Bob Bignall
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Bignall | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Wollongong,Australia | ||
| Date of death | 11 August 2013(aged 91) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1935– | Corrimal Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Woonona-Bulli | |||
| 1945 | North Shore | ||
| 1950–1953 | Corrimal | ||
| 1960 | South Coast United | ||
| Career Total: | 424 | ||
| International career | |||
| 1954–1959 | Australia | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Francis "Choc" Bignall(14 March 1922 – 11 August 2013), commonly referred to as Bob Bignall,[1]was an Australiansoccerplayer who was theAustraliacaptain at the1956 Olympic Gamesheld inMelbourne,Australia.[2][3][4][5]Bignall started his career in 1939 and played over 400 matches inNSWforCorrimalRangers,Woonona,North Shore andSouth Coast Unitedas a defender before going on to represent both NSW and national sides as captain in the 1950s.[6][7]He was inducted to the Football Federation of Australia Hall of Fame in 1999.[8]
Playing career
[edit]Bignall played for North Shore in 1945, then the Corrimal Rangers from 1950 to 1953 and forSouth Coast Unitedin 1960 and 1961. All clubs were part of the NSW Division 1.[4]He was a small stature man who had lightning speed and a tenacious will to win.[6]
International career
[edit]Bignall played eight matches for theAustralian national teambetween 1954 and 1956, and he was the 127th player to debut for his nation againstNew Zealandon 28 August 1954. He became the 16th captain of the national team againstSouth Africain Sydney on 24 September 1955. He was also the captain for both of the1956 Summer Olympic games.[7][9]
Later life and death
[edit]After retiring from soccer, Bignall became a greyhound trainer.[10][11]
Bignall died 11 August 2013 at the age of 91.[12]
References
[edit]- ^"Bob Bignall".Olympedia.Retrieved1 December2021.
- ^"Bignell Olympic Soccer Captain".The Sydney Morning Herald.4 October 1956. p. 10.Retrieved25 October2020– via Newspapers.com.
- ^"Bob Bignall Bio, Stats, and Results".Olympics at Sports-Reference.com.Archived fromthe originalon 6 March 2016.Retrieved7 April2016.
- ^ab"Australian Player Database - BI".OzFootball.Retrieved11 June2009.
- ^"FIFA Player Statistics: Robert Bignell".FIFA.Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2012.Retrieved11 June2009.
- ^abStocks, Greg (29 July 2008)."Bob Bignall".OzFootball.Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2012.Retrieved11 June2009.
- ^ab"The Australian national men's football team: caps and captains"(PDF).Football Federation Australia.Retrieved11 June2009– via OzFootball.
- ^"FFA Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame".Football Federation Australia.Retrieved7 April2016.
- ^"Vale Bob Bignall".OzFootball.Archived fromthe originalon 24 March 2015.Retrieved7 April2016.
- ^Dunstan, Ross (25 February 1973)."Champion greyhound untroubled".The Sydney Morning Herald.p. 49.Retrieved25 October2020.
- ^"Former Australia captain dies".The World Game.12 August 2013.Retrieved25 October2020.
- ^"'56 Olympics captain Bob Bignall dies ".Illawarra Mercury.13 August 2013.Retrieved25 October2020.
External links
[edit]- Obituary inGoal Weekly
- Obituary atFootball South Coast
