One of the best loved Coventry City goalkeepers of the 1960s, Bob Wesson, will be the Coventry City Former Players Association’s special guest at the Sky Blues first ever Johnstone’s Paint Trophy tie at home to Burton Albion on the night of next Tuesday 4th September 2012. This is particularly appropriate since under Bob’s leadership, post-retirement, the Brewers won promotion in 1973-74 and Bob will be interested to see how they have since progressed (they have made an good start to the season so far recently beating City’s rivals Leicester City at home in the Capital 1 Cup ).
AHailing from Teesside, Bob straddled the pre- and post- Sky Blues era and made a total of 156 first team appearances for the Club between 1960 and 1966. He started with Thornaby Boys Brigade, trialled with Headington United and became an amateur with Middlesbrough. He signed by Billy Frith for the Bantams (as City were then known) in late 1958 as an understudy to Arthur Lightening but had to wait until March 1961 to make his debut at Newport County and he played the last 12 games for the City that season. The following season (1961-62) the South African’s form restricted Bob to only 4 league appearances and it was only the next season (1962-63) when Dave Meeson, who Jimmy Hill bought on Arthur’s departure, failed to impress that Bob became the Sky Blues’ no.1.
Bill Glazier’s arrival in 1964 (in a record deal for a goalie at that time) threatened this status but Bob again proved himself to be a very capable custodian when Glazier broke his leg late in the 1964-65 season and Bob made 43 first team appearances in Hill’s 1965-66 team. Glazier recovered, however, and returned to retake the no.1 slot in April 1966 and Bob moved on to Walsall in September 1966 for £15000 and played for the Saddlers for 7 seasons making 220 appearances (plus 5 on loan to Doncaster Rovers) before a shoulder injury at an F.A.Cup tie at Kettering forced his retirement. Bob and his wife have since been happily esconsed in the pub trade in Warwickshire and Leicestershire for over two decades.
Bob is a regular visitor to Sky Blues games watched from the Legends Lounge and is an active Member of the Association and frequent attender of our functions. Look out for him around the corporate areas during the game, on the pitch at half time and on the stage of Lady Gs’ in the Ricoh Casino after the game. Welcome again Bob!
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