Club historian Stuart Basson has written the following tribute to former Chesterfield player Bobby Tait, who recently passed away…
Born in Edinburgh in 1938, Bobby began playing as an outside-left for a Scottish junior side, Loanhead Mayflower, but National Service made him more widely known as a footballer. He was posted to RAF Watnall, near Nottingham, and starred in a side that won honours in RAF football. Nottingham Forest scouted him but Aberdeen moved faster and he joined them on amateur forms initially, in February 1960. He completed his service at RAF Watnall, where he also met a member of the Women’s Royal Air force, to whom he would remain happily married for the rest of his life.
His Aberdeen career was blighted by injury before it got off the ground. Three months were missed and when he came back he was played at left-back and centre-forward more than in his preferred position. He had a couple of first-team games with the Dons before being freed in May 1961 and joining Elgin City.
Although he was playing in Scottish football’s far north he hadn’t been forgotten in Nottingham, and Notts County brought him down in the summer of 1962. Happy in his wife’s home city, he stayed at Meadow Lane for two seasons, playing 60 Football League matches and scoring 11 goals. He usually played more of his football as an inside-left by now, and was an effective foil for the emerging Jeff Astle. With hindsight, one of his most significant Notts games may have been their August 1963 pre-season friendly at Chesterfield, where County ran amok, winning 5-1 with the help of a Bobby Tait hat-trick.
Bobby was transfer-listed by County in January 1964 and joined Barrow in that summer. There, he found the regular first-team football that he hadn’t really got at Notts, and responded by becoming the Bluebirds’ top scorer in his first season. He was joint-top scorer in his second, so it was with some surprise that he found that his Manager had dispensed with his services in the summer of 1966, despite 27 goals in 79 appearances. Tony McShane remembered his efforts in that friendly three years previously and offered him a contract with Chesterfield, which brought him closer to home.
Chesterfield was something of a last-chance saloon for footballers in the 1960s. Many would come for a year but in a playing squad affected by a steadily inconsistent churn, could not find the form to earn a contract extension. Bobby was, like his team-mates, in and out of the side, and managed only two goals from 28 games. At the end of the season, Bobby found himself competing with fellow summer signings Billy Stark and Kevin Randall for a contract extension. Kevin won, and assumed legendary status under the guidance of incoming manager Jim McGuigan.
Bobby joined Arnold Town in the summer of 1967 and gained a good reputation in Midland League football as a scheming forward. He helped them to the first round of the FA Cup in 1967/68; while their Cup run caught the nation’s interest, the locals weren’t so bothered, and poor gates held the club back. His departure to rivals Long Eaton United in the summer of 1970 was due as much to economy as anything else. He was installed as player/coach at Long Eaton and became their player/manager in January 1971.
During his time at Arnold Bobby went into business, opening a sports shop, and the increasing demands on his time led to him leaving Long Eaton and football in April 1972. He sold the shop in 1985 to open the Pegasus Snooker Club in Arnold. Bobby served on the Gedling Borough Council between 2007 and 2011 and worked as a porter for Nottingham University until his retirement.
Bobby remained an occasional visitor to Meadow Lane, acting as a co-commentator to Colin Slater, and took part in player reunions before moving into an Arnold nursing home with his wife in 2022.
We send our condolences to his family and friends following their sad loss.
