Bobby Watson (footballer)

Bobby Watson

Personal information
Full name	Robert Watson
Date of birth	(1946-05-15) 15 May 1946
Place of birth	Airdrie, Scotland
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1964–1969	Rangers	52	(4)
1969–1976	Motherwell	182	(3)
Total		234	(7)
International career
1971	Scotland	1	(0)
Managerial career
1978–1982	Airdrie
1983–1984	Motherwell
1988	Partick Thistle (caretaker)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert "Bobby" Watson (born 15 May 1946) is a Scottish former football player and manager. Watson played as a defender for Rangers and Motherwell. Watson was transferred from Rangers to Motherwell in a deal that also involved Peter McCloy and Brian Heron. Watson represented Scotland once, in a friendly match played against the Soviet Union in 1971. Watson was one of the players who had to wait many years to receive an official cap to mark this achievement, as caps were only given to players who played in British Home Championship matches before the mid-1970s.

Watson retired from playing in 1976 to run a steel business with his partner David Towers. He then managed Airdrie and Motherwell, but only lasted six months in charge of the latter as they were relegated from the Scottish Premier Division. Watson and Towers then helped to set up another business, Cairnhill Structures, in 1990. He was also known as a lay preacher.

In April 2015 Watson was inducted into the Airdrieonians Hall Of Fame, an awards ceremony to honour former Airdrieonians managers and players.

External links

• Bobby Watson at the Scottish Football Association
• London Hearts profile