Bobby Templeton

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

George Ramsay led Management Committee

First Squad Appearance

Saturday, 1 April 1899

Debut Appearance

Saturday, 1 April 1899

Sunderland (a), Division One

First Goal

Saturday, 25 November 1899

Final Appearance

Thursday, 1 January 1903

Sheffield Wednesday (a), Division One

Final Squad Appearance

Thursday, 1 January 1903

Bobby Templeton

Player #135 for Aston Villa, Robert Bryson Templeton, known as Bobby Templeton played as a midfielder for the club in a position then known as wing half.

Bobby represented Villa between 1898-99 and 1902-03.
Bobby was born in Coylton, Scotland on 29 March 1880 and made his debut for the club as a 19 year old on the 1st April 1899.

Villa had signed Bobby from Kilmarnock Rugby XV for £250 and he went on to appear 70 time for the club.

During his time with the Villa, Bobby won 2 League titles in 1898-99 & 1899-00.

The Villa News and Record of 1st September 1906 paid tribute to Bobby:

“Quite a genius on his day, playing a winning game to perfection. His best efforts came in brilliant intermittent flashes, but he could not always be relied upon to produce his highest form. Speedy and clever, he delighted in showing his tricks against weaker defenders. In big games he was invariably dangerous, possessing as he did the capacity for pulling a match ‘out of the fire’ at the most unexpected moments. Free and open-handed, he might take the game more seriously with advantage.”

“For quite a long time after going to the Villa he held his place as the most popular man in the side amongst the crowd. He had shown sufficient of his best form to make the weekly spectator long for more … Given the humour and the opportunity he would set the crowd in a roar. His cleverness prompted him to the most audacious limits of trickery, and not satisfied with beating his man once, and even twice, he must needs return a third time to the fray often [it seemed] for mere self-gratification and self-glorification. By-and-by, a reaction set in. The crowd wanted goals; the club needed consistency.” Although Sir Fred Wall (FA President to 1934) considered Bobby to have been one of the finest players he had ever seen, Bobby’s inconsistent play led him to leaving the Villa. The Scottish international went on to serve Newcastle - paying Villa £400 for his services - then Woolwich Arsenal, and subsequently returned to his native Scotland to play for Glasgow Rangers.“

Bobby’s final appearance had come for Villa on 1st January 1903.

Bobby played under the George Ramsay led Management Committee.

Bobby passed away in Kilmarnock on 2nd November 1919 aged just 39.