Bobby Black
Encyclopedia
Bobby Black is a Scottish
ex-professional footballer
from Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
perhaps best known for his time at East Fife
and Queen of the South
and was also capped by the Scottish League. Black later was an all England
bowls
champion.
side made the Scottish Cup
final that season and finished fourth in Scotland's top division. Two seasons later (Bobby Black's last at the club) they would surpass this league position and finish third - an achievement unsurpassed by the club and equalled only once.
Other players at the club in this era included 1938 Scottish Cup
winners with East Fife Tommy Adams
and Willie Laird
and players who played for Scotland
while with the club, Allan Brown, Henry Morris
, George Aitken
, Davie Duncan
, Charlie Fleming
and Andy Matthew
. Jimmy Philp
was another like Black who enjoyed Scottish League Cup
success with the Methil
club.
From his first season on the books at East Fife (1946-47) until his departure in 1952 Black scored 23 goals in his 78 league games for East Fife.
. Black left Queens in 1961 having made 346 appearances scoring 120 times to make the outside right the club's second highest scorer of all time.
Under the management of Jimmy McKinnell Junior
at Queens, a large part of Black's time at Queens included a large part of the most successful period in the club's history. Also at Queens at this time were goalkeeper Roy Henderson
, full backs Dougie Sharpe
and Jimmy Binning
and the club's record scorer (251 strikes makes Jim Patterson
the goals king of Queens). Consistent mid table finishes in the top division in the early and mid 1950s peaked with a sixth place finish in 1956 - a finish surpassed only once in the club's history. Queen's were subsequently relegated to the Scottish Second Division in 1959.
Bobby Black's displays at outside right were recognised at international level when he was capped for Scottish League v Éire in Dublin in 1954 and notched two goals in a 3-1 victory.
Bobby Black played his entire career wearing the same pair of football boots. Black's preference was to have the boots repaired when required rather than to replace them. The boots are on display now in the Queen of the South museum at Palmerston Park.
. He still lives today in Somerset
.
Black is the grandfather of Scottish international youth player Denny Johnstone
.
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...
ex-professional 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...
from Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway
Thornhill is a town in the Mid Nithsdale area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, south of Sanquhar and north of Dumfries.A monument to the explorer Joseph Thomson , who lived in neighbouring Penpont and Gatelawbridge, can be found close to the school...
perhaps best known for his time at East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
and Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
and was also capped by the Scottish League. Black later was an all England
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...
bowls
Bowls
Bowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
champion.
East Fife
Having played at East Fife during undoubtedly the best period in the club's history Black won a League Cup medal with them in 1949-50. The MethilMethil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
side made the Scottish Cup
Scottish 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...
final that season and finished fourth in Scotland's top division. Two seasons later (Bobby Black's last at the club) they would surpass this league position and finish third - an achievement unsurpassed by the club and equalled only once.
Other players at the club in this era included 1938 Scottish Cup
Scottish 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...
winners with East Fife Tommy Adams
Tommy Adams (footballer)
Tommy Adams was a Scottish footballer best known for his time at East Fife.Adams signed for East Fife in 1935 from Neilston Victoria. He was a member of the 1938 Scottish Cup winning side and also won the Scottish League Cup in 1947. Adams also played for Greenock Morton and Forfar Athletic.-...
and Willie Laird
Willie Laird
Willie Laird was a Scottish association football player, best known for his time with East Fife before and after the Second World War.Willie Laird joined East Fife in 1937, signing from East Stirlingshire. Laird debuted for the Fifers in November of the same year in the 1-1 draw at Broomfield away...
and players who played for Scotland
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...
while with the club, Allan Brown, Henry Morris
Henry Morris (footballer)
Henry Miller Morris was a Scottish footballer who played for East Fife, Dundee United and the Scotland national team as a centre forward....
, George Aitken
George Aitken (footballer born 1925)
George Aitken was a Scottish international football player, who played for clubs including East Fife and Sunderland. Aitken was part of the East Fife's famous half back line of Philp, Finlay and Aitken....
, Davie Duncan
Davie Duncan
Davie Duncan was a Scottish international footballer who played in the successful East Fife post war team, when they enjoyed creditable league and cup success....
, Charlie Fleming
Charlie Fleming
Charles "Charlie" Fleming was a Scottish footballer who played for Blairhall Colliery, East Fife, Sunderland and the Scotland national team...
and Andy Matthew
Andy Matthew
Andy Matthew was a Scottish footballer who played in the successful East Fife post war team which enjoyed creditable league and cup success.Matthew was selected once for Scotland in 1954 to play against The British Army...
. Jimmy Philp
Jimmy Philp
Jimmy Philp was a Scottish footballer who played for St Bernards, Heart of Midlothian, East Fife F.C. and Brechin City. At East Fife he was part of their highly successful post war side.-St Bernards & Hearts:...
was another like Black who enjoyed Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
success with the Methil
Methil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
club.
From his first season on the books at East Fife (1946-47) until his departure in 1952 Black scored 23 goals in his 78 league games for East Fife.
Queen of the South
In 1952 he signed for his local senior side Queen of the South from DumfriesDumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
. Black left Queens in 1961 having made 346 appearances scoring 120 times to make the outside right the club's second highest scorer of all time.
Under the management of Jimmy McKinnell Junior
Jimmy McKinnell Junior
James "Jimmy" McKinnell, Jr. was long time secretary and manager with Scottish Football League team Queen of the South of Dumfries....
at Queens, a large part of Black's time at Queens included a large part of the most successful period in the club's history. Also at Queens at this time were goalkeeper Roy Henderson
Roy Henderson (footballer)
Roy Henderson was a former Scottish professional football goalkeeper best known for his time with Dumfries club Queen of the South.-Early years:...
, full backs Dougie Sharpe
Dougie Sharpe
Dougie Sharpe was a former Scottish footballer who played for Queen of the South from the town of Dumfries.-Early years:...
and Jimmy Binning
Jimmy Binning
Ian "Jimmy" Binning was a Scottish footballer who played for Arbroath and Dumfries side Queen of the South.-Arbroath:From season 1948-49 until his departure Jimmy Binning scored six goals in his 84 league games for Arbroath....
and the club's record scorer (251 strikes makes Jim Patterson
Jim Patterson (footballer)
James "Jim" Patterson is a former professional footballer and all-time record goalscorer for Scottish League club Queen of the South.-Early years:...
the goals king of Queens). Consistent mid table finishes in the top division in the early and mid 1950s peaked with a sixth place finish in 1956 - a finish surpassed only once in the club's history. Queen's were subsequently relegated to the Scottish Second Division in 1959.
Bobby Black's displays at outside right were recognised at international level when he was capped for Scottish League v Éire in Dublin in 1954 and notched two goals in a 3-1 victory.
Bobby Black played his entire career wearing the same pair of football boots. Black's preference was to have the boots repaired when required rather than to replace them. The boots are on display now in the Queen of the South museum at Palmerston Park.
Later years
After Queen of the South Bobby Black played non league football for Bath City and Bridgwater Town in EnglandEngland
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...
. He still lives today in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
.
Black is the grandfather of Scottish international youth player Denny Johnstone
Denny Johnstone
Denny Johnstone is a Scottish youth international association footballer. He is currently signed to Celtic....
.