Bob Latchford

Bob Latchford

Personal information
Full name	Robert Dennis Latchford
Date of birth	18 January 1951 (1951-01-18)
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Centre forward
Youth career
1967–1968	Birmingham City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1968–1974	Birmingham City	160	(68)
1974–1981	Everton	236	(106)
1981–1984	Swansea City	87	(35)
1984	NAC Breda	16	(13)
1984–1985	Coventry City	12	(2)
1985–1986	Lincoln City	15	(2)
1986	→ Newport County (loan)	20	(5)
1986–1987	Merthyr Tydfil
National team
	England youth	4	(?)
	England U23	6	(?)
1977–1979	England	12	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Robert Dennis "Bob" Latchford (born 18 January 1951) is an English former association footballer who played as a centre forward. He made more than 500 appearances in the Football League, playing for Birmingham City, Everton, Swansea and Coventry City in the First Division, and won 12 full caps for England.

Latchford was the complete centre-forward: good in the air and on the ground. Despite his size - 6 feet (1,83m) tall - he was very fast over short distances, making him a great 'poacher' of goals and he also scored with some great diving headers.

Latchford was born in Kings Heath, Birmingham. He was transferred from Birmingham City to Everton for £350,000, a British transfer record at the time (Howard Kendall and Archie Styles were transferred to Birmingham City as part of the same deal, with Birmingham being paid just £80,000). At Everton, Latchford was the top scorer for six successive seasons. He scored 30 goals in the 1977–78 season, winning a £10,000 prize offered by a national newspaper for the first footballer to reach that number in a single season. During the mid-seventies, Latchford was widely considered as one of the top English forwards of his generation. He earned his first full cap for England in a World Cup qualifier against Italy in 1977. In April 2006 a book was published telling the story of his 1977/78 season. Co-written with journalist Martin O'Boyle, the book supports Everton's former players charity.

The closest he came to a winner's medal at Everton was a finalist in the League Cup in 1977. Latchford made 268 appearances (3 as substitute) for Everton scoring 138 goals. He was a great inspiration to a whole generation of Everton fans in the 1970s. Latchford left Everton for top-flight Swansea in 1981, scoring a hat-trick on his debut for the Swans. He later also played for Dutch NAC Breda (15 Appearances - 13 Goals), Newport County and finally Merthyr Tydfil F.C. before retiring as a player in 1987.

During his time at Everton, he was the club's leading post Second World War goalscorer with 138 goals, a record which was not broken until 1989 when Graeme Sharp exceeded Latchford's tally. By the time Latchford left Everton, only Dixie Dean (pre Second World War) had scored more goals for the club in history. [1]

Latchford won 12 caps and scored 5 goals for England.

Now living in Germany with his family, Bob makes regular trips back to England to speak on the after-dinner circuit and also has a regular column on Everton independent website, NSNO.co.uk, where he comments on Everton Football Club.

He has two brothers, Peter and David, who were both footballers but both played as goalkeepers.

Honours

• with Birmingham City
  • FA Youth Cup runners-up 1967.
  • Football League Second Division promotion 1972.
  • Club's top scorer 1972, 1973.
• with Everton
  • Football League Cup runners-up 1977.
  • Club's top scorer 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978.
• with Swansea City
  • Welsh Cup winners 1982, 1983.
  • Club's top scorer 1982.
• with NAC Breda
  • Eerste Divisie promotion 1984.
• with Merthyr Tydfil
  • Welsh Cup winners 1987.

References

• Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9. 

External links

• Bob Latchford England profile at Englandstats
• Profile at Neil Brown's player database
• Profile at Swansea City A.F.C.
• Everton Giants at Everton F.C.