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Bobby Collins

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Bobby Collins (29.6K)  Bobby Collins (20.9K)

Position Inside left
Born 16 Feb 1931, Govanhill (Scotland)
Height 162 cm
Weight 65 kg
International Caps Scotland: 31 full

Club From To Apps Goals Sold for
Glasgow Celtic 01 Apr 1948 01 Sep 1958     £23500
Everton 01 Sep 1958 05 Mar 1962 133 42 £25000
Leeds United 05 Mar 1962 14 Feb 1967 167 25 £0
Bury 14 Feb 1967 01 Apr 1969 75 6  
Greenock Morton 01 Apr 1969 01 Jun 1971      
Oldham Athletic 01 Oct 1972 01 Jun 1973      

Leeds Career League FA Cup League Cup Europe Other
Season Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1961 - 1962 11 1 0   0   0   0  
1962 - 1963 41 8 3   0   0   0  
1963 - 1964 41 6 2   1   0   0  
1964 - 1965 39 9 8   1 1 0   0  
1965 - 1966 10   0   0   2   0  
1966 - 1967 7   0   0   1   0  
Total 149 24 13   2 1 3   0  

Jabba's Comments

Probably Don Revie's most inspired signing. At the age of 31, many thought he was past his best, but he proved to be a vital part of the team that won promotion back to Division 1, and came so close to winning the FA Cup and League. He was made captain in succession to Freddie Goodwin, and played a major role in bringing on the crop of youngsters that was emerging from United's youth team at the time. He was voted Footballer of the Year in the 1964-65 season, but the following season a terrible challenge from a Torino player broke his leg, and although he came back to play in the final game of that season, his time at Leeds was effectively over.

After leaving Leeds, he was player-coach or coach for a variety of clubs, including a couple in Australia and Ireland. He had brief spells in management at Huddersfield, Hull and Barnsley - taking Leeds to two replays in the League Cup when his Huddersfield side were near the bottom of Division 3 and Leeds had just won the title in 1974. He also spent a year in charge of the youth team at Elland Road after joining the coaching staff under Jimmy Armfield in summer 1976.

Robin Healey says: Bobby Collins was the greatest midfielder to play for Leeds in the last 40 years. Better even than Johnnie Giles and Gordon Strachan. What more can you say than that.

Bob Hanson says: I saw Bobby throughout his career with Leeds, and as time goes by his effect on the team is forgotten by many. Jack Charlton speaks of him correctly as 'the man who made the difference'. He was inspirational, and his 'banana' free kicks would put David Beckham in the shadows. Without doubt the greatest Leeds midfielder.

Julie Collins says: I would like to say thankyou to all the fans who have stuck by my dad. He is the most inspirational person that I have known. He has guided me through my whole life even though I wasn't born in his hay days, but I have listened to all of his stories. He makes me laugh when he tells me about some of his on pitch antics. It still amazes me that people young and old still recognises him even at Tesco's where I work and in the Airport especially. I any one would like to ask me any questions about my dad feel free.

Archie Wilson says: I remember Bobby playing for Greenock Morton and i also remember leeds utd coming to Greenock to play a testimonial match for Bobby if anyone remembers it e-mail me please

Michael Kane says: Can you confirm whether Bobby was ever voted european footballer of the year by either his peers or writers. Jabba says: nope - his award was solely domestic - but still a pretty big accolade for a 34-year-old playing for a team that had only just been promoted.

J. Kelso says: I seen him playing once he put his heart into the game which is more than I could say about some of his counterparts

bunminho says: Collins was the key to the door that Don Revie needed to unlock to make Leeds United a successful side. Combative, even mean, he applied himself ruthlessly to the task of winning matches, and as CAPTAIN OF LEEDS UNITED, demanded the same levels of dedication from his teammates. His attitude definitely rubbed off on Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles in the Leeds midfield because both became noted for their combativeness allied with tremendous skills. As Jack Charlton has said in LLL, Bobby was the kind of player who would break his mother's leg if that's what it took to win a match. And that attitude suffused a young Leeds United side and propelled it to the old 2nd division title in 1964 and to within a whisker of a League and Cup Double in 1965. Collins was master of the one-touch game. When it was one-touch, his head seemed to be on a swivel, he took in all the angles, and he knocked the ball around perfectly. It helped that he had also perfected the trick of deceiving his markers by swaying as he shaped up to receive a pass. One goal Collins didn't score, I will never forget. With Albert Johannesson breaking clear on the left flank, Collins dragged the 2 defenders off on a dummy run to the left corner flag, and Albert cut inside unopposed and scored. That was the ultimate tribute to Collins' vision, equally dangerous with or without the ball. Justly a player rightly worshipped still at Celtic, Everton and Leeds United.

Wayne Goodison says: Bobby was my youth team coach and then 1st team manager at Barnsley in the early 8o's. Without a doubt he was the single most influence on me as a footballer and a person. A wonderful man with a hard reputation (justified!) but also very inspiring one.

Alec Wearing says: I can remember meeting Bobby Collins on a few occasions in the late 1950s when I was about the age of nine. I used to spend Easter and summer holidays with my grandparents in Glasgow and my grandfather would take me to a lot of matches. He was, however, keen to avoid the crush of the crowds, and so we set out very early. On a couple of occasions we were travelling in on the tram from Pollokshaws and Mr Collins got on at the Mannering Road stop in Shawlands. After he'd clambered up the stairs with a large bag of kit, my grandfather would get into conversation with him for the rest of the journey and all the way to Parkhead. Mr Collins would then go in through the main entrance and return a few minutes later with tickets for us for seats in the grandstand. It was at one of these matches that I gave Mr Collins my autograph book. He hung onto it for quite some time, and when he returned it there were several pages full of autographs: not only the entire Celtic team, but also the teams of Rangers, Motherwell, Clyde and the Scotland team for the international against Wales in 1956. (I still have all these autographs and I recently scanned them into the computer; they look really good when enlarged on the screen). I can also remember at that time my grandmother saying to me that I should write Mr Collins a letter to thank him for all the trouble he had taken to obtain the autographs. Alas, I never did write that letter. But, I notice that one of the postings on this message board is from Mr Collins daughter. And so, if she should happen to see this - and although I've left it rather late, almost fifty years late, in fact - perhaps she could convey to her father my warmest thanks for the excellent collection of autographs he obtained for me.

Ian Johnson says: I watched Bobby lots of times and loved watching him strut around after making another of his many great passes.I got his autograph after a Cup Semi-final afer his playing days were over when I saw him in the car park at somewhere like Old Trafford.He remains fondly in my heart as a truly excellent professional. I read somewhere else that he had been in hospital.I do hope he is well and keeping in touch at LUFC where he belongs.

ellen aitchison (nee collins) says: my name is ellen , i am doing a family tree, bobby collins was my fathers cousin, we share the same g grandparents, i have a copy of his grandfathers marriage cert, but cannot make out the name od his wife, would be grateful for any information, my grandfather was his fathers brother,his name was thomas, the same as my father.

Michael Dixon says: Bobby Collins tackled Willie McPheat, a very promising, young Scottish teenager making his way with Sunderland, in a match at Elland Road the early 1960's. I shall never forget the black and white film of Willie being carried off the pitch by the trainer and the then Sunderland Manager Alan Brown, in absolute agony. The story goes that Brown, one of the hardest Managers of his day, shouted "deliberate" from the Directors box, before rushing down to the pitch. McPheat was never the same again and not too long afterwards finshed off at Airdre via, Hartlepool. Was it deliberate? Only Bobby Collins can tell you if, indeed, he can recall it. But for those of us of that generation who followed Sunderland Football Club, I can assure you that Bobby Collins will never be forgotten. McPheat apparently later became a park-keeper.

gerry neish my grandpa is archie collins says: i dont remember her first name but i know her second name was young i will try to find out for you as bobby is my uncle so ill ask my grandpa.

joe neish says: bobby is my wifes uncle he always wears the medal he won when celtic beat rangers 7.1 in 1957 cup final


Have your say

Did you see Bobby Collins play? Did you meet him in a pub, go to school with him, decorate his house or buy a motor from him? If you've got any comments or stories about Bobby Collins on or off the pitch, just fill in the form below and (provided they're not blatantly libellous) I'll add them to this page. And just a quick note to the spammers who try to add their links to this page by attempting to get round the client-side validation: don't bother - the server side does similar checks and throws your garbage straight into the bit bucket.

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