Bobby Mimms

Bobby Mimms

Personal information
Full name	Robert Andrew Mimms
Date of birth	(1963-10-12) 12 October 1963
Place of birth	York, England
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1981	Halifax Town	0	(0)
1981–1985	Rotherham United	83	(0)
1985–1988	Everton	29	(0)
1986	→ Notts County (loan)	2	(0)
1986–1987	→ Sunderland (loan)	4	(0)
1987	→ Blackburn Rovers (loan)	6	(0)
1987	→ Manchester City (loan)	3	(0)
1988–1990	Tottenham Hotspur	37	(0)
1990	→ Aberdeen (loan)	6	(0)
1990–1996	Blackburn Rovers	128	(0)
1996	Crystal Palace	1	(0)
1996–1997	Preston North End	27	(0)
1997–1998	Rotherham United	43	(0)
1998	→ York City (loan)	10	(0)
1998–2000	York City	53	(0)
2000–2001	Mansfield Town	45	(0)
Total		477	(0)
National team
1985–1986	England U21	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Robert Andrew "Bobby" Mimms (born 12 October 1963) is an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Playing career

Born in York, North Yorkshire, Mimms began his football career as an apprentice at Halifax Town. However, he failed to break into the first team and joined Rotherham United in November 1981 for a fee of £15,000. During the 1980s, Mimms played for no less eight different clubs, as managers were reluctant to give the young goalkeeper a chance. However, due to an injury to Neville Southall, Mimms played in goal for Everton for a large part of the 1985–86 season. Everton finished runners up in the league championship and Mimms also played in the 1986 FA Cup Final, which Everton lost 3–1 to Liverpool.

He got his second big break in December 1990, when Blackburn Rovers manager Don Mackay signed him for a fee of £250,000 from Tottenham Hotspur. Mimms' arrival coincided with "the Jack Walker revolution" at Ewood Park.

Blackburn began the 1991–92 season poorly, and Mackay was soon sacked to make way for Kenny Dalglish. Dalglish made several substantial signings during the season and Blackburn reached the playoff final where they beat Leicester City 1–0, ending 26 years outside the top flight.

Mimms was an integral part of this team. However, Jack Walker was not one to rest on his laurels and after the club's promotion vast amounts of money were spent to recruit the finest talents in the country to Ewood Park. Players such as Alan Shearer, Stuart Ripley, Graeme Le Saux, Kevin Gallacher were brought to the club and Mimms was a key part of the team which finished fourth in the 1992–93 season, just missing out on a UEFA Cup place.

In 1993 Southampton goalkeeper Tim Flowers was brought in as the new number one. Mimms made few first team appearances after Flowers' signing, including 4 during Rovers' Premier League winning season of 1994-95, and in 1996 joined Crystal Palace, for whom he made a single appearance. He then dropped into the lower divisions, playing for Preston North End, Rotherham United, hometown club York City and finished off his playing career at Mansfield Town in 2001.

Coaching career

Between 2001 and 2008 Mimms worked as goalkeeping coach at Wolverhampton Wanderers, before returning to Blackburn to fulfil the same role in August 2008.

Mimms is the father of goalkeeper Josh Mimms, who previously played in the youth teams of Rotherham United and Liverpool. Since retiring from playing professionally, he has represented Blackburn Rovers in the Masters football tournament.

External links

• Bobby Mimms career stats at Soccerbase