Bobby Howfield

{{short description|English player of association football and American football}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Bobby Howfield

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1936|12|03|df=y}}

| birth_place = Watford, England

| module={{infobox football biography|embed=y

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| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = 1957 | youthclubs1 = Millwall

| years1 = 1957–1959 | caps1 = 47 | goals1 = 9 | clubs1 = Watford

| years2 = 1959 | caps2 = 5 | goals2 = 0 | clubs2 = Crewe Alexandra

| years3 = 1959–1962 | caps3 = 76 | goals3 = 44 | clubs3 = Aldershot

| years4 = 1962–1963 | caps4 = 45 | goals4 = 13 | clubs4 = Watford

| years5 = 1963–1965 | caps5 = 26 | goals5 = 9 | clubs5 = Fulham

| years6 = 1965 | caps6 = ? | goals6 = ? | clubs6 = New York Americans

| years7 = 1965–1967 | caps7 = 34 | goals7 = 10 | clubs7 = Aldershot

| years8 = 1967–1968 | caps8 = ? | goals8 = ? | clubs8 = Chelmsford City

}}

|module2={{Infobox CFL biography|embed=y

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| position1 = Placekicker

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| playing_years1 = 1968–1970

| playing_team1 = Denver Broncos

| playing_years2 = 1971–1974

| playing_team2 = New York Jets

| career_highlights =

| DatabaseFootball = HOWFIBOB01

}}}}

Robert Michael Howfield (born 3 December 1936) is an English former professional sportsman who played both association football and American football.{{cite book |last=Jones |first=Trefor |title=The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who |publisher=T.G Jones |location=Surrey |year=1996|pages=125|isbn=0-9527458-0-1}}

Early and personal life

Howfield was born in Watford. His son Ian Howfield kicked for the Houston Oilers in 1991.

Career

=Association football=

Howfield played as a forward, known for his volatility. Howfield began his association football career with local side Bushey F.C., before signing amateur terms with Millwall in May 1957. He became a professional with Watford in September 1957, playing for the club until July 1959, when he moved to Crewe Alexandra. In October 1959, however, he moved to Aldershot, where his 23 league goals in the 1961–62 season were a club record for a number of years. He played for the club until July 1962 when he returned to Watford for a "substantial fee".

Howfield moved to Fulham in November 1965 for £6000, having made 101 appearances and scored 25 goals in his two spells with the club. He scored three goals for Fulham in the last ten goal performance by a top-flight club.

During 1965 Howfield went to play with the New York Americans of the International Soccer League. He returned to Aldershot in August 1965, playing for the Hampshire club until 1967, before playing non-League football with Chelmsford City.[http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player/bobbyhowfield.html Post War English & Scottish Football League A - Z Player's Transfer Database]

=American football=

Known for his powerful kicks, Howfield returned to America to take up American football as a placekicker. Between 1968 and 1970 he played for the Denver Broncos. Following the 1970 season, the Broncos traded Howfield to the New York Jets for Jim Turner.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/01/28/archives/jets-send-turner-to-broncos-for-howfield-in-deal-for-kicking.html |title=Jets Send Turner to Broncos for Howfield in Deal for Kicking Specialists - The New York Times |publisher=Nytimes.com |date=28 January 1971 |accessdate=13 June 2023}} He played for the Jets until 1974.

Later life

After his retirement from sport, Howfield worked in the insurance department of a Denver bank, and he still lives close to the city.[http://www.wfc.net/watn.htm Where are they now?], wfc.net