Bob_Jefferson

Bob Jefferson

Bob Jefferson

English footballer and manager

Robert William Jefferson (June 1882 – July 1966[2]) was an English professional football player and manager.

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Early life

Robert William Jefferson was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Tyne and Wear in 1882.[3] He left school to join the Royal Navy, before deserting after a few weeks to become an apprentice moulder at a foundry back in Sunderland.[4] At this time, he began playing junior football with local team Sunderland Royal Rovers, before becoming a professional footballer. Jefferson served as a corporal in the Royal Air Force during the First World War.[5]

Career

Jefferson played primarily as an outside right, but could play at any forward or wing position.[4]

He began his professional career at Bradford City in November 1904, scoring six goals in 30 appearances in the Football League over the next two seasons.[6] Jefferson joined local rivals Leeds City in May 1906, scoring on his debut against Leicester Fosse.[4] By May 1908, Jefferson had moved to Swindon Town along with former-Leeds players Harry Kay and Jack Lavery.[4] Jefferson was to remain with the Wiltshire club for the next 14 years, despite his career being disrupted by the First World War. At Swindon, Jefferson made 356 appearances in all competitions, scoring 82 goals.[7] His spell at Swindon included an appearance in the 1911 FA Charity Shield, and eleven appearances for the Southern Football League representative team.[4] Jefferson also scored in Swindon's first ever game in the Football League, in a 9–1 victory against Luton Town.[4] In total, Jefferson made 321 appearances in the Football League and the Southern Football League between 1904 and 1922, scoring 78 goals.

In May 1922 Jefferson joined non-League team Bath City, where he ended his playing career one year later.[4]

Coaching career

After retiring as a player, Jefferson went to the Netherlands to work as a coach. He started in Haarlem with HFC.[8] After his one-year spell at the oldest footballclub of the Netherlands he left for Arnhem to coach local team Vitesse Arnhem from 1924 to 1927. During this time he also coached Tubantia from Hengelo from mid February until the first of June 1926 in order to prepare them for the promotion competition[9] after which he returned to Vitesse. Though, as expected, he became champions with Tubantia, they eventually did not win the promotion competition. He then went to Hilversum to coach 't Gooi[10] for two years.[11] In the last of his two years in Hilversum he also coached Eindhoven.[12] In 1929 he went to Groningen to coach Velocitas. During his time here he also coached HSC[13] from nearby Hoogezand and FVC[14] from faraway Leeuwarden. With Velocitas he won the Dutch FA Cup in 1934. After this success he left Velocitas to coach what was to be his last club in the Netherlands: Velox[15] where he was let go in 1938.[16]

References

  1. [1]
    Joyce, Michael (16 October 2012). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939 (3rd Revised ed.). Tony Brown. p. 152. ISBN 9781905891610.
  2. [2]
    "Trainer Jefferson in Engeland overleden" (in Dutch). Nieuwsblad van het Noorden. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. [3]
    "Player profile". Oz White LUFC. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  4. [4]
    "Player profile". Mighty Leeds. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  5. [5]
    "Robert William Jefferson | Service Record". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  6. [6]
    Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. Breedon Books Sport. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.
  7. [7]
    Mattick, Dick (2002). Swindon Town Football Club: 100 Greats. Tempus Publishing. ISBN 0-7524-2714-8.
  8. [8]
    Noord-Hollands Archief, kranten Archived 19 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Haarlems Dagblad, 31 July 1923, page.3
  9. [9]
    Een trainer "geleend" De Telegraaf, 18 February 1926, page 10
  10. [10]
    De nieuwe trainer van 't Gooi De Gooi- en Eemlander, 8 August 1927, page 6
  11. [11]
    Trainer Jefferson naar Velocitas De Gooi- en Eemlander, 22 July 1929, page 6
  12. [12]
    Eindhoven krijgt trainer Nieuwe Tilburgsche Courant, 30 April 1928, page 7
  13. [13]
    Nederlaagwedstrijden van H.S.C. Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 3 August 1931, page 13
  14. [14]
    F.V.C. krijgt trainer Nieuwsblad van Friesland, 27 May 1932, page 10
  15. [15]
    Jefferson naar Velox Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, 8 juni 1934, page 13
  16. [16]
    Jefferson verlaat Velox Utrechts volksblad, 1 April 1938, page 6
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