Bobby Downes (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert David Downes | ||
| Date of birth | 18 August 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Bloxwich, Staffordshire, England | ||
| Playing position | Left-back / left-winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| West Bromwich Albion | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1966–1967 | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | (0) |
| 1967–1969 | Peterborough United | 26 | (3) |
| 1969–1974 | Rochdale | 174 | (10) |
| 1974–1980 | Watford | 199 | (18) |
| 1980–1982 | Barnsley | 43 | (1) |
| 1982–1984 | Blackpool | 28 | (3) |
| Total | 470 | (35) | |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Robert David Downes (born 18 August 1949) is an English former footballer, coach and manager, now Head of Recruitment at Nottingham Forest. He started his playing career as a left back, later becoming a left winger. After starting his career at West Bromwich Albion, Downes played 470 games in the Football League for Peterborough United, Rochdale, Watford, Barnsley and Blackpool. He won the Fourth Division title with Watford in 1977–78. He later worked as a coach at Blackpool, Aston Villa, Port Vale, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Watford, and Blackburn Rovers, before being appointed Head of Recruitment at Nottingham Forest in February 2013.
Born in Bloxwich, Staffordshire, Downes started his career as an apprentice at West Brom. He turned professional in 1966, but joined Peterborough United the following year having failed to make a league appearance. After two seasons as a squad player at Peterborough, he joined newly promoted Rochdale at the end of the 1968–69 season. He was a first-team regular at Rochdale, as they managed to stay in the Football League Third Division for four consecutive seasons. Following their relegation in 1974, he transferred to Watford, for a fee of £10,000. Downes missed just three games in his debut season at Vicarage Road, but Watford were relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of 1974–75, and were unable to obtain promotion in the following two campaigns.
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