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Players Index Page Last Updated
4 June 2026
 
 

Bobby Tambling

Chelsea FC

 3 appearances, 1 goal

P 3 W 2 D 0 L 1 F 8: A 5
67% successful
1962-66

disciplined: none
captain: none
minutes played: 270

Profile
  Robert Victor Tambling
Birth Thursday, 18 September 1941 in Storrington, Sussex
  registered in Chanterbury October-December 1941
Marriage to Kathleen A. Saunders
  registered in Croydon January-March 1961
Children Bobby and Kathleen Tambling had two sons together. Garry and Glen.
Death Wednesday, 3 June 2026, following a battle with dementia and a long illness at Care Choice Nursing home in Montenotte, Cork.
aged 84 years 258 days  
Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &
Biographies Goals in Life: My Autobiography - Bobby Tambling (Trinity Mirror Sports Media, 22 September 2016)
 

x. - A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999).

Playing Career
Club(s) As a schoolboy, playing for East Hampshire Schools, Tambling was wanted by Reading FC, Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Blackpool FC. But after meeting Chelsea FC manager Ted Drake, he joined the Stamford Bridge groundstaff as a fifteen-year-old in July 1957, turning professional on his seventeenth birthday. Becomong club captain in 1962. Joined Crystal Palace FC on loan for a month in January 1970, before signing in a permanent deal in the summer for £40,000 with Alan Birchenall, on 3 June. Moved to Cork, Ireland, in October 1973, and signed for Cork Celtic FC, stepping up to player~manager a year later. Spent 1977-78 with Waterford United FC, and the following season with Sharmrock Rovers FC. Finishing his career with Cork Albert FC in the early eighties. In 1983, he accepted the manager's position with Avondale and, while with the Ballintemple club, created his own unique piece of Cork football history by lining out alongside his son Garry in an AOH Cup tie. Briefly managed Cork City FC in 1984-85.

League honours
365+5 appearances, 176 goals		 Chelsea FC 1958-70 302+five appearances, 164 goals
debut: 7 February 1959 Chelsea FC 3 West Ham United FC 2.
Crystal Palace FC loan 1970 three appearances
debut:
Crystal Palace FC 1970-73 65 appearances, twelve goals
debut
last:
Club honours Football League Cup winners 1964-65;
FA Cup runners-up 1966-67, winners 1969-70 (injured);
League of Ireland Champions 1973-74;
Individual honours Football League (one appearance);
League of Ireland XI (two appearances, 1977-78)
Distinctions In 2004, Tambling had a suite named after him at Stamford Bridge.
Height/Weight 5' 8", 11st. 8lbs [1965].

Source

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

England Career
Player number 814th player to appear for England.
Position(s) Forward
First match No. 365, 21 November 1962, England 4 Wales 0. a British Championship match at the Empire Stadium, Wembley Park, London, aged 21 years 64 days.
Last match No. 399, 4 May 1966, England 2 Yugoslavia 0, a friendly match at the Empire Stadium, Wembley, London, aged 24 years 228 days.
Major tournaments World Cup Finals 1966 (provisional squad); British Championship 1962-63;
Team honours None
Individual honours None
Distinctions None

Youth Career
Youth tournaments None
Youth honours None
Individual honours England U23 (thirteen appearances)
England Schoolboy (seven appearances, 1956-57)

Beyond England
Became a proprietor of a sports outfitting business at Havant, Hampshire. Retired to Crosshaven, County Cork. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.242.


The Numbers
parties Apps comp. apps starts substitute unused minutes goals ave.min comp. goals
tbc 3 1 3 ▲0
▼0		 0 270 1 270 min 0 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
3 2 0 1 8 5 +3 0 2 2.667 1.667 66.7 +1
all of his 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 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 0 2 3.00 0.00 100.0 +2
Away 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1

Competition Record

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

ENP

 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1
ENF 0 0 0 0 0 0 =0 0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00 =0
European Nations' Cup 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1
British Championship 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
Friendly match 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 0 1 2.00 0.00 100.0 +1

Tournament Record

European Nations'  Preliminary Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ENP 1962-64 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1
ENP All 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1962-63 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
BC All 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
ENP 1 0 0 1 2 5 -3 0 0 2.00 5.00 0.00 -1
BC 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 0 1 4.00 0.00 100.0 +1
2 1 0 1 6 5 +1 0 1 3 2.5 50 =0

Match History

Bobby Tambling -
 Club: Chelsea F.C. - 3 full appearances

manager: Walter Winterbottom - 1 full capx

Age 21
1 365 21 November 1962 - England 4 Wales 0, Empire Stadium, Wembley BC HW Start 11
 

manager: Alf Ramsey - 2 full capsx

2 366 27 February 1963 - France 5 England 2, Le Parc des Princes, Paris ENP AL Start 8
Age 24
Alf Ramsey named his provisional list of forty players on April 7. He then named a provisional squad of 28 on 6 May to attend Lilleshall. Bobby Tambling was one of the those attending, but cut from the squad on 18 June, and asked to remain on standby.
3 399 4 May 1966 - England 2 Yugoslavia 0, Empire Stadium, Wembley Fr HW Start 11

Notes

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CG