Bobby Finan

Football player infobox
playername= Bobby Finan


fullname = Robert Joseph Finan
nickname =
dateofbirth = March 1 1912
cityofbirth = Old Kilpatrick
countryofbirth = Scotland
dateofdeath = 1983
height =
position = Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = -1933
1933-1947
1947-1949
1949-1950
clubs = Yoker Athletic
Blackpool
Crewe Alexandra
Wigan Athletic
Career
caps(goals) = 00? 00(?)
173 0(85)
059 0(14)
031 0(14)
263 (113)
manageryears =
managerclubs =
nationalyears =
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 001 00(0)
pcupdate =

Robert Joseph "Bobby" Finan (March 1 1912 — 1983) was a Scottish professional football player. He played as a forward.

Club career

Finan was born in Old Kilpatrick in West Dunbartonshire. He started his career at Scottish Junior club Yoker Athletic before signing for Blackpool, managed by fellow Scot Sandy MacFarlane, in 1933. He made his debut for the club in the penultimate league game of the 1933–34 season, a 7–0 defeat at Grimsby Town on April 28, 1934. He went on to score three more goals during that league campaign.

Finan scored his first professional goal in the opening game of the following 1934–35 campaign, a 5–1 victory at Bury on August 25, 1934.

In 1935–36, with Jimmy Hampson injured, Finan deputised at centre-forward and ended the season as the Second Division's joint-top scorer with 34 goals. He scored two hat-tricks: the first in a 6–2 win against Charlton Athletic at Bloomfield Road on February 22, 1936, and the second in a 6–0 whitewash of Newcastle United at home on April 22.

The following campaign, 1936–37, Finan (28) and Hampson (16) scored 44 league goals between them, as Blackpool finished the season as runners-up in the Football League Second Division and were promoted to the Football League First Division.cite web
title = Blackpool Legends
publisher = Blackpool F.C.
date = 2007-08-02
url = http://www.blackpoolfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/SeasideLegends/0,,10432~140692,00.html
accessdate = 2008-01-04 ]

As he grew older, his speed began to wane, and he was moved to outside-left, where he laid on goals for Willie Buchan and, later, Jock Dodds.

Finan scored 85 league goals for Blackpool before finally leaving the club in 1947, when he signed for Crewe Alexandra, scoring 14 goals in 59 games. In 1949 he moved to non-League Wigan Athletic, with whom he finished his career in 1950 having scored 14 goals in 31 games.

After his playing career ended, Finan returned to Blackpool as chief scout.

International career

Finan won one cap for Scotland, during the early stages of World War II.cite web
title = Wigan Athletic Internationals
publisher = Ye Old Tree & Crown
url = http://www.yeoldetreeandcrown.34sp.com/latics-international.htm
accessdate = 2008-01-04 ]

References

Further reading

* Calley, Roy (1992-10-20). "Blackpool: A Complete Record, 1887-1992", Breedon Books Publishing Co Ltd, ISBN 978-1873626078

External links

* [http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/crewe/crewe.htm Bobby Finan stats at Crewe Alexandra]