Bob Booker

Playing career

Booker was spotted by Watford while playing for Saturday side Bedmond Social and attended training sessions before Brentford offered him a trial. Despite being a midfielder, he played as a striker in the trial, scoring two goals, and Brentford signed him after agreeing a fee of tracksuits with Bedmond. He made his Football League debut on 14 October 1978 against his hometown club Watford. After a short loan to Conference side Barnet, where he scored three goals in 13 appearances, he returned to Brentford and scored a hat-trick in his first game back.

He became a stalwart, making over 250 appearances and being voted Brentford's Player of the Season in 1982, having played every position except goalkeeper. A cruciate ligament injury in 1986 kept him out for nearly 18 months, and surgeons said he would never play again, but he returned to fitness. Deemed surplus to requirements, he was offered a testimonial and free transfer. Considering quitting football to start a window cleaning business, he instead signed for Sheffield United in 1988 after Dave Bassett offered him a move, prompted by a broken leg suffered by Blades midfielder Simon Webster and a contact from club physio Derek French, who had played with Booker at Bedmond.

Managerial career

After drifting out of football, Booker took a coaching post at Brentford in 1994. In 2000 he became assistant manager to Micky Adams at Brighton & Hove Albion, and after Adams left, Booker was joint caretaker manager with Martin Hinshelwood until Steve Coppell arrived. He again served as caretaker manager in 2003 after Coppell quit for Reading, and new manager Mark McGhee retained him as assistant until McGhee was sacked early in the 2006–07 season. After managing village side Pease Pottage FC, Booker returned to Brighton with Micky Adams in 2008 as reserve team coach.

Personal life

Booker left school at 16 for a four-year upholstery apprenticeship while playing Saturday football. In his first Brentford game, he was marked by Watford defender Ian Bolton, who later joined Brentford and became his brother-in-law. After retiring, he worked as a match summariser on BBC Radio Sheffield and married former Southern FM breakfast show host Nicky Keig-Shevlin in 2008. A biographical book, OOH-AAH: The Bob Booker Story, was published in July 2017.