Bobby Davidson
{{Infobox football official
| name = Robert Holley "Bobby" Davidson
| image = File:Bobby Davidson.jpg
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| caption = Davidson in 1969
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1928|07|19|df=y}}
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|1992|12|17|1928|07|19|df=y}}
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| otheroccupation = football referee
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{{Short description|Scottish football referee}}
{{for|the Scottish footballer|Bobby Davidson (footballer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
Robert Holley "Bobby" Davidson (19 July 1928 – 17 December 1992){{cite web |url=https://eu-football.info/_referee.php?id=519 |title=Bobby Davidson, international football referee |website=eu-football.info |access-date=3 November 2021}} was a Scottish football referee who also operated for FIFA.
Career
He was Scotland's representative at the 1962, 1970 and 1974 World Cups. He additionally took charge of the match between England and the Rest of the World in October 1963 which celebrated the centenary of The Football Association, and refereed the 1975 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final between Dynamo Kiev and Ferencváros.
Davidson refereed four matches over his World Cup career; two games in 1962, and a single game in each of the other competitions. In the 1962 tournament in Chile, he took charge of the Group B match between Italy and West Germany on 31 May 1962, plus West Germany against Chile on 6 June 1962, in the same group.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1962/wc62groupb.html 1962 World Cup], Group B matches: PlanetWorldCup.com website. He was also one of the linesmen during the Final between Brazil and Czechoslovakia on 17 June 1962 at the Estadio Nacional, Santiago under referee Nikolay Latyshev.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A759828 The Finals of the 1962 World Cup], BBC.
The match he handled in 1970 was the group stage tie between Uruguay and Israel on 2 June 1970.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1970/groupb_uru_v_isr.html 1970 World Cup group match], Uruguay v. Israel (referee): PlanetWorldCup.com website. He was also a linesman for the group match involving the Soviet Union versus Belgium on 6 June 1970,[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1970/groupa_sov_v_bel.html 1970 World Cup group match], Soviet Union v. Belgium (linesman): PlanetWorldCup.com website. and again for the quarter-final on 14 June 1970, when Uruguay beat the Soviet Union 1–0.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1970/qf_sov_v_uru.html 1970 World Cup quarter-final], Soviet Union v. Uruguay (linesman): PlanetWorldCup.com website.
In Germany four years later, he refereed the Netherlands against Argentina in a second phase group game on 29 June 1974.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1974/ph2gr1_hol_v_arg.html 1974 World Cup second phase], the Netherlands v. Argentina (referee): PlanetWorldCup.com website. He was linesman for Poland against Argentina in a group game on 15 June 1974,[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1974/groupd_pol_v_arg.html 1974 World Cup group match], Poland v. Argentina (linesman): PlanetWorldCup.com website. and also for Chile versus East Germany in another group match played on 18 June 1974.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1974/groupa_chi_v_gdr.html 1974 World Cup group match], Chile v. East Germany (linesman): PlanetWorldCup.com website. In addition, Davidson was a linesman during the second phase group match between the Netherlands and Brazil on 3 July 1974.[http://www.planetworldcup.com/CUPS/1974/ph2gr1_hol_v_bra.html 1974 World cup second phase], the Netherlands v. Brazil (linesman): PlanetWorldCup.com website.
Before the 1974 Final there was much speculation in the Scottish press that he would referee the final, some suggesting this as a sort of 'consolation prize' for Scotland being eliminated from that year's tournament without losing a game.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} The final was actually refereed by England's Jack Taylor.
Bobby Davidson later became a director and honorary chairman of Airdrieonians and served on the Scottish league management committee. He died on 23 December 1993, at the age of 65.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{WorldReferee.com}}
- {{WorldFootball.net referee}}
- {{EU-Football.info referee}}
{{s-start}}
{{succession box
|title=UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final Referees
|before=UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final 1974
{{flagicon|NED}} Arie van Gemert
|after=UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final 1976
{{flagicon|FRA}} Robert Wurtz
|years=Final 1975
{{flagicon|SCO}} Bobby Davidson}}
{{s-end}}
{{1970 FIFA World Cup referees}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davidson, Bobby}}
Category:Scottish football referees
Category:1974 FIFA World Cup referees
Category:1970 FIFA World Cup referees
Category:1962 FIFA World Cup referees