Bob Wilson
Double-winning goalkeeper, long-serving keeper coach and one of British TV's best-known football presenters.
Robert Primrose Wilson, born 30 October 1941, is a former goalkeeper who spent 11 years at Arsenal and made over 300 appearances, and who played for Scotland. He was Arsenal's player of the year in the Double-winning 1971 season, when he played every League and Cup match. After his playing days he coached Arsenal's goalkeepers and became a leading television presenter, fronting football coverage for 28 years until 2002. He also founded the Willow Foundation in memory of his daughter Anna.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Robert Primrose Wilson
- Born
- 30 October 1941
- Birthplace
- Chesterfield, England
- Position
- Goalkeeper
Facts from the source article.
Background
Born on Ashgate Road in Chesterfield, Wilson took his middle name from his mother's maiden name, Primrose, following Scottish custom. His father refused to let him sign for Manchester United as a youth, so he trained as a teacher at Loughborough College while playing amateur reserve games for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He joined Arsenal in July 1963, becoming the first amateur to have a transfer fee paid (£7,500), and turned professional in March 1964. He debuted against Nottingham Forest on 26 October 1963 but waited behind Jim Furnell until 1968 to become first choice. He won the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup despite breaking his arm that season, then the 1971 Double, and retired in May 1974.
Did You Know?
- He was the first goalkeeper to wear a number on his back, and his favourite shirt is his Arsenal number 1 from 1970/71.
- Half Man Half Biscuit recorded a song called "Bob Wilson – Anchorman".
- In the mid-1980s he spent a comic-strip season in goal for Melchester Rovers in Roy of the Rovers.
- He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1998.
Frequently Asked Questions
What trophies did Bob Wilson win with Arsenal?
The 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 1971 League and FA Cup Double.
What is the Willow Foundation?
A charity set up in 1999 in memory of his daughter Anna, relaunched nationally in 2005 to help young adults with serious illness.
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