Bobby Prentice

{{Short description|Scottish footballer (1953–2019)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=December 2016}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Bobby Prentice

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1953|9|27|df=y}}

| birth_place = Douglas Water, Scotland

| height =

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|09|16|1953|9|27|df=y}}

| death_place = Scotland

| position = Outside left

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Newtongrange Star

| youthyears2 = 1971–1973 | youthclubs2 = Celtic

| years1 = 1973–1979 | caps1 = 145 | goals1 = 12 | clubs1 = Heart of Midlothian

| years2 = 1979–1981 | caps2 = 29 | goals2 = 0 | clubs2 = Toronto Blizzard

| years3 = 1980–81 | caps3 = 18 | goals3 = 28 | clubs3 = Toronto Blizzard (indoor)

| years4 = 1981–1983 | caps4 = 59 | goals4 = 24 | clubs4 = Baltimore Blast (indoor)

| years5 = 1984 | caps5 = 21 | goals5 = 3 | clubs5 = Buffalo Stallions (indoor)

| nationalyears1 = 1974 | nationalteam1 = Scottish League XI{{Cite web | url=http://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/rabprentice.html |title = Rab Prentice - Scotland Football League Record from 20 Mar 1974 to 20 Mar 1974 clubs - Heart of Midlothian}}

| nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Bobby Prentice (27 September 1953 – 16 September 2019){{cite news |url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/latest-hearts-news/a-real-personality-player-hearts-mourn-passing-of-cult-hero-bobby-prentice-1-5005584/amp |title=Bobby Prentice, Hearts legend who played over 200 games, dies at 65 |newspaper=Edinburgh Evening News |first=Joel |last=Sked |date=17 September 2019 |access-date=17 September 2019 |archive-date=28 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828170619/https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/latest-hearts-news/a-real-personality-player-hearts-mourn-passing-of-cult-hero-bobby-prentice-1-5005584/amp |url-status=dead }} was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an outside left.

Prentice started his senior career with Celtic, but did not make a league appearance for the club. He joined Hearts on 18 August 1973. Bobby made 209 appearances for Hearts, his last on 28 April 1979. He scored 20 goals for the club and was noted as a fast outside left.{{Cite web|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/prenticebobby.html|title=Bobby Prentice - Hearts Career - from 04 Aug 1973 to 28 Apr 1979|access-date=22 May 2010|archive-date=30 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730113833/https://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/prenticebobby.html|url-status=dead}} Prentice then played for Toronto Blizzard for three seasons from 1979 to 1981 (0 goals in 29 appearances), plus one indoor season (28 goals in 18 appearances). After playing indoor football for Baltimore Blast from 1981 to 1983 (24 goals in 59 appearances) and Buffalo Stallions in 1984 (3 goals in 21 appearances), Prentice returned to Scotland in 1984 and lived in Dalkeith.{{cite web |url=https://www.heartsfc.co.uk/news/article/bobby-prentice |title=Bobby Prentice |first=David |last=Speed |website=www.heartsfc.co.uk |publisher=Heart of Midlothian FC |date=17 September 2019 |access-date=17 September 2019}}

He played for Scotland under-23s on four occasions, scoring in a match against Denmark.{{cite web |url=http://mikegsmith.webs.com/heartslegends.htm |title=Mike Smith | A Fortysomething Hearts Supporter |access-date=22 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100512082445/http://mikegsmith.webs.com/heartslegends.htm |archive-date=12 May 2010 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu23/player.php?playerid=203 |title=Bobby Prentice |work=www.fitbastats.com |access-date=13 October 2012}}