Bobby Tambling
Encyclopedia
Robert Victor 'Bobby' Tambling (born 18 September 1941 in Storrington
, Sussex
) is a retired English
footballer
, who played most notably for Chelsea
and Crystal Palace
in the 1960s and 1970s. He is Chelsea's all-time top scorer, netting 202 goals for them.
, Tambling was signed by Chelsea as a junior in 1957 and made his debut for the club two years later against West Ham United
as a 17-year-old, in which he scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. With the departure of the club's principal goalscorer, Jimmy Greaves
, for AC Milan in 1961, Tambling got his chance to establish himself in the side. He scored 22 league goals in the following season, and struck up a prolific strike partnership with fellow youth product, Barry Bridges
. In spite of this, however, the club were still relegated to the Second Division
at the end of the 1961-62
season.
The club's relegation saw the arrival of new manager Tommy Docherty
, who made Tambling captain of the side and introduced other talented young players, such as Terry Venables
, Peter Bonetti
and Eddie McCreadie
. Tambling scored 35 league goals - almost half the club's total for that season - as Chelsea returned to the First Division
at the first attempt. In doing so, he became the youngest captain to lead a side to promotion. His scoring feats also earned him an England
call-up, and he made his debut against Wales
on 21 October 1962.
Upon Chelsea's return to the top division, Tambling continued his prolific scoring run, netting 18 times in all competitions that season as the side finished 5th in the league. In 1964-65
, with Chelsea challenging for a domestic treble, he scored 25 goals, including one in the first leg of Chelsea's 3-2 League Cup final win over Leicester City
, which would prove to be his only major trophy as the club faltered in the other two competitions. Two years later, Tambling finally reached the FA Cup
final with Chelsea, having endured two consecutive semi-final defeats, but despite scoring a late goal, his team lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur
at Wembley. In the same season, he scored a record-equalling five goals in one game, against Aston Villa
in a 6-2 win at Villa Park
in September.
Tambling continued his impressive scoring feats in the following seasons, though found his opportunities more limited in his later years at Chelsea, owing to injuries and the emergence of younger strikers at the club, such as Peter Osgood
and Tommy Baldwin
, and made just seven appearances in his final season.
Having scored a - still unbeaten - club record 202 goals in 370 games for Chelsea, he moved to Crystal Palace for £40,000 in January 1970. He also won a total of 3 international caps for England and scored one goal, which came in a European Championship
qualifier against France
.
His time at Palace was less successful, with the club consistently struggling near the bottom of the First Division. Palace were eventually relegated at the end of the 1972-73 season
. Tambling scored 12 goals in 68 league games for the club between 1970 and 1973.
, where he was signed by Cork Celtic
. In his first season he helped the team win its first (and only) League of Ireland
championship. He then took over as player-manager, with limited success, before leaving in 1977.
After one season at Waterford, where he represented the League of Ireland against Argentina on the 19th of April 1978, he signed for Shamrock Rovers
during the 1978/79 season. He made his Rovers debut on the 30th of August 1978 in a President's Cup Final while he scored his only goal on his Milltown
debut in a 1-0 League of Ireland Cup win over St. Patrick's Athletic on the 3rd of September. He made a total of 9 appearances for the Hoops including 2 appearances in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
.
He was released by Johnny Giles
at the end of October where he signed for Cork Alberts F.C.
. His last game in the League of Ireland was on Sunday the 4th of February 1979 in a 3-0 loss against Rovers at Flower Lodge.
He later became the first manager of fellow Irish club, Cork City, in 1984, but his reign lasted only 13 games.
in honour of his status at Chelsea and was recently named in the club's greatest ever XI, selected to mark the club's centenary.
Storrington
Storrington is a village in the Horsham District of West Sussex, England, and one of two in the civil parish of Storrington and Sullington. Storrington lies at the foot of the north side of the South Downs. As of 2006 the village has a population of around 4,600. It has one main shopping street...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
) is a retired English
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...
footballer
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...
, who played most notably for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
in the 1960s and 1970s. He is Chelsea's all-time top scorer, netting 202 goals for them.
Chelsea
A prolific goalscoring winger and strikerStriker
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...
, Tambling was signed by Chelsea as a junior in 1957 and made his debut for the club two years later against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
as a 17-year-old, in which he scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory. With the departure of the club's principal goalscorer, Jimmy Greaves
Jimmy Greaves
James Peter 'Jimmy' Greaves is an English former football player, England's third highest international goalscorer, the highest goalscorer in the history of Tottenham Hotspur football club, the highest goalscorer in the history of English top flight football and more recently a television pundit -...
, for AC Milan in 1961, Tambling got his chance to establish himself in the side. He scored 22 league goals in the following season, and struck up a prolific strike partnership with fellow youth product, Barry Bridges
Barry Bridges
Barry John Bridges is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Chelsea, Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers, Millwall and Brighton & Hove Albion and was capped four times for England....
. In spite of this, however, the club were still relegated to the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 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...
at the end of the 1961-62
1961-62 in English football
The 1961–62 season was the 82nd season of competitive Football in England.-Overview:The season was notable for the remarkable achievement of Ipswich Town winning the League Championship. Under the managership of Alf Ramsey, the club progressed from the old Third Division South to the First Division...
season.
The club's relegation saw the arrival of new manager Tommy Docherty
Tommy Docherty
Thomas Henderson "Tommy" Docherty , commonly known as "The Doc", is a Scottish former footballer and football manager.-Playing career:...
, who made Tambling captain of the side and introduced other talented young players, such as Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
, Peter Bonetti
Peter Bonetti
Peter Phillip Bonetti is a former football goalkeeper for Chelsea, the St. Louis Stars, Dundee United and England. Bonetti was known for his safe handling, lightning reflexes and his graceful style, for which he was given the nickname, "The Cat"...
and Eddie McCreadie
Eddie McCreadie
Edward Graham "Eddie" McCreadie is a former Scottish footballer who played at left-back, mainly for Chelsea. He later became a manager....
. Tambling scored 35 league goals - almost half the club's total for that season - as Chelsea returned 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....
at the first attempt. In doing so, he became the youngest captain to lead a side to promotion. His scoring feats also earned him an 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...
call-up, and he made his debut against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 21 October 1962.
Upon Chelsea's return to the top division, Tambling continued his prolific scoring run, netting 18 times in all competitions that season as the side finished 5th in the league. In 1964-65
1964-65 in English football
The 1964–65 season was the 85th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* After a three-way tussle for the League title between Manchester United, Leeds United and Chelsea, Manchester United came out on top and were crowned champions....
, with Chelsea challenging for a domestic treble, he scored 25 goals, including one in the first leg of Chelsea's 3-2 League Cup final win over Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
, which would prove to be his only major trophy as the club faltered in the other two competitions. Two years later, Tambling finally reached the 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...
final with Chelsea, having endured two consecutive semi-final defeats, but despite scoring a late goal, his team lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
at Wembley. In the same season, he scored a record-equalling five goals in one game, against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in a 6-2 win at Villa Park
Villa Park, England
Villa Park is an association football stadium in the district of Witton, Birmingham, England with a seating capacity of 42,786. It has been the home of Aston Villa Football Club since 1897. The team previously played at Aston Park from 1874 to 1876 and Perry Barr from 1876 to 1897...
in September.
Tambling continued his impressive scoring feats in the following seasons, though found his opportunities more limited in his later years at Chelsea, owing to injuries and the emergence of younger strikers at the club, such as Peter Osgood
Peter Osgood
Peter Leslie Osgood was an English footballer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best remembered for representing Chelsea and Southampton at club level, and was also capped four times by England in the early 1970s.-Chelsea:Born in a small road named Kentons Lane in Windsor, Osgood...
and Tommy Baldwin
Tommy Baldwin
Thomas "Tommy" Baldwin is an English former footballer who played in the Football League for Arsenal, Chelsea, Millwall, Manchester United and Brentford. He was capped twice by England at under-23 level....
, and made just seven appearances in his final season.
Having scored a - still unbeaten - club record 202 goals in 370 games for Chelsea, he moved to Crystal Palace for £40,000 in January 1970. He also won a total of 3 international caps for England and scored one goal, which came in a European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
qualifier against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
.
His time at Palace was less successful, with the club consistently struggling near the bottom of the First Division. Palace were eventually relegated at the end of the 1972-73 season
1972-73 in English football
The 1972–73 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The Football League announced that a three-up, three-down system would operate between the top two divisions from the following season, rather than the traditional two-up, two-down system...
. Tambling scored 12 goals in 68 league games for the club between 1970 and 1973.
Ireland
Tambling left Palace in October 1973 for IrelandRepublic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, where he was signed by Cork Celtic
Cork Celtic F.C.
Cork Celtic F.C. were a Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland between 1959 and 1979 and played their home games at Turners Cross. The club had previously played in the league as Evergreen United...
. In his first season he helped the team win its first (and only) League of Ireland
League of Ireland
The League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
championship. He then took over as player-manager, with limited success, before leaving in 1977.
After one season at Waterford, where he represented the League of Ireland against Argentina on the 19th of April 1978, he signed for Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers F.C.
Shamrock Rovers Football Club are a professional football club from Dublin, Ireland. They compete in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland and are the most successful club in Irish football history. The club have won the League of Ireland title a record 17 times and the FAI Cup a record 24...
during the 1978/79 season. He made his Rovers debut on the 30th of August 1978 in a President's Cup Final while he scored his only goal on his Milltown
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...
debut in a 1-0 League of Ireland Cup win over St. Patrick's Athletic on the 3rd of September. He made a total of 9 appearances for the Hoops including 2 appearances in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
.
He was released by Johnny Giles
Johnny Giles
Michael John "Johnny" Giles is a former association footballer and manager best remembered for his time as a midfielder with Leeds United in the 1960s and 1970s...
at the end of October where he signed for Cork Alberts F.C.
Cork Alberts F.C.
Cork Alberts F.C. was Irish football club based in Cork. They played in the League of Ireland for two seasons, 1977–78 and 1978–79, finishing 9th and 11th respectively...
. His last game in the League of Ireland was on Sunday the 4th of February 1979 in a 3-0 loss against Rovers at Flower Lodge.
He later became the first manager of fellow Irish club, Cork City, in 1984, but his reign lasted only 13 games.
Management
He continues to live in Crosshaven, Cork, Ireland where he is involved with Crosshaven's senior side. He has led Crosshaven to the Munster Senior League Junior 1st Division & Premier Division in the past few years before taking the seaside club back into the senior ranks. Tambling has a suite named after him at Stamford BridgeStamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
in honour of his status at Chelsea and was recently named in the club's greatest ever XI, selected to mark the club's centenary.
Honours
- 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...
- ChelseaChelsea F.C.Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
1964/65
- Chelsea
- League of IrelandLeague of IrelandThe League of Ireland is the national association football league of the Republic of Ireland. Founded in 1921, as a league of eight clubs, it has expanded over time into a two-tiered league of 22 clubs. It is currently split into the League of Ireland Premier Division and the League of Ireland...
- Cork Celtic 1973/74