Bobby
Turnbull |
Bradford AFC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 0 D 1 L 0 F 1:
A 1
50% successful
1919
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
 |
Profile |
Full name |
Robert Turnbull |
name notes |
There is no evidence of a middle name of Joseph |
Born |
17 December 1895 at 79 Princess Street,
South Bank, Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire [registered in
Middlesbrough, January 1896]. |
Census Notes |
According to the 1901
census, five year old Robert is the youngest of six children to John and
Welsh-born Caroline, living at 79 Princess Street in the South Bank area
of Middlebrough, His father is a lift engine driver. |
Census Notes |
According to the 1911 census,
fifteen year old Robert is the only child from the six remaining children
to be living with their widowed mother at 79 Princess Street and two
boarders. Another five of the children had tragically died. Robert is an
engine cleaner at the steelworks. According to passenger lists, Turnbull, along with
other footballers, was part of a tour of South Africa that returned to
Southampton on 5 August 1929 from Cape Town on board the SS Arundel
Castle. His address was stated as 45 Oliver Street in South Bank,
Middlesbrough. |
According to the 1939 register, Robert, a fireman at the steelworks, is
married to Florence, and they live at 45 Oliver Street in the South Bank
area of Middlesbrough, along with at least one of their children, Norman. |
Married |
to Florence Thompson
[registered in Middlesbrough, September 1919]. Children, John G.
(b.1920), Doris (b.1922), Audrey E. (b.1929) and Norman
(b.7 December 1932) |
Died |
18 March 1952, aged
56 years 92 days
[registered in Cleveland, March 1952]. |
Height/Weight |
5' 7½",
12st.
3lbs [1922]. Described by newspaper reports as a
"light-haired Adonis from South Bank". |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
Club Career |
Club(s) |
Played schoolboy football in South Bank, before playing
for the local junior club, South Bank East End FC. He signed youth forms
with Chesterfield FC before the war curtailed his career. After playing
army football, Turnbull signed for Bradford AFC in January 1918. Despite
breaking his toe in early 1923, he completed
207 league appearanances, amassing 47 goals. Leeds United AFC
signed Turnbull in May 1925, where he made
another 204 league appearances, and scored another 45 goals. Spent
a season with Rhyl Athletic FC after signing for them on 15 September
1932, before retiring at the season's completion. |
Club honours |
Football League
Division Three North runners-up 1921-22;
Division Two runners-up 1927-28, 1931-32; |
Individual honours |
None |
Distinctions |
None |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & doingthe92.com. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of seven who became the 383rd players
(387) to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Outside-right |
First match |
No. 120, 25 October 1919,
Ireland 1 England 1, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged
23 years
312 days. |
Major tournaments |
British
Championships 1919-20; |
Team honours |
None |
Individual honours |
England victory (three
appearances, 1919), FA
Tour of South Africa 1920 and 1929; |
Distinctions |
None |
England Disgrace |
"ROBERT
TURNBULL'S FAMILY SAID TO BE DESTITUTE.
"The South Bank (North Yorks) Bench to-day
issued a warrant for the arrest of Robert Turnbull, the Leeds United and
English international, who failed to answer a summons for wife maintenance
arrears.
"The case was adjourned a fortnight ago and in the meantime
Turnbull was warned to pay off arrears or attend the court. The police
court missionary stated that Turnbull's [wife and two children] was
absolutely destitute and that there was not a particle of food in the
house when it was visited."
- Thursday, 22 October 1931, Derby Daily
Telegraph |
Beyond England |
A steel worker at Dormans before and
after his football career. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.251. |