Bobby Tambling
Bobby Tambling, left, with Barry Bridges, walking on the Bridge turf, February 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Victor Tambling | ||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1941 | ||
| Place of birth | Storrington, Sussex, England | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1959 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1970 | Chelsea | 302 | (164) |
| 1970–1973 | Crystal Palace | 68 | (12) |
| 1973–1977 | Cork Celtic | 82 | (39) |
| 1977–1978 | Waterford | 13 | (8) |
| 1978–1979 | Shamrock Rovers | 5 | (0) |
| 1978–1979 | Cork Alberts | 15 | (2) |
| Total | 479 | (263) | |
| National team | |||
| 1962–1966 | England | 3 | (1) |
| 1977–1978 | League of Ireland XI | 2 | (?) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1974–1977 | Cork Celtic | ||
| 1984 | Cork City | ||
| 19?? –20?? | Crosshaven F.C. | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Robert Victor "Bobby" Tambling (born 18 September 1941) is an English former professional footballer, who played as a forward, most notably for Chelsea, Crystal Palace and England. He was Chelsea's all-time top scorer for 47 years, with 202 goals in all competitions until Frank Lampard surpassed this total on 11 May 2013. Tambling remains Chelsea's all-time top scorer in league competition with 164 goals. After enjoying a successful career in the Football League during the 1960s and early 1970s, Tambling moved to Ireland. He subsequently played for several clubs in the League of Ireland and also represented the League of Ireland XI. After retiring as a player he continued to live in Ireland, residing in Crosshaven, County Cork.
A talented schoolboy footballer who played for England schoolboys, his signature as a professional player was sought out by several teams including Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers and the club he supported as a boy, Blackpool. Having met scout Jimmy Thompson and manager Ted Drake Tambling joined Chelsea as a fifteen-year-old in 1957. He made his debut, aged seventeen in 1959 scoring in a 3-2 win against West Ham United. Two years later, following the transfer of Jimmy Greaves to AC Milan, he became Chelsea's main striker and was their leading goal scorer for five seasons in the 1960s. Forming a partnership with Barry Bridges, Tambling was made club captain in 1962 by manager Tommy Docherty after Chelsea's relegation to the Second Division. With Docherty adding new players Terry Venables and Peter Bonetti Chelsea made an immediate return to the top flight with Tambling as their top scorer as he was in their first season back in the top division. In 1965 he was a member of the team which won the 1965 Football League Cup Final. Played over two legs, Tambling scored the first goal in the first leg, a 3-2 defeat of Leicester City. Tambling was also a member of the Chelsea side which lost the 1967 FA Cup Final. Although he scored for Chelsea his 85th-minute goal was little more than a consolation as Tottenham Hotspur, with former Chelsea players Greaves and Venables, won 2-1. Tambling holds the record for the highest number of goals scored for Chelsea in a league game. He scored five goals in a 6-2 away win at Aston Villa on 17 September 1966 before being substituted by Allan Harris. His record 202 for Chelsea goals came in only 370 games. In the 1969-70 season he played only seven games for Chelsea. Having fallen out of favour as first choice striker and after not being selected for the 1970 FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Leeds United, in 1970 he transferred to Crystal Palace.
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