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Bobby
Gurney |
Sunderland AFC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 0 D 0 L 1 F
0:
A 2
0% successful
1935
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
 |
|
Profile |
|
Full name |
Robert Gurney |
|
Born |
13 October 1907 in Stewart Street, Silksworth, County Durham [registered in
Sunderland, December 1907]. Attended Silksworth C of E
School |
|
Birthplace
Notes |
His census return states that the entire Gurney
children were born in Tunstall, a Sunderland suburb neighbouring
Silksworth. |
|
Census Notes |
According to the 1911
census, Robert (definately stated as Robeth in the census return) is the
youngest of five children (four sons) to coal hewer, Joseph, and
Elizabeth. They live at 8 Maria Street in New Silksworth. |
|
According to the 1939 register, Robert is a professional footballer and a
police war reserve, married to Mary, and they live at 2 Bridle Path, in
the Middle Herrington area of Sunderland. |
,%20Robert.jpg) |
Married: to
Mary E. Davison
(b.28 July 1907) on 25 July 1929, at St. Matthew's Parish Church in
Silksworth (left)
[registered in Houghton-le-Spring, Durham, September 1929].
"A large company assembled at St. Matthew's
Parish Church, Silksworth, this afternoon to witness the marriage of Mr
Robert Gurney, the Sunderland AFC player and youngest son of Mr Joseph and
the late Mrs Gurney, of New Silksworth, to Miss Mary Davison, eldest
daughter of Mr James Davison, of Silksworth, and late of Ryhope. Miss
Davison, for over seven years, has been on the staff of the Britannic
Assurance Company in Sunderland, and the staff have presented her with an
oak case of cutlery. The bride, who was given away by her cousin, Mr John
Harrison, under-manager of Ryhope Colliery, was charmingingly attired in a
dress of blue suede georgette with hat to match, and wore a pearl
necklace, the gift of the bridegroom. The bride was attended by Miss Elsie
Davison (sister) and Miss Isa West, of Whitley Bay, as bridesmaids, who
were attired alike in dresses of green silk. Mr Ike McGorian, formerly of
the Sunderland AFC, and now of Nottingham AFC was best man. The ceremony
was performed by the Rev. William Atkinson, Vicar of St. Matthews's. As
the bridal party were leaving the church Mendelssohn's Wedding March was
played by Mr James Beresford. A reception was held in the Temperence Hall
and later Mr and Mrs Gurney left for the Lake District for their
honeymoon. Both bride and bridegroom were the recipients of a large number
of presents." - Thursday, 25
July 1929, The Sunderland Echo and Shipping Gazette. |
| Died:
|
14 April 1994, aged
86 years 183 days
[registered in Sunderland, April 1994].
Funeral Service at St. Chad's Church in East Herrington, on Wednesday, 27
April 1994 at 3.20pm. A minutes silence was observed the night previously
when Sunderland AFC entertain Oxford United FC at Roker Park in a
Division One match. United won 3-2. |
| Height/Weight:
|
5'
8", 10st.
7lbs [1925],
5'
8½", 10st.
3lbs, another source states
5'
8", 10st.
10lbs [1935]. |
| Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
|
Club Career |
|
Club(s) |
Began his football career playing with
Sunderland & County Durham Boys, and then Hetton Juniors FC alongside
Silksworth Colliery FC. After scoring 131 goals in one saseon,
he was invited to play with Bishop Auckland FC. Newcastle United FC
scouted Gurney, but they were rejected by Robert's father, instead, he was
spotted by
Charlie Buchan and Sunderland AFC paid a £10 transfer
fee and a friendly match on 8 May 1925. That friendly match was played on
30 August 1926 (Sunderland AFC won 7-3 with Gurney scoring a
hat-trick, earning £50 for Bishop Auckland FC). He remained with
the Roker Park club, breaking both legs, the first, his left fibula, on 8
October 1927, in a reserve match against Workington FC. Inbetween, the
club had an offer from Birmingham FC, and interest from Leicester City FC
and Manchester City FC, to sign him in October 1933. He had another
fracture in an FA Cup fifth round second replay match against Blackburn
Rovers FC in Sheffield on 18 February 1939. He was injured after three
minutes. After treatment for concussion, he returned, and lasted until
half-time, when he was rushed off to hospital with an ankle fracture, as
well as torn ligaments. Gurney had amassed 205 goals in 347
league appearances. He did play again, but only in exhibition
matches, guesting for Holiday Sports Club, of the Northumberland & Durham
League, in 1941. Gurney was part of Sunderland AFC's retained list on 22
May 1946, and was handed the job of third-team trainer a week later. |
|
Club honours |
Football League runners-up 1934-35, Champions
1935-36; FA Charity
Shield winners 1936, runners-up 1937;
FA Cup winners 1936-37; |
|
Individual honours |
Scored nine goals in a 14-0 victory over
Hartlepools United FC in a North-Eastern League match for Sunderland FC.
He did manage to score five for the first team, as they beat Bolton
Wanderers FC 7-2 on 7 December 1935. |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
|
Management Career |
|
Club(s) |
After his injury in 1939, he remained with
Sunderland AFC, helping the training staff. On 30 May 1946, Gurney was
appointed as third-team trainer at the club. On 4 June 1947, he became the
manager at Horden Colliery Welfare FC on a three-year contract. Gurney had
been interviewed for the vacant manager's position at Carlisle United FC,
however, on 22 May 1949, a relative unknown Bill Shankly was appointed. On
21 February 1950, Gurney left Horden when Midland League side,
Peterborough United FC appointed him as their manager. On 20 March 1952,
he accepted the invitation to return to the north-east when Darlington FC
appointed him as their manager, effective 31 March, until his resignation
on 7 October 1957. Became a scout for Leeds United AFC until he returned
to Horden Colliery Welfare FC on 15 May 1961 until becoming a manager of
Hartlepools United FC on 8 April 1963. He left on 6 January 1964 when he
was sacked. |
|
Club honours |
None |
|
England Career |
|
Player number |
One of two who became the 609th players
(610) to appear for England. |
|
Position(s) |
Centre-forward |
|
Only match |
No. 197, 6 April 1935,
Scotland 2 England 0, a British Championship match at Hampden Park,
Mount Florida, Glasgow, aged 27 years
175 days. |
|
Major tournaments |
British
Championship 1934-35; |
|
Team honours |
British
Championship shared 1934-35; |
|
Individual honours |
None |
|
Distinctions |
None |
|
Beyond England |
|
Bobby went on to work for a
confectioners' firm in Hartlepool.
Latterly a representative for a brewery firm,, and
he became an honorary vice-president of the Sunderland AFC Supporters'
Association. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.114. |
|
England Tragedy |
"MR GURNEY IS ROBBED.
"Gaining entrance by breaking a leaded
window pane, thieves stole about £100 worth of clothing from the home of
ex-Sunderland and England international centre-forward Bobby Gurney at the
Bridle Path, Herrington. 'All they left of my clothes,' Mr Gurney, who is
now manager of Peterborough Football Club, told The Sunderland Echo
to-day, 'was my dress suit. Fortunately I took a lot of clothes with me to
Peterborough, but my wife, who was attending a relative's silver wedding
celebrations when the entry was made, was left with little more than she
had on.' Mr Gurney added that the thieves also took away two silk
bedspreads, and when his wife returned, she could not get into the house
as the lock catch had been dropped." - Saturday 15 April
1950, The Sunderland Echo |
|
Bobby Gurney - Career Statistics |
| Squads |
Apps |
comp. apps |
Mins. |
Goals |
goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
Capt. |
Disc. |
| 1 |
1 |
1 |
90 |
0 |
0
min |
0 |
none |
none |
|
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors. |
|
Bobby Gurney
- Match Record - All Matches - By
Type of Match |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
Away
-
British Championship |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
| All |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
Bobby Gurney
- Match Record - Tournament Matches |
|
British Championship Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC 1934-35 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
BC All |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
All Competition |
|
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
|
BC |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
|
All |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
-2 |
1 |
0 |
0.00 |
2.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
Bobby Gurney
- Match History
|
Club:
Sunderland A.F.C. - one full appearance
(90 min) |
F.A. International Selection Committee - one full appearance
(90 min)x |
Notes
____________________
CG
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|
England
Football Online