Bobby Kirk (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Kirk | ||
| Date of birth | 12 August 1927 | ||
| Place of birth | Arniston, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1 February 2010 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Lasswade, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1953 | Dunfermline Athletic | 138 | (9) |
| 1953–1955 | Raith Rovers | 36 | (2) |
| 1955–1962 | Heart of Midlothian | 213 | (8) |
| National team | |||
| 1957 | Scotland B | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Robert "Bobby" Kirk (12 August 1927 – 1 February 2010) was a Scottish footballer best known for winning five senior trophies with Heart of Midlothian in the late 1950s and early 60s. He also played for Dunfermline Athletic and Raith Rovers.
Kirk was born in Arniston in Midlothian and played for various school and youth teams before joining his home town team, Arniston Rangers. He was their first player to selected to for the Scottish junior team thus attracting senior club attention. Aged 20, Dunfermline Athletic signed him in Autumn 1947. He was initially a £40 provisional signing continuing to play for Arniston. In January 1948 he was then called up to East End Park where he debuted for the Dunfermline first team the subsequent March. He made 180 first team appearance scoring 12 goals including collecting a runners-up medal in the October 1949 Scottish League Cup final defeat to Scot Symon's East Fife. Kirk was commended for his semi final subduing of Hibernian's Willie Ormond. He stayed with the Pars until the 1953 close season.
He then moved up a division to play in the top tier for a fee of £750 for Raith Rovers. He stayed there for two seasons.
Kirk had supported Hearts as a boy and joined the Tynecastle side at the start of 1955-56 season around the same time as Alex Young. Kirk could play on either side of the pitch and at 28 was now at his playing peak. He made his first team debut on 13 August 1955, in a 2-0 League Cup win away at Partick Thistle. Bobby Parker and Tam McKenzie were well established as Hearts' full-backs. However by the end of the season, Kirk was first choice full back with the two others contesting the other full back slot.
Kirk and Hearts proceeded to win the 1955–56 Scottish Cup. They thrashed Rangers 4–0 in the quarter finals with goals from Crawford, Conn and a Bauld double. Kirk could play in either full back role and played on the right in the final at the expense of Parker. Jimmy Wardhaugh was the top tier's leading scorer again that season. The scorers in the cup final win over Celtic were Crawford with two and one from Conn.
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