Bobby McDonald

Robert Wood McDonald (born 13 April 1955) is a former Scottish footballer, who played in the left back position.[1] McDonald was a defender of great control and positional sense who also had a happy knack of scoring goals.

For other people with the same name, see Robert MacDonald (disambiguation).

Bobby McDonald
Personal information
Full name Robert Wood McDonald[1]
Date of birth (1955-04-30) 30 April 1955[1]
Place of birth Aberdeen,[1] Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Position(s) Left back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1972–1976 Aston Villa 39 (3)
1976–1981 Coventry City 161 (14)
1981–1983 Manchester City 96 (11)
1983–1987 Oxford United 94 (14)
1987–1988 Leeds United 18 (1)
1988 → Wolverhampton Wanderers 6 (0)
V.S. Rugby
Total 414 (43)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played for King Street Sports club in Aberdeen before joining Aston Villa in 1971, turning professional in September 1972. A Scottish youth international, he played in the 1972 Little World Cup when Frank Gray and Kenny Burns were among his contemporaries. After helping Villa to promotion to Division One in 1974-75 and picking up a 1975 League Cup Winners' medal, a £40,000 transfer took him to Coventry City. He played thirty-three starting games and six substitute appearances in the league while at Villa Park, scoring once.

At Coventry he made one hundred and sixty-one consecutive appearances in the League, scoring fourteen goals. Coventry at this time played a very adventurous game and McDonald was encouraged to get forward and join in the attack. One of his best goals for the Sky Blues came in a famous Christmas time win over Norwich City, a game which Coventry eventually won 5-4. For his goal, Bobby was stationed on the by-line just outside the six yard box. He somehow managed to curl the ball inside the near post past Kevin Keelan in the Norwich goal.

Manchester City signed him for £270,000 in October 1980. Again he was a consistent regular amassing ninety-six League appearances and netting eleven times. He went to Oxford United in September 1983 and won a Third Division medal in his first season, followed by a Second Division medal in 1984-85. In League fixtures with Oxford he made ninety-four appearances and scored fourteen goals. He went to Leeds on a month's loan in February 1987, before joining them in a £25,000 deal to help United's push towards the Play-offs, but took no part in their progress to the FA Cup Semi-Final as he was Cup-tied.

Injury cost him his place the following season and he was loaned to Wolves for six matches in February 1988. Granted a free-transfer in May 1988, he joined VS Rugby in the close season. He later played for Burton Albion, joining the Brewers in the summer of 1989, and after that moved around the Non-League scene with some regularity.

References
  1. "Bobby McDonald". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  2. Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-356-14354-5.
  • Bobby McDonald at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database
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