Bob Iverson

Bob Iverson
Personal information
Full name Robert Iverson
Date of birth (1910-10-17)17 October 1910
Place of birth Folkestone, England
Date of death 19 July 1953(1953-07-19) (aged 42)
Position Wing half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1933–1935 Lincoln City 41 (13)
1935–1937 Wolverhampton Wanderers 35 (7)
1937–1948 Aston Villa 135 (9)
Total 211 (29)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Iverson (17 October 1910 – 19 July 1953) was an English professional footballer best known for his time at Aston Villa. Iverson signed for Villa from Wolves.

On 3 December 1938 Iverson scored a goal against Charlton in the first 9.6 seconds of the match, becoming the League record.

Iverson's career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. In September 1939, he played in Aston Villa's last pre-war game, a 1–0 defeat at Derby County. On 4th September the Government announced a ban on Sport to prevent crowds gathering. Villa's League match away to Wolves was one of over thirty mid-week League fixtures called-off. Villa Park found itself in an evacuation district designated under the British Government's civilian evacuation scheme. The Police Chief Constable of Birmingham, C.C.H Moriarty, intimated that he would not sanction football matches within the city of Birmingham. The Football League's Scheme for War-time football proposed to limit gates to 8,000 in evacuation areas. With their large overheads, the directors of Aston Villa and Sunderland announced their intention to close down. The manager and players were paid off whilst Villa Park was commandeered by the War Office. Villa's players quickly found war-time employment. Iverson engaged in factory work of national importance.

After his Villa career he retired and became reserve/youth-team coach at Villa Park. He was later first team coach and fourth team coach.

References

  1. ↑ Sport of the Day, Daily Echo, 2 January 1946, p3
  2. ↑ Ban on Sport, Birmingham Evening Mail, 4 September 1939, p3
  3. ↑ No Competitive Football, Chronicle, 16 September 1939, p5
  4. ↑ No Football at Villa Park or St Andrews Yet, Evening Despatch, 25 September 1939, p6
  5. ↑ Swindon Advertiser, 10 November 1939, p8
  6. ↑ Big Names in Football that will not be seen in War-Time Liverpool Echo, 30 September 1939, p2
  7. ↑ "'He'd get you doing stepovers' The intriguing story of an unappreciated Aston Villa legend". 26 November 2018. Retrieved 24 December 2021.
  8. ↑ Strong Villa Team, Birmingham Evening Mail, 14 September 1939, p7