Bob Tait.

[nottinghamblue]

I have just heard of the passing of former Barrow player Bob (Bobby) Tait. Older supporters may remember Bob from the 1960s, when he was top scorer for Barrow over two seasons in the Football League.

I have known Bob for some years as he lived very close to me in Arnold, near Nottingham. He and his wife, June, were members of our local history group, so I saw them quite often before Covid came along. Bob had been ill for some time and was living in a local care home.

Last time I saw Bob, he told me that he had been interviewed by a Scottish newspaper about his time playing for Aberdeen. When I suggested that it must be nice to be remembered, he smiled and said, "Aye, they put me on the same page as The Broons."

[Jim]

Sorry to hear of his death. I remember him as a classy 'inside forward' I just looked up his stats:

11 goals from 60 games for Notts County before transfer to Barrow, then 27 goals in 79 games in two seasons for Barrow.He then went to Chesterfield thereby missing our promotion season in 1966-67. I can't remember whether he was given a free transfer or chose to leave.

[Suffolk Blue]

In 1964 the Barrow squad was looking very tired and that 64/65 season ( my first) was dreadful. Bobby Tait was one of those players that bridged the gap between one of our worst squads in 1964 and arguably our most successful in 66/67. Alongside the likes of Keith Eddy, Brian Pilkington and Tony Field, they began a rapid transformation of the squad to that promotion winning team though most of them disappeared before those heady days.

Bobby was one of my first favourites as a boy. He was something I had then never seen at HS, clever, a cultured foot, quite slight in build, relatively pacey, found space in dangerous areas, a bit of class. His skills were those of a modern player and he was easy on the eye to watch. But a very unassuming character on and apparently off the field.

His contribution tends to be forgotten but his strike rate at between 2-3 games per goal was at the time significant. He will always be an important part of the clubs history.

His departure was sudden and for me a little bit shocking at the time. I never really found out why. Though you have to remember that footballers were far more itinerant n those days. No agents then. I concluded that he’d had a difference of opinion with Doug McAvoy. He was replaced by the likes of Mulholland and Mulvaney who themselves became legends.

Tait himself succeeded Alec Alston. So many Scots in our team in those days. Illustrates where we got many of our players from

RIP Bobby. A decent footballer and a decent man.

[olefogey]

Or would that be Don McEvoy!

[Suffolk Blue]

Or would that be Don McEvoy!

Thanks. It would indeed!

[Jim]

Or would that be Don McEvoy!

Thanks. It would indeed!

A load of nit-pickers on here Suffolk! Oh, by the way, Alec Alston succeded Tait, not the other way round.

[Hadrian]

A really decent inside forward (attacking midfielder for the younger contributors on here) of fond memory.

May he rest in peace!

[Suffolk Blue]

Thanks. It would indeed!

A load of nit-pickers on here Suffolk! Oh, by the way, Alec Alston succeded Tait, not the other way round.

Thanks Jim I did wonder about Alston. Should have checked. I always remember my old man screaming at Alston and often referring to him as a “pudding”. He was another Scot really at the wrong end of his career when he came to us. Though at an earlier stage of his career I believe he turned out for Celtic.

[Hadrian]

That must have been before they played at Newby Terrace...

[Jim]

I always remember my old man screaming at Alston and often referring to him as a “pudding”.

Funny you should say that, because I used to argue with my Dad about him. Dad used to say his movement off the ball was really good, while I used to say he was useless once he got it.

[MikeRenney]

A memory still sticks in my brain of Bobby Tait scoring at the Holker Street end. The ball was crossed low and as the ball reached Bobby he let it run through his legs and skilfully clicked it with his right foot. The ball beat everyone as it rolled along to nestle in the net at the far post. A brilliant goal, the first time I had ever seen it done and one that I can still visualise after all these years.

[pjdaly]

Sorry to hear this news about Bob Tait. Like Suffolk Blue, he was an early favourite of mine when I started watching Barrow as a youngster.

Some above have asked why he left Barrow; I read an article somewhere only 3 or 4 years ago in which he said he hadn't any intention of quitting Barrow in the summer of 1966 (a bit like George Ray now it seems) but was released by Don McEvoy and he was transferred to Chesterfield. Bob said that he felt McEvoy didn't greatly rate him. That's a bit surprising because I'm sure, off the top of my head, Bob was joint top goal-scorer in the 1965-66 season with both himself and Jim Mulholland scoring 15 goals each. So he was surely very unfortunate to miss out on playing a part in our promotion season of 1966-67.

I do know that after leaving and settling in the Nottingham area he remained good pals with Brian Arrowsmith to the end. In late 2019 when Barrow travelled to Notts County and famously won 0-3 in our promotion season Brian had wanted to travel to the game but came down with a bad cold; Bob was on the phone to Brian after that match to report that Barrow were much the better side and well deserved the victory.

Below is an EM photo from April 2006 when there was a gathering in honour of Brian Arrowsmith to mark the publication of Darren Gardner's book about him. Bob travelled through and you can see him to the left of Arrer in the picture. He would have been 67 at the time but looked younger. Sadly I understand he was yet another footballer who developed dementia in recent times. Thanks for the memories, Bob!

L-R: N/K, Darren Gardner, Steve Calvert (I think, but largely obscured), Roy Ellison, Neil McDonald, Bob Tait, Terry Rhodes, Brian Arrowsmith, N/K, N/K, Brian Keen, Dave Large, Stuart Taylor, N/K, N/K, N/K, N/K, N/K.

[Jim]

A bit more about Bobby here, with a photo of him in his playing days.

https://www.gedlingeye.co.uk/news/arnol ... adow-lane/

[Burnage Bluebird]

Oh no, not Bob. Great player

[pjdaly]

Here's a team photo from 1965-66 featuring Bob Tait:

Back Row, L-R: Larry Carberry, Malcolm Edwards, Lionel Duffin, Mick Hartland, Spike Rawlingson, Bob Tait.
Front Row L-R: Jim Mulholland, Roy McCarthy, Dave Worthington, George Smith, Brian Pilkington