Bobby Archibald

Robert Fleming Archibald (6 November 1894 – 27 November 1966) was a footballer who played in the Football League for Barnsley and Stoke City.[1][3]

Bobby Archibald
Third Lanark team during 1923 tour – Archibald kneeling, second from left
Personal information
Full name Robert Fleming Archibald[1]
Date of birth (1894-11-06)6 November 1894
Place of birth Larkhall, Lanarkshire, Scotland[1]
Date of death 27 November 1966(1966-11-27) (aged 72)[1]
Place of death Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Position(s) Outside-left
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1912–1913 Albion Rovers 7 (5)
1912–1913 Hibernian 1 (1)
1913–1914 Third Lanark 2 (0)
1913–1914 → Albion Rovers (loan) 17 (5)
1914–1920 Aberdeen 109 (16)
1916–1917 → Rangers (loan) 12 (3)
1917–1918 → Ayr United 1 (0)
1918–1919 → Dumbarton[2] (loan) 4 (0)
1920–1924 Raith Rovers 146 (10)
1924–1925 Third Lanark 38 (2)
1925–1931 Stoke City 262 (37)
1932–1933 Barnsley 6 (1)
Total 605 (80)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Archibald played for a number of Scottish clubs before joining Stoke City in 1925. He helped Stoke win the Football League Third Division North in 1926–27 and became a consistent performer for Stoke at outside-left. He racked up 276 appearances for Stoke in seven seasons and he scored 40 goals. He ended his career with Barnsley and later became an insurance agent in Glasgow and a scout for Bradford City.

Early life and family

Archibald was born in Larkhall, the son of John Archibald, a baker, and Elizabeth (née Hamilton).[4] His younger brother Jock was also a footballer.[5]

Career

Archibald played for Rutherglen Glencairn, Albion Rovers, Third Lanark before joining Aberdeen in 1914.[6][7] During World War I he played for Rangers[8] and his army regiment in France and Denmark.[1] On 25 August 1925 at the age of 29 he joined English side Stoke City and made a fine impression scoring on his debut against Stockport County on the opening day of the 1925–26, but a new look Stoke side failed to gel together and the side agonisingly slipped towards relegation to the Third Division.[1] Archibald was a small player at just 5 ft 4in tall and weighing just 10 stone, His physique enabled him to become a fast player and his skill on the wings marked him out as one of the few class acts in the side relegated from the Second Division for the first time.[1] He was renowned for his consistency, from his debut he played 58 consecutive matches before pulling a muscle against Rochdale in November 1927 and missed just six matches in the next six seasons.[1]

His fine footwork proved to be too much for Third Division full backs as he set up numerous chances for Charlie Wilson to score his 25 goals as Stoke won the Football League Third Division North title.[1] After six years of fine service he was awarded a benefit match, he chose the final home match of the 1930–31 season against West Bromwich Albion.[1] The second highest crowd of the season, 26,064 paid £1,540 6s 2d to bid farewell to Archibald.[1] He spent one more season at the Victoria Ground during which the now 38-year-old lost his place to Harold Taylor. Once manager Tom Mather had brought in Joe Johnson in April 1932 he allowed Archibald to join Barnsley.[1] He played just eight matches for the "Tykes" and after spending several seasons in the reserves he retired in May 1937 at the age of 42.[1]

Personal life

At the end of his career he returned to his native Glasgow where he became an insurance agent and scouted from time to time for Bradford City manager Fred Westgarth.

Archibald was a very modern man for his generation who always required the latest gadget; he would constantly use his wireless set in the dressing room for hours and was one of the few Stoke players to own his own car.[1]

Archibald died at his home in Cambuslang of lung cancer in 1966, age 72.[4]

Career statistics

Source:[9][10]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Hibernian 1912-13 Scottish Division One 1 1 0 0 1 1
Aberdeen 1914–15 Scottish Division One 31300313
1915–16 Scottish Division One 38700387
1919–20 Scottish Division One 40640446
Total 109164011316
Rangers (loan) 1916-17 Scottish Division One 12 3 0 0 12 3
Stoke City 1925–26 Second Division 4210204410
1926–27 Third Division North 37600376
1927–28 Second Division 41642458
1928–29 Second Division 41710427
1929–30 Second Division 40410414
1930–31 Second Division 40331434
1931–32 Second Division 21130241
Total 2623714327640
Barnsley 1932–33 Third Division North 612081
Career Total 4135716343061

Honours
Stoke City

References
  1. Stoke City 101 Golden Greats. Desert Islands Books. 2002. ISBN 1-874287554.
  2. McAllister, Jim (2002). The Sons of the Rock – The Official History of Dumbarton Football Club. Dumbarton: J&J Robertson Printers.
  3. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  4. "1966 ARCHIBALD, ROBERT FLEMING (Statutory registers Deaths 627/ 247)". ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk. 28 November 1966.
  5. "Archibald Jock Image 1 Reading 1919". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  6. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. Bobby Archibald, AFC Heritage Trust
  8. (Rangers player) Archibald, Robert, FitbaStats
  9. Bobby Archibald at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  10. "Rangers Player Robert Archibald Details". www.fitbastats.com. Retrieved 16 April 2023.
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