Bob Ferrier (English footballer)

Robert Ferrier (1899 – 1971) was an English footballer who played for Scottish club Motherwell as an outside left.[2][4] He holds the record for most appearances in the Scottish Football League,[5] and is one of the top ten goalscorers.[6] He was captain of the side that won Motherwell's only league championship to date, in 1931–32,[7] besides playing in two Scottish Cup finals (1931 and 1933, both lost to Celtic). Ferrier represented the Scottish League XI in seven inter-league matches, scoring five goals.[8] After retiring as a player in 1937, he was the Motherwell assistant manager and later managed Airdrieonians and Ayr United.[7]

Bob Ferrier
Personal information
Full name Robert Ferrier
Date of birth 1899[1]
Place of birth Sheffield, England
Date of death April 1971 (aged 71–72)[1]
Place of death Dumbarton, Scotland[1]
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Position(s) Outside left[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Dumbarton Athletic[3]
Petershill[2]
1917–1937 Motherwell 626 (255)
International career
1922–1930 Scottish League XI 7 (5)
Managerial career
1943–1945 Airdrieonians
1945–1948 Ayr United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

In October 2021, 104 years after first signing on at Fir Park, it was announced that Ferrier was to be inducted into the Motherwell F.C. Hall of Fame.[1]

Personal life edit

His father, likewise named Robert and known as Bob, was also a footballer. The older Ferrier achieved success playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the early 1900s.[9] It was during this spell in Yorkshire that his son was born, and although the family moved back to Scotland and young Bob played all his football there,[10] he was ineligible to play for the Scotland national team under the rules of the time due to his birthplace.[2][4] His own son, another Bob, was a sports journalist.[11] Additionally his uncle Willie Speedie (brother of Scottish international Finlay Speedie) and nephew Bob Speedie played for the families' hometown club Dumbarton.[12][3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Bobby Ferrier inducted to Hall of Fame". Motherwell FC. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bobby Ferrier, MotherWELLnet
  3. ^ a b John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ a b Ferrier Bob Image 3 Motherwell 1928, Vintage Footballers
  5. ^ List of League Appearances Records, RSSSF
  6. ^ Scotland - All-Time Topscorers, RSSSF.
  7. ^ a b Past Managers Archived 7 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Ayr United history website.
  8. ^ (SFL player) Bob Ferrier, London Hearts Supporters Club
  9. ^ Ferrier Bob Image 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1896, Vintage Footballers
  10. ^ The "CoodNaes", Scots Football Worldwide
  11. ^ Bob Ferrier, Robert McElroy, The Herald, 29 November 2010, via PressReader
  12. ^ Mitchell, Andy (2021). The men who made Scotland: The definitive Who's Who of Scottish Football Internationalists 1872-1939. Amazon. ISBN 9798513846642.