Bobby McKinlay - a Portrait of Loyalty


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A few words about a much admired former local stalwart of the Forest rearguard, Bobby McKinlay.

I as a young laddie I but caught the last part of a Bobby's excellent career at the City Ground, nevertheless one of those seasons being the highly significant and exciting one of 1966/7. There will be many here that saw much more of him over his years of sterling service for the Reds and I'd be interested in thoughts.

Still much revered by many, he appeared the most decent of men and a most player for the club he played for.

Bobby McKinlay - a Portrait of Loyalty

bob-mckinlay-nottingham-forest-1967.jpg?

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Saw him play many times in that era Stu !

As an apprentice motor mechanic in the '60s the first garage I worked at was the Cleveland place as you dropped down Wollaton Street in Nottingham. (not there anymore) He leased the garage before the firm I worked for took it over.

That garage never did any good, I always knew then that Bob McKinlay was no fool when it came to money ! Could be being a scot I suppose. hellothere

Met him a few times, top man.

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I wasn't as interested in football as some other Nottstalgians, and I didn't go to many matches, but I saw him play several times at the City Ground in the mid 60s as a member of the Joe Baker-Ian Moore-Peter Grummitt era team.

And for some reason I don't remember, he once came to my junior school and I got his autograph. Just about the only autograph I ever had.

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He worked at Lowdham Grange in the late 70's and I had many a drink with him as I knew some of the other officers there through rugby. You would never have guessed he had been a footballer as he seemed too middle class.

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Bobby was in my opinion the greatest servant to Forest ever...........saw him countless times........took over as centre half from Horace Gager in the 50s,he came to the first Bulwell Redfearn (schools) final in 1956 with Jimmy Barrett and Jack Burkitt on St Albans rd,,whwere as an 11yr old i had the honour of shaking his hand beefore kick-off.

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I started going to watch Forest in 1958 and always had total confidence in Bob at the heart of the defence, likewise with Stuart Imlach in attack. If I recall Bob's one and only booking was towards the end of his career and I remember the horror with which that was greeted.

We always seemed to have a good squad of Anglos in those days.

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. If I recall Bob's one and only booking was towards the end of his career and I remember the horror with which that was greeted.

There'a a mention of his first booking in the blog. It involves another Forest legend!

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A friend mentioned to to me that Bobby would bring a big box of apples in the boot of his car to training sessions and allow each youngster that lined up for an autograph one each! He'd instruct them not to take a bruised one! Perhaps Bobby had access to an orchard somewhere.

Can you imagine some of the modern game's conceited and self-centred individuals doing something like that?

Interested to hear more about his strengths and abilities on the pitch. I do remember him but was quite young. I know that many have said that he could count himself unfortunate not to have earned international honours. He seemed very dependable and consistent, not only in the amount of consecutive games he played but also in play during the game.

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As a young un I went to the Forest home games with either my dad or granddad and was always "passed to the wall" in the east stand on the 18 yard line at the kop end. Saw Bobby McKinlay many many times and was there at his testimonial against Glasgow Celtic in 1965?

My memories of McKinlay were his ability to read the game and look unhurried in almost all that he did. I remember one game when the ball was played forward and was going over Bob's head so he reached up and caught it, immediately placed it on the ground for the free kick and retired to the goal line. It was the only obvious professional foul that I saw Bobby McKinlay commit. It would have got him booked today.

Research shows that the only time he got booked was for a foul on Joe Baker, an Arsenal player at the time..........Bob disagreed with the referee's decision and kicked the ball into the crowd.

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Unsung hero, one team man he never seemed to panic and played against some top players. Law Charlton,Greaves etc

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