Bobby Black

Bobby Black was a Scottish footballer from Thornhill, Dumfries and Galloway perhaps best known for his time at East Fife F.C. and Queen of the South and was also capped by the Scottish League.

East Fife

Having played at East Fife during undoubtedly the best period in the club's history Black won a League Cup medal with them in 1949-50. The Methil side made the Scottish Cup final that season and finished fourth in Scotland's top division. Two seasons later (Bobby Black's last at the club) they would surpass this leaue position and finish third - an achievement unsurpassed by the club and equalled only once. [ [http://www.eastfife-mad.co.uk/footydb/loadlghs.asp League History - East Fife FC - C'MON THE FIFE ] ]

Other players at the club in this era included 1938 Scottish Cup winners with East Fife Tommy Adams and Willie Laird and players who played for Scotland while with the club, Allan Brown, Henry Morris, George Aitken, Davie Duncan, Charlie Fleming and Andy Matthew. Jimmy Philp was another like Black who enjoyed Scottish League Cup succeess with the Methil club. [http://members.tripod.com/~corstorphine/capped.htm] [http://members.tripod.com/~corstorphine/famous.html]

From his first season on the books at East Fife (1946-47) until his departure in 1952 Bobby Black scored 23 goals in his 78 league games for East Fife. [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/eastfife/eastfife.htm]

Queen of the South

In 1952 he signed for his local senior side Queen of the South of Dumfries. Black left Queens in 1961 having made 346 appearances scoring 120 times to make the outside right the club's second highest scorer of all time.

Under the management of Jimmy McKinnell Junior at Queens, a large part of Black's time at Queens included a large part of the most successful period in the club's history. Also at Queens at this time were goalkeeper Roy Henderson, full backs Dougie Sharpe and Jimmy Binning and the club's record scorer (251 strikes makes Jim Patterson the goals king of Queens). Consistent mid table finishes in the top division in the early and mid 1950s peaked with a sixth place finish in 1956 - a finish surpassed only once in the club's history. Queen's were subsequently relegated to the Scottish Second Division in 1959. [ [http://www.queenofthesouth-mad.co.uk/footydb/loadlghs.asp League History - Queen of the South FC - Doonhamers MAD ] ]

Bobby Black's displays at outside right were recognised at international level when he was capped for Scottish League v Éire in Dublin in 1954 and notched two goals in a 3-1 victory. [http://www.qosfc.com/AboutUs/OurHistory/QueensLegends/BobbyBlack/tabid/185/Default.aspx]

Bobby Black played his entire career wearing the same pair of football boots. Black's preference was to have the boots repaired when required rather than to replace them. The boots are on display now in the Queen of the South museum at Palmerston Park. [Meeting with Ian Black, QoS FC historian, Palmerston Park, Dumfries, 29/7/2008]

Later years

After Queen of the South Bobby Black played non league football in England where he still lives today in Somerset.

References