Bob Taylor (footballer, born 1967)

Robert Taylor (born 3 February 1967) is an English former footballer who played as a centre forward.

Known by supporters as "Super Bobby Taylor", "Super Bob" or simply "Super", Taylor scored more than 250 goals in a professional career that comprised almost 750 games in 20 years.

He is West Bromwich Albion's eighth highest goalscorer of all time.

Between 1980 and 1982 the club endured three consecutive relegations, the first club ever to experience this unwanted feat.

He began his professional career at Leeds United, making his debut in 1986 at the age of 19.

In March 1986, after only a few months there, Taylor turned professional by signing for Leeds United, at that time managed by Billy Bremner.

He gradually worked his way into the Leeds first team, making his professional debut against Millwall in the Second Division on 12 April 1986, and was part of the Leeds squad that lost the 1986–87 Division One playoff final, losing to Charlton Athletic in a replay, also reaching the FA Cup semi-finals that season.

By the 1987–88 season he had become a regular in the side.

However, when Howard Wilkinson succeeded Bremner as Leeds manager in 1988, the young centre-forward was no longer considered a regular player, as the new manager looked to make new signings to build a promotion-winning team.

Taylor believed that this was because Wilkinson wanted immediate success, and needed to bring in established, experienced players in order to achieve this.

In 1989, he moved to Bristol City, before joining West Bromwich Albion in 1992.

Thus in March 1989 Taylor moved to Bristol City, with Carl Shutt moving to Leeds as part of the deal.

The signing of Taylor was an important one for Bristol City and its fans.

With Terry Cooper as manager the team regained some stability following promotion from the Fourth Division, but by 1989 the fans were frustrated after several years of austerity and a failure to make the next step into the Second Division.

The signing of Taylor provided them with a long sought-after goal-scoring hero.

Taylor made an instant impact at his new club, scoring eight goals in 12 games during the remainder of the season.

His immediate importance earned him the deferential nickname of 'God' a significance that was noted by the club's influential fanzine The Bountyhunter.

The front cover of its April 1989 issue conveying supporter sentiment by contrasting the signing of Taylor ('Hope') with the club's board members ('Hopeless').

In 1989–90, his first full season at City, he helped the club achieve promotion to Division Two.

Taylor finished as Division Three leading goalscorer with 27 league goals (34 in total) and was also named Bristol City Player of the Year.

Although the following season proved to be less prolific for Taylor, it was nevertheless a major surprise when Bristol City agreed to sell Taylor to West Bromwich Albion – who were in the Third Division, while City were in the Second Division.

Such was the backlash against manager Jimmy Lumsden following the sale that he was dismissed by the club shortly after, to be replaced by Denis Smith.

Initially nicknamed "Trigger" (due to a perceived resemblance to the character in the television comedy Only Fools and Horses), Taylor soon became known as "Super Bob", a moniker he was first given by fans of Bristol City during his spell there, and scored eight times in 19 games during the second half of 1991–92, although Albion missed out on the playoffs.

Gould then left the club and was replaced by Ossie Ardiles.

It was Albion manager Bobby Gould who brought him to The Hawthorns for a £300,000 fee in January 1992 to boost Albion's Third Division promotion challenge.

Taylor was seen as a replacement for Don Goodman, who had been sold to Sunderland earlier in the season.

Taylor scored on his debut against Brentford in a 2–0 Hawthorns win, and added another two on his away debut as Albion beat local rivals Birmingham City 3–0 at St Andrew's.

During the 1992–93 season, Taylor capitalised fully on the attacking football Albion played under new manager Ossie Ardiles, finishing as Division Two's top goalscorer with 30 league goals, and scoring 37 in all competitions.

This was despite having a succession of different strike partners throughout the season, including Simon Garner, Luther Blissett, David Speedie and even midfielder Gary Robson.

However, when Andy Hunt arrived at Albion in March 1993, he and Taylor quickly forged a successful striking partnership that would last for several seasons.

Hunt and Taylor were part of the Baggies team that beat Port Vale at Wembley in the Division Two playoff final, to secure promotion to Division One.

In the second half, with the game still goalless, Taylor was through on goal when he was brought down by former Leeds teammate Peter Swan.

Swan's subsequent dismissal proved to be the turning point in the game, with Hunt scoring the first goal in a 3–0 victory.

Taylor signed for Bolton Wanderers in 1998 following two successful loans spells at the club, but in 2000 returned to West Bromwich Albion, where he remained for a further three seasons.

He then moved to Cheltenham Town before ending his career at non-league sides Tamworth and Kidderminster Harriers.

Taylor, the son of a miner, was born in Littlethorpe Hospital in Easington, and brought up in the small mining community of nearby Horden.

He attended Dene House School in Peterlee, where he proved to be a useful cricketer.

He was also a successful schoolboy footballer and captained his school team; he played initially at full-back, but later became a striker, the position he would go on to play for his entire professional career.

Taylor had unsuccessful trials at both Hartlepool United and Newcastle United.

At the age of 17 he joined his local non-league club, Horden Colliery Welfare.