Bob Benson
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert William Benson | ||
| Date of birth | 9 February 1883 | ||
| Place of birth | Whitehaven, Cumbria, England | ||
| Date of death | 19 February 1916 (aged 33) | ||
| Place of death | Highbury, London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m) | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dunston Villa | |||
| Shankhouse | |||
| Swalwell | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1902–1904 | Newcastle United | 1 | (0) |
| 1904–1905 | Southampton | 19 | (0) |
| 1905–1913 | Sheffield United | 273 | (20) |
| 1913–1916 | Woolwich Arsenal | 52 | (7) |
| Total | 345 | (27) | |
| National team | |||
| 1913 | England | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Robert William Benson (9 February 1883 – 19 February 1916) was an English professional footballer, who played as a full back. Born in Whitehaven, Cumbria he spent the majority of his professional career with Sheffield United but also had spells with Southampton and Woolwich Arsenal. He gained a solitary England cap in 1913 as well as representing The Football League and undertaking an FA tour of South Africa but died as a result of playing a football match in 1916.
Benson had worked as a coal-miner whilst playing for various local clubs in and around Whitehaven where he was born, including Swalwell, where he was spotted by Newcastle United and signed as a professional in December 1902. Competition for places restricted him to just a single appearance for the club, on 7 March 1903.
Soon after the start of the 1904–05 season, the Southampton directors were trying to recruit a right-back following the departure of Tom Robertson in the summer. Joe Hoare had been tried but was now past his prime, so the directors sent a club official to the north east to hunt for a player. The official's quest took him to Newcastle, where he interviewed Benson and, after agreeing a fee of £150 with the Magpies, the official returned "triumphantly" to the south coast with his "catch".
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