Bob Evans (footballer born 1881)
Encyclopedia
Robert Owen "Bob" Evans (August 1881 – 8 March 1962) was a Welsh international
professional footballer who won ten caps
for his country and made 107 appearances in the Football League
playing for Blackburn Rovers
and Birmingham
. He played as a goalkeeper.
. He played local football before joining Wrexham F.C. in 1898. Wrexham were champions of The Combination
for three successive seasons, from 1900–01 to 1902–03, and Evans played in two Welsh Cup
finals for the club, on the losing side in 1902 but victorious in 1903.
His performances for Wrexham and for his country earned him a move to the Football League
when First Division
club Blackburn Rovers
paid a fee of £150 for his services in April 1903. He spent five seasons at Blackburn, playing 104 league games. He then moved into the Southern League
, spending the 1908–09 season with Croydon Common
, for whom he played 8 games in the Western League
, 12 in the United League and 31 in the South-Eastern League as well as 12 in the Southern League, and then four years with Coventry City
. He returned to the Football League with Birmingham
, played the first three games of the 1913–14 season, conceded nine goals, and relinquished the starting place to Bert Crossthwaite
. Evans finished off his playing career at non-league
club Nuneaton Town.
Evans made his debut for the Wales national football team
while a Wrexham player, on 22 February 1902 in a 3–0 defeat against Ireland at Cardiff Arms Park
. He won ten caps
in total, of which the last five came in 1911 and 1912 while a Coventry City
player. Evans' international appearances were restricted by having to compete with Leigh Richmond Roose
, who was an automatic first choice for his country for many years.
Evans died in Coventry
in 1962 at the age of 80.
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
professional footballer who won ten caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
for his country and made 107 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
playing for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
and Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He played as a goalkeeper.
Career
Evans was born in WrexhamWrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
. He played local football before joining Wrexham F.C. in 1898. Wrexham were champions of The Combination
The Combination
The Combination was a minor league during the early days of English football. It had two incarnations; the first ran only for the 1888–89 season for teams across the Northern England and the Midlands, and was wound up before completion. The second was created for the 1890–91 season, but disbanded...
for three successive seasons, from 1900–01 to 1902–03, and Evans played in two Welsh Cup
Welsh Cup
The Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
finals for the club, on the losing side in 1902 but victorious in 1903.
His performances for Wrexham and for his country earned him a move to the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
when First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
club Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
paid a fee of £150 for his services in April 1903. He spent five seasons at Blackburn, playing 104 league games. He then moved into the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
, spending the 1908–09 season with Croydon Common
Croydon Common F.C.
Croydon Common Football Club were an amateur and then professional football club based in Croydon.-History:The team formed in 1897 as an amateur church team competing in local leagues. They turned professional in 1907, joining the Second Division of the Southern League...
, for whom he played 8 games in the Western League
Western Football League
The Western Football League is a football league in the south west of England, covering Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, western Dorset, parts of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire and parts of South Wales...
, 12 in the United League and 31 in the South-Eastern League as well as 12 in the Southern League, and then four years with Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
. He returned to the Football League with Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, played the first three games of the 1913–14 season, conceded nine goals, and relinquished the starting place to Bert Crossthwaite
Bert Crossthwaite
Herbert "Bert" Crossthwaite was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Born in Preston, Lancashire, he began his football career as a youth with home-town club Preston North End...
. Evans finished off his playing career at non-league
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
club Nuneaton Town.
Evans made his debut for the Wales national football team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
while a Wrexham player, on 22 February 1902 in a 3–0 defeat against Ireland at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
. He won ten caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in total, of which the last five came in 1911 and 1912 while a Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
player. Evans' international appearances were restricted by having to compete with Leigh Richmond Roose
Leigh Richmond Roose
Leigh Richmond "Dick" Roose, MM, was a Welsh international footballer who kept goal for a number of professional clubs in the Football League between 1901 and 1912. A celebrated amateur at a time when the game was played largely by professionals, Roose was renowned as one of the best players in...
, who was an automatic first choice for his country for many years.
Evans died in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
in 1962 at the age of 80.