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Players Index Page Last Updated
30 July 2022
 
 

Bobby Langton

Blackburn Rovers FC, Preston North End FC, Bolton Wanderers FC

 11 appearances, 1 debut goal

P 11 W 8 D 1 L 2 F 32: A 11
77% successful
1946-50

captain: none
minutes played: 990

Timeline
  Robert Langton
Birth 8 September 1918 in Burscough, Lancashire [registered in Ormskirk, September 1918]. To William Langton and Alice (née Blinkhorn). His father was a boatman on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
Attended St. John's Church of England School, Burscough.
Marriage to Margaret Smith [registered in Ormskirk, March 1947]. Oldest children are twins Christine and William R.. Third child, Michael...?
Death 13 January 1996 in Burscough, aged 77 years 127 days [registered in West Lancashire, January 1996], following a short illness.

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Club Career
Club(s) Shortly after leaving school he began playing football for Burscough Victoria FC in the Southport & District Amateur League. In October 1937, he went on trial to Blackburn Rovers FC.
  "Langton turned professional with Blackburn Rovers, having been signed for £50 from the non-League Burscough Victoria as a teenager in 1937. Within a year he was in the senior side... Then came the war, much of which he spent as an infantryman in India, though some of it he was a guest with Glentoran, helping them to reach the Irish Cup Final."
After 107 league appearances, both sides of the war, and 24 goals
"having left Blackburn when they were relegated in 1948 and joined Preston North End in a £16,000 deal. Langton scored a goal after only seven seconds of an early game for his new employers, but did not settle at Deepdale, Bolton Wanderers paying a club record £22,250 for his services in 1949. He served the Trotters well, picking up an FA Cup losers' medal in 1953, only for a dispute to result in his return to Blackburn that autumn. Though 34, he proved a sound acquisition, contributing fruitfully for three years before a brief spell in Ulster with Ards. There followed service to a succession of non-League clubs, culminating with a stint as boss of his home club Burscough Rangers in 1968."
  He was then persuaded to join a team of ex-professionals that he had assembled at non-league Wisbech Town FC. He spent three years with Wisbech including a short spell at Kidderminster Harrier FC, before ending his career as a player by signing a one month contract with Colwyn Bay FC in October 1960.
Club honours Football League Division Two winners 1938-39;
Irish Cup runners-up 1944-45;
FA Cup runners-up 1952-53;
Individual honours Football League (nine appearances)
Distinctions Bobby Langton Way exists in Burscough. Alongside Burscough FC's ground.
Height/Weight 5' 6", 10st. 10lbs [1949].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & Burscough FC website

England Career
Player number One of nine who became the 655th player (663) to appear for England.
Position(s) Outside-left
First match No. 227, 28 September 1946, Ireland 2 England 7, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 28 years 20 days.
Last match No. 259, 7 October 1950, Ireland 1 England 4, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 32 years 29 days.
Major tournaments World Cup Finals 1950 (provisional party); British Championship 1946-47, 1949-50, 1950-51;
Team honours British Championship winners 1946-47, 1949-50;
Individual honours England B (five appearances, 1947-50)
Distinctions None

Beyond England
After finishing playing Langton did some scouting for Accrington Stanley FC and had spells as trainer/coach at Kings Lynn and Wisbech before returning home for good and becoming manager of his local Burscough FC in 1965. During his five years in charge the club won the Lancashire Combination championship and the Lancashire Junior Cup. He left the club in 1971. As with many ex-professionals, turned his hand to becoming a licensee from 1961. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.153/54.


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps unused minutes goals ave.min comp. goals captain
13 11 4 two 990 1 990 min 1 six 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.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
11 8 1 2 32 11 +21 2 5 2.909 1 77.3 +6
All matches were played in a white shirt

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 4 4 0 0 18 4 +14 0 2 4.50 1.00 100.0 +4
Away 7 4 1 2 14 7 +7 2 3 2.00 1.00 64.3 +2

Competition Record

Competition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L

WCP

 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
WCF 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
World Cup 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
British Championship 4 4 0 0 15 3 +12 0 2 3.75 0.75 100.0 +4
The 1949-50 records of the World Cup and British Championship are duplicated, and one set is deducted from the grand total.
Friendly 7 4 1 2 17 8 +9 2 3 2.429 1.143 64.3 +2

Tournament Record

World Cup Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WCP/BC 1948-50 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
WCP All 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1946-47 2 2 0 0 10 2 +8 0 1 5.00 1.00 100.0 +2
BC 1949-50 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 1950-51 1 1 0 0 4 1 +3 0 0 4.00 1.00 100.0 +1
BC All 4 4 0 0 15 3 +12 0 2 3.75 0.75 100.0 +4

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
WC 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 0 1 1.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC 4 4 0 0 15 3 +12 0 2 3.75 0.75 100.0 +4
The 1949-50 records of the World Cup and British Championship are duplicated, and one set is deducted from the grand total.
4 4 0 0 15 3 +12 0 2 3.75 0.75 100.0 +4

Match History

 Club: Blackburn Rovers F.C. - seven full appearances (630 min) 1ᵍ manager: Walter Winterbottom - eleven full appearances (990 min) 1ᵍx

apps match pic match details comp res. rundown shirt

Age 28
1 227 28 September 1946 - Ireland 2 England 7
Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AW 60
  83		 11

one of nine who became the 655th player (663) to appear for England.
the 34th player from Blackburn Rovers FC to represent England.
the 122nd player to score on his England debut

2 228 30 September 1946 - Éire 0 England 1
Dalymount Park, Dublin		 Fr AW   11
3 229 13 November 1946 - England 3 Wales 0
Maine Road, Manchester		 BC HW   11
4 230 27 November 1946 - England 8 Netherlands 2
Leeds Road, Huddersfield		 Fr HW 74 11
  
5 232 3 May 1947 - England 3 France 0
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury		 Fr HW   11
6 233 18 May 1947- Switzerland 1 England 0
Hardturm Stadion, Zürich		 tour AL   11
B  
one appearance - Switzerland 21 May 1947
234 25 May 1947- Portugal 0 England 10, Estádio Nacional, Lisboa   AW unused sub
  
 
Age 29
7 238 19 November 1947 - England 4 Sweden 2
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury		 Fr HW   11
  
240 16 May 1948 - Italy 0 England 4, Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino tour AW unused sub
B  
one appearance - Switzerland 19 May 1948; unofficial - FC Schaffhausen 22 May 1948;

 Club: Preston North End F.C. - two full appearances (180 min)  

Age 30
8 241 26 September 1948 - Denmark 0 England 0
Idrætsparken, København		 Fr AD   11
  

the thirteenth Preston North End player to represent England

9 246 13 May 1949 - Sweden 3 England 1
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, Solna		 tour AL   11
B  
party member - Finland A 15 May 1949
247 18 May 1949 - Norway 1 England 4, Ullevål Stadion, Oslo   AW party member
B  
one appearance - Netherlands A 18 May 1949
248 22 May 1949 - France 1 England 3, Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir, Paris   AW withdrawn party member
  

 Club: Bolton Wanderers F.C. - two full appearances (180 min)  

Age 31
10 253 15 April 1950 - Scotland 0 England 1
Hampden Park, Glasgow		 BC/
WCP		 AW 64 11

the sixteenth Bolton Wanderers player to represent England

B  
one appearance - Italy 11 May 1950
254 14 May 1950 - Portugal 3 England 5, Estadio Nacional, Lisboa   AW party member
B  
one appearance - Netherlands 17 May 1950
255 18 May 1950 - Belgium 1 England 4, Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles   AW party member
  
B  
unused substitute - Luxembourg 21 May 1950
England's selectors announced on May 9, two party's (A and B) of 14 players each, for two separate tours. Of the 28 names, twelve did not make it to the final World Cup party, including Bobby Langton.

Age 32
11 259 7 October 1950 - Ireland 1 England 4
Windsor Park, Belfast		 BC AW 43 85
86		 11
  

  

 
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