Robert Anthony "Bobby" Gould (born 12 June 1946) is an English former footballer and manager.
Playing career
Born in
CoventryCoventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
, Gould started his career at
Coventry CityCoventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
, making his debut for the club whilst still an apprentice at the age of 16. He did not sign professional until June 1964. A
strikerForwards, 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...
, he scored 40 goals in 82 league games for the Sky Blues, helping them to win the
Second DivisionFrom 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...
title in 1966–67.
He moved to
ArsenalArsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in February 1968 for £90,000. He could not hold down a regular place in the Arsenal first team, although he did score a headed goal in the
1969 League Cup FinalThe 1969 Football League Cup Final took place on 15 March 1969 at Wembley Stadium. It was the ninth final and the third to be played at Wembley. It was contested between Arsenal and Swindon Town.-Pre-match:...
against
Swindon TownSwindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
, to send the game into extra time; Arsenal went on to lose 3–1. Gould played no part in Arsenal's
European Fairs Cup 1969–70The twelfth Inter-Cities Fairs Cup was played over the 1969-'70 season. The competition was won by Arsenal FC over two legs in the final against Anderlecht...
final win and by the end of 1969–70 was on the sidelines at Arsenal.
In June 1970 Gould was transferred to
WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
for a fee of £55,000, and made his debut against Newcastle United in August 1970, but after just 15 months he was signed by
West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
manager
Don Howe for £66,666. He made his Albion debut at home to
Ipswich TownIpswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
in the same month, and partnering
Jeff AstleJeffrey "The King" Astle was an English footballer. He played 361 games for West Bromwich Albion, scoring 174 goals, and was one of the most iconic players in the history of the club...
in attack, went on to score 12 goals in his first season at the Hawthorns. In all he scored 19 goals in 60 appearances for Albion, but when his form began to wane he was sold to
Bristol CityBristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
for £68,888 in December 1972.
Gould joined
West Ham UnitedWest 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...
in November 1973 for an £80,000 fee, and picked up a winners' medal in the
1975 FA Cup FinalThe 1975 FA Cup Final was contested by West Ham United and Fulham at Wembley. The Fulham team contained two former England captains in former West Ham captain Bobby Moore, making his last appearance at Wembley, and Alan Mullery. West Ham won 2–0, with the two goals scored by Alan Taylor...
as a non-playing substitute. He re-joined Wolves for £30,000 in December 1975 and helped them to win the
Second DivisionFrom 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...
title in 1976–77. He moved on to
Bristol RoversBristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
for £10,000 in October 1977, assuming the role of player-coach. Between January and April 1978 Gould coached the Norwegian side Aalesunds FK, and joined
Hereford UnitedHereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',...
as player-coach for £10,000 in September of the same year.
Club management (1979–1993)
Gould joined
ChelseaChelsea 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...
as assistant manager to
Geoff HurstSir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
in 1979. When Hurst was sacked in April 1981, Gould took charge of first team affairs for the final two games of the season, before leaving the club shortly afterwards.
Gould began his managerial career with Bristol Rovers in October 1981 before returning to Coventry City as boss in May 1983. He remained there until December 1984. The highlight of this spell at Coventry came on 10 December 1983 when his unfancied Coventry side achieved a 4–0 win over
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, the top English club side of the time who went on to win the league title, League Cup and European Cup that season.
He made a swift return to management after accepting an offer to return to Bristol Rovers.
Gould is most famous for his achievements with
WimbledonWimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
. He moved to the South Londoners in the summer of 1987 after their first season as a
First DivisionThe 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....
club, in which they had finished sixth. His first season brought one of the most famous
FA CupThe 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...
victories in history, when his unfancied Wimbledon side beat
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
to clinch the 1988 FA Cup Final at
WembleyThe original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
. They also finished seventh in the league.
Gould remained with the Dons for two more seasons before quitting to make way for his assistant
Ray HarfordRaymond Thomas Harford was an English footballer, better known for his successes as a coach and manager than as a player. He is considered to have been one of the top coaches of his generation.-Playing career:...
.
In December 1990, Gould returned to the football as assistant manager to
Don Howe at Queen's Park Rangers – a role reversal of the management team that they had formed at Wimbledon. Gould lasted just two months at
Loftus RoadLoftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
before accepting an offer to become manager of West Bromwich Albion.
http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/History/0,,10373,00.html
But he was unable to prevent them from suffering relegation to the old
Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
at the end of the
1990–91 seasonThe 1990–91 season was the 111th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Arsenal won the league. Runners-up spot was achieved by Liverpool, who had led the table for much of the first half of the season but had been shell-shocked in February by the sudden resignation of manager...
– the first time that Albion had slipped to such depths.
In
1991–92- First Division :The last-ever league championship before the creation of the Premier League was won by Leeds United who overhauled Manchester United thanks to the efforts of, among others, Gordon Strachan, Lee Chapman, David Batty, Gary Speed and Gary McAllister...
, Albion just missed out on the playoffs in their first season as a Third Division club and Gould left in June 1992 to join Coventry, his former club. Ironically, Howe was working at Coventry by this time and the pair were joint managers, but Howe stepped down before the season began to leave Gould in sole charge.
He remained at Coventry City until December 1993, when he resigned despite defying all the odds and keeping them clear of relegation from the
PremiershipThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
. In his first season, they had been fourth in the league as late as January before a late season dip in form saw them finish 15th. Earlier in the season he had paid
Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
£250,000 for striker
Mick QuinnMick Quinn is an English musician and singer-songwriter, best known as founding member of English rock band Supergrass. He formed the DB Band with bassist Paul Wilson, formerly of Shake Appeal in 2010 and released début EP "Stranger In The Alps" on the 17th September 2011...
, who was among the top scorers in the first-ever Premier League season with 17 goals. He also oversaw a thrilling 5–1 victory in the league over
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, and the following season they began with a similarly impressive 3–0 win over
ArsenalArsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at
HighburyArsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
.
International management (1995–1999)
His next stop was with the
Welsh national teamThe 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...
. He became national coach in June 1995 but quit four years later after their failure to qualify for the
1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. Gould was not at all highly regarded by the Welsh fans, following questionable tactics and major fallings out with players such as
Nathan BlakeNathan Alexander Blake is a Welsh former professional footballer, who played in the Premier League for several clubs and also represented his country at international level...
, when Blake refused to play after accusing Gould of making a racist remark in training, as well as
Mark HughesLeslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
. A comical incident occurred early in the career of
Robbie SavageRobert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside...
when Savage jokingly threw a replica of
Paolo MaldiniPaolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
's shirt away on
Sky SportsSky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
before a match against Italy. Gould initially dropped Savage from the squad for disrespecting Maldini, only to reinstate him the next day. Gould's final match was a 4–0 defeat to Italy in which he allegedly instructed Mark Hughes "not to tackle the Italians as they'll only dive".
Back to club football (2000–2003)
In August 2000, Bobby Gould was named as manager of Division Three side
Cardiff CityCardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
. But two months later he handed over his duties to
Alan CorkAlan Cork is an English former professional football player. He played as a striker for several clubs, most notably Wimbledon and has held a number of managerial and coaching posts since his retirement from playing. Cork is a member of the Wimbledon Old Players Association...
and was promoted to the role of general manager. After seeing the Bluebirds win promotion at the end of
2000–01The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
he left Ninian Park to seek a return to management.
Bobby Gould's final full time managerial post came in February 2003 when he took over at Division Two strugglers
Cheltenham TownCheltenham Town Football Club is an English football club playing in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Founded in 1887, the team has played at four different grounds, namely Agg-Gardner's Recreation Ground, Carter's Field and now the Abbey Business Stadium, although it is more...
. Despite his efforts, Cheltenham were unable to avoid relegation back to Division Three and Gould resigned soon after the
2003–04The 2003-04 season was the 124th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Arsenal completed the entire campaign without losing a single league game....
campaign was underway, following a run of six defeats in seven games. Gould was unpopular with the fans throughout the start of 2003–04, resulting in a demonstration after the home match with Rochdale during which he came out to announce that he had resigned.
Other roles in football (Since 2004)
In season
2004–05The 2004–05 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League...
Gould was employed to coach
Peterborough UnitedPeterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
by owner
Barry FryBarry Francis Fry is an English football manager. A former Manchester United apprentice as a winger, his playing career involved brief spells with Bolton Wanderers, Luton Town and Leyton Orient, before he retired prematurely due to injury.He has managed Dunstable Town, Bedford Town, Maidstone...
but quit at half time during an LDV Trophy match with Bristol City after a disagreement with Fry over player selection. Bobby's son
Jonathan GouldJonathan Alan Gould is a former Scottish international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the Goalkeeping Coach at Perth Glory of the Australian A-League.-Playing:...
was also a professional footballer, who kept goal for clubs including Coventry City and
CelticCeltic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and became a full Scotland international.
In September 2006 it was announced that Bobby would be employed in assisting his son
JonathanJonathan Alan Gould is a former Scottish international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the Goalkeeping Coach at Perth Glory of the Australian A-League.-Playing:...
who is head coach with
Hawke's Bay UnitedHawke's Bay United is an association football club based in Napier, New Zealand. HB United play in the ASB Premiership - a semi-professional franchise based league, which runs independently of the winter club season. Local winter clubs provide the player pool for each franchise...
in
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and now coaches the under 15's squad during the summer.
Bobby appears periodically on
BBC Five LiveBBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's
Fighting TalkFighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
in which he has become most notorious for his dislike of being in the final or "Defend the Indefensible".
He is a regular presenter and pundit on
talkSPORT RadioTalksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
, and appears each week on the Andy Goldstein Sports Bar programme, where he is known as "The Gouldfather".
Return to club football
Gould was appointed as manager of
WeymouthWeymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
in the
Conference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
on 12 April 2009 for the final five games of the season. In his first game in charge Gould lead Weymouth to a 1–1 draw with
Forest Green RoversForest Green Rovers Football Club is an English football club based in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, currently the longest-serving members of the Conference National. The club is affiliated to the Gloucestershire County FA.-Early years:...
which ended an 11 game losing streak. But it was not good enough to save them from relegation to the
Conference SouthConference South is one of the second divisions of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National...
.
Personal life
Married to Marjorie since 1968, the couple have 2 sons.
Jonathan GouldJonathan Alan Gould is a former Scottish international footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently the Goalkeeping Coach at Perth Glory of the Australian A-League.-Playing:...
was a professional footballer and played in goal for a number of clubs including
Celtic F.C.Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Preston North End. Jonathan once played under his father at Coventry City. Jonathan is currently an assistant coach for New Zealand-based side
Wellington Phoenix FCWellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...
of the Australasian
A-LeagueThe A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
.
Their younger son Richard is currently Chief Executive of
Surrey County Cricket ClubSurrey County Cricket Club is one of the 18 professional county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Surrey. Its limited overs team is called the Surrey Lions...
.
He is now retired and living in Portishead.
As a manager
WimbledonWimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
External links