Bob Wilson (footballer born 1941)

Bob Wilson

Bob Wilson in Hatfield, Herts. Feb 2009
Personal information
Full name	Robert Primrose Wilson
Date of birth	(1941-10-30) 30 October 1941 (age 75)
Place of birth	Chesterfield, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1961–1963	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0	(0)
1963–1974	Arsenal	234	(0)
National team
1971	Scotland	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Robert "Bob" Primrose Wilson OBE (born 30 October 1941 in Chesterfield, England) is a former Scotland international football goalkeeper and later broadcaster and is noted for creating the charity the Willow Foundation

As a player, Wilson is most noted for his career at Arsenal between 1963 and 1974. He made over 300 appearances for Arsenal and two appearances for Scotland. After retiring as a player, he turned to coaching and broadcasting, presenting football programmes on television for 28 years, until 2002, and his opinion is still sought by radio and television to this day.

Wilson was born on Ashgate Road, in Chesterfield, where his father was the Borough Engineer and his mother was a magistrate. He was the youngest child of six and had much older brothers (and an elder sister); two of his brothers were killed in the Second World War, one as a Spitfire pilot and the other as a rear-gunner in a Lancaster.

He attended Old Hall Primary School (now Old Hall Junior School) on Old Road, then Tapton House Grammar School, where he first met his future wife, Margaret Miles ("Megs"). At the age of 13 he transferred to Chesterfield Grammar School which his four elder brothers also attended. He captained the Derbyshire Juniors Cricket Team. He went to Loughborough College of Education where he studied History and Physical Education on a teacher training course.

Wilson started late as a professional player, as his father would not let him sign papers with Manchester United as he thought it wasn't a reasonable job whilst he was a youth. Wilson then went on to Loughborough College for training as a teacher. He had been playing reserve games for Wolverhampton Wanderers as an amateur between 1961 and 1963 and was the first amateur to have a transfer fee paid (£7,500). He remained an amateur for eight months when he signed for Arsenal in July 1963 until he signed professional forms in March 1964.