Taylor: Robert (Bob)

1985-1989 (Player Details)

Forward

Born: Easington, Co Durham: 03-02-1967

Debut v Millwall (h): 12-04-1986

5’10” 11st 2lb (1986)

Taylor was born in the North East on 3rd February 1967 in Littlethorpe Hospital, Easington, County Durham, a stone’s throw away from his village home of Horden. He gained an interest in football from a young age playing in the school team with the likes of fellow ex-pro Brian Honour, who played for over ten years at Hartlepool, and later took over the role of team captain when Brian left. Strangely during his younger years Bob was always a defender playing full back for his junior school. It wasn't until senior school that he moved into a forward role and started scoring goals. After leaving school Taylor had a couple of unsuccessful trials at local football clubs, Hartlepool and Newcastle. He got his first big break when current team Horden Colliery appointed the former Sunderland full-back Dick Malone as their new Manager. After three months at the club, in December 1985, Malone recommended Taylor, his team’s top scorer, to Leeds United via their chief scout David Blakey. Malone, a member of Sunderland’s 1973 FA Cup-winning side, reckoned that local council-worker Taylor had the ability to score goals at League level. Taylor went for trials at Leeds in December 1985. He got off to a great start to his Leeds career as he made his debut in the third team, playing against York City in the Northern Intermediate League with him finishing on the winning side with a hat-trick in a thrilling 5-4 win. He went on to score twelve goals for the third team in the last fifteen games of that season and signed a two year contract once he turned eighteen. By the start of the 1985-86 season, Taylor had progressed into the reserve side at Leeds and became the season’s leading goalscorer at that level. He made his Football League debut in a Second Division game against Millwall at Elland Road on Saturday 12th April 1986. He was part of the Leeds squad that reached the 1986-87 Division One Play-off Final, before losing to Charlton Athletic in a replay. He had happy memories from his three years at Elland Road, during which time he had firmly established himself as a professional and was the club’s top scorer (excluding penalties) in his second season there. Unfortunately, what turned out to be his final season didn't go as well, with Leeds getting off to a dreadful start which saw them fall to the bottom of the League, followed by the sacking of Billy Bremner and Taylor not starting another game. Taylor was eager to play first team football and learned that Joe Jordan, the Bristol City Manager, was interested in signing him. Howard Wilkinson was equally interested in signing one of his former Sheffield Wednesday players, Carl Shutt, and on 23rd March 1989 he was on his way to Bristol City and first team football for £200,000 and Shutt left for Elland Road for £50,000. Three weeks after his first game, he firmly entered the hearts of the Bristol City fans by scoring his first hat-trick in a 6-1 smashing of Huddersfield Town. By the end of his first season, he had scored eight goals in just twelve games. With Joe Jordan in charge and Taylor scoring the goals, the 1989-90 season went down in football history as an epic one for the city of Bristol. In total Taylor scored a remarkable thirty-four goals, in just forty-seven games, twenty-seven of those coming in the League. His success continued with his opening goal in the 2-0 win at Walsall on 4th November 1989 helping to send City to the top of the Third Division for the first time. It was then only fitting that he went on to being named City’s Player of the Year in 1990. His time at Bristol came to an end when Bobby Gould, then Manager of West Bromwich Albion, signed him on 31st January 1992 for £300,000. At Ashton Gate he scored fifty League goals from ninety-six starts and ten from the bench adding another eight goals from eighteen starts and two substitute appearances in the Cup and other competitions. Things did not start that well for him at West Brom and within six months of signing, Bobby Gould was sacked. The board of directors at West Brom then replaced Gould with Argentinian legend Ossie Ardiles. As a result of Ardiles’ appointment, West Brom secured promotion via the play-off final at Wembley in the 1993/94 season with a 3-0 win over Port Vale. In that season, it was when Taylor first got the nickname of 'Super' by scoring thirty-seven goals and building up a striking partnership with Andy Hunt, who had been signed from Newcastle. The partnership lasted for the next few seasons, and in Taylor's opinion, was the best of his career. Although, the Taylor and Hunt partnership blossomed, West Brom didn't, and struggled for the next few seasons. As a result, both Hunt and Taylor left the First Division for the Premiership. In his first spell at the Hawthorns he scored ninety-six League goals in two hundred and eleven starts and twenty-seven games from the bench, scoring a further seventeen goals from thirty-eight starts and five as substitute in Cup and other competitions. He twice went out on loan to Bolton Wanderers. He scored once in four League matches in one month spell in January, and when he returned for the last two months of the season he notched two further League goals from six starts and two from the bench. He had, however, scored against Manchester United at Old Trafford, and against Aston Villa at Villa Park in his loan periods. Taylor signed permanently on 2nd July 1998 for Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee, and went on to score eighteen more League goals from forty-seven starts and eighteen from the bench as well as six goals from thirteen starts and six games as a substitute in Cup and other games for the Trotters. Taylor returned to his footballing home, the Hawthorns, on transfer deadline day in March 2000 for £90,000, on the same day as four other players. With West Brom poised to be relegated, Taylor's five goals in eight games kept the Baggies safe from relegation. Most of the credit for keeping the club in the division was shared between Taylor and the new manager, Gary Megson. However, in the next two seasons, West Brom, under Megson and with Taylor in the team, finished in the play-offs and then got promoted automatically, with Taylor scoring the goal against Crystal Palace that secured promotion to the Premier League. Unfortunately for Taylor, he only played four games for the Baggies in the Premier League. Taylor’s contract ran out at the end of that season, his testimonial year, and the club decided not to renew his contract. He played his last game for his beloved club on the last game of the season at home to his home town club Newcastle United. He left the club a true fans favourite, after scoring another seventeen goals and playing another eighty-six League games although forty one of those were as a substitute. There was also another goal from five starts and five games from the bench in Cup and other competitions in this his second spell at the Hawthorns and he was the eighth highest-ever scorer for the Baggies. Taylor's testimonial match was played at The Hawthorns on 13th May 2003, in front of 12,000 fans. Taylor then spent a season at Cheltenham Town. He made his Cheltenham debut on 23rd August 2003, coming on as a substitute in 3–3 draw away at Hull City. He marked his first start for Cheltenham with two goals in a 4–1 away win at Leyton Orient a week later. He scored seven League goals from twenty-eight games, including nine as a substitute and he scored once in two games in Cup competitions. He then joined Tamworth in 2004. In 2005 Taylor signed for Tamworth for a further twelve months. During 2005-06, Taylor received a conviction for drink-driving; Tamworth gave him two weeks leave "to deal with personal matters". At Tamworth he scored eighteen League goals from sixty appearnces, including nineteen as a substitute. He also played twice in Cup competitions without scoring. Following his release from Tamworth in May 2006, Taylor linked up with Kidderminster Harriers for pre-season training and signed a non-contract deal with the club in September 2006. Taylor left Kidderminster in January 2007 having made three appearances, two in the League and one in the Cup, as a substitute for the club. He subsequently retired from professional football and has since set up his own promotions company, Super Bob Events.