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Memories Of Bobby Watson


The Widow's Son

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Remember Bobby Watson as a fringe Rangers player who always loved the club and it's traditions. He was a businessman too and an active Christian (Church of Scotland) and also a member of the gentle craft. Seem to recall he played in the Kai Johansen cup final of 1966. Don't think that he figured that much in first team duty afterwards but a fine man nonetheless.

Perhaps there is a Bear reading this who can provide details of his first team career - appearances, goals etc. It's beyond the length of my cable tow at the moment.

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Remember Bobby Watson as a fringe Rangers player who always loved the club and it's traditions. He was a businessman too and an active Christian (Church of Scotland) and also a member of the gentle craft. Seem to recall he played in the Kai Johansen cup final of 1966. Don't think that he figured that much in first team duty afterwards but a fine man nonetheless.

Perhaps there is a Bear reading this who can provide details of his first team career - appearances, goals etc. It's beyond the length of my cable tow at the moment.

Bobby played 3 League Cup games in 64-65 without scoring, then the next year he had his longest run in the team in John Greig's number 4 jersey (Greig moved to left half with the exit of Slim Jim...although it was a more complicated team shuffle than that). That year he played 35 games and scored 2 goals, and did indeed win a medal in the Kai Cup final playing at inside right.

Over the next 4 seasons, he played a further 47 games, scoring another 7 goals.

He was a very good sweeper as I recall. He could play, although was a hard tackler and good passer rather than a silky player.

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Moved to Motherwell with Brian Heron as part of the deal to take Peter McCloy to Ibrox and went on to win a Scotland cap while at Motherwell. Dependable player who tackled fiercely although never quite real first team material with us.

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Moved to Motherwell with Brian Heron as part of the deal to take Peter McCloy to Ibrox and went on to win a Scotland cap while at Motherwell. Dependable player who tackled fiercely although never quite real first team material with us.

We went for a few pints in Motherwell after a game at Fir Park, and got the service bus home later.

Brian Heron got on and came upstairs to be greeted with pelters for the journey home (Heron's a reject etc.). He took it in good humour though.

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Bobby played 3 League Cup games in 64-65 without scoring, then the next year he had his longest run in the team in John Greig's number 4 jersey (Greig moved to left half with the exit of Slim Jim...although it was a more complicated team shuffle than that). That year he played 35 games and scored 2 goals, and did indeed win a medal in the Kai Cup final playing at inside right.

Over the next 4 seasons, he played a further 47 games, scoring another 7 goals.

He was a very good sweeper as I recall. He could play, although was a hard tackler and good passer rather than a silky player.

good info, cheers, didn't realise he played as much for us.

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Used to know Bobby real well when we were younger and I played against him a few times, so I was real pleased he signed for us in the mid 60's when he would have been about 18-19 yrs old. I heard he went to Motherwell a few years after I emigrated to Australia then went into management with Airdrie.

Last time I saw him would have been in 1991 when I was over on holiday so I don't know what he's doing these days. He was always a real nice guy.

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The only memory I have was when he was Airdrie manager he took his team to ibrox and got a 0-0 each draw with the goalie Martin having a blinder.

Anyway the two of them were invited onto sportscene that night and Bobby came across as a very humble guy, as a player he was before my time.

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The only memory I have was when he was Airdrie manager he took his team to ibrox and got a 0-0 each draw with the goalie Martin having a blinder.

Anyway the two of them were invited onto sportscene that night and Bobby came across as a very humble guy, as a player he was before my time.

Big mad Johnnie Martin. He was a bit of a legend for them and as I recall he made it on to The Saint and Greavesie.

Also...

John Martin (born 27 October 1958) is a Scottish former footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Airdrieonians for nineteen years and later spent one season with Cowdenbeath achieving promotion in 2000-01.[1] With Airdrieonians he has appeared in two Scottish Cup finals (1992 and 1995) and one motion picture (A Shot at Glory). He often swung on the crossbar during games at the behest of supporters.

Opposition fans would often taunt him with chants of "scab" due to his reported strike breaking exploits during the miner's strike of 1983/84.[2][3]

Was in A Shot at Glory, too.

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His company sponsored a cup competition for local Boys Brigade companies, don't know if they still do.

Remember attending a q&a night he did for the BB in EK in the late 60s.

Vaguely recall him playing for Motherwell when we came back from two goal deficit in 76 cup semi-final. Might be wrong though cause he would have been a good age by that time.

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Moved to Motherwell with Brian Heron as part of the deal to take Peter McCloy to Ibrox and went on to win a Scotland cap while at Motherwell. Dependable player who tackled fiercely although never quite real first team material with us.

My mate (a rabid bluenose) played in the Motherwell team of that time (Ian St John signed him as it happens) and when not long after the transfer to Motherwell of Bobby and Brian I 'acquired' a pair of Brian's boots.

His moniker was 'Flight' (Flight of the Heron....geddit? ;)) and they were bright red which back-in-the-day was, well........unusual. :)

Through my mate I met Bobby a good number of times and a more pleasant guy you couldn't wish to meet.

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