden Park Hampden ParkHampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, GlasgowGlasgowGlasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
2-0 2-2 BHC British Home ChampionshipThe British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...10 27 May 1959 Olympisch Stadion Olympisch Stadion (Amsterdam)The Olympisch Stadion is a stadium built as the main stadium for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. When completed, the stadium had a capacity of 31,600. Following the completion of the rival De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam in 1937, the Amsterdam authorities decided to increase the capacity of the...
, AmsterdamAmsterdamAmsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
1-1 2-1 Friendly