# Bobby Davison

Robert Davison (born 17 July 1959) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He began his professional career with Huddersfield Town before spending time at Halifax Town, Derby County (twice), Leeds United, Sheffield United (twice), Leicester City, Rotherham United and Hull City. After he retired from playing he spent time on the coaching staff of a number of clubs, including brief spells as manager of Guiseley and Ferencváros, and is currently youth team coach at Crystal Palace and assistant manager to Noel Blake's England national under-19 football team.

## Playing career

Davison was born in South Shields. started his career at Seaham Colliery Welfare Red Star, before making two appearances for Huddersfield Town between 1980 and 1981. He moved on to Halifax Town on 1 August 1981 and holds a good record 29 goals in 63 appearances. This caught the eye of Derby County and between 1982 and 1987 he made 206 appearances scoring 83 goals, contributing towards their promotion to the Second Division in 1986 and the First Division a year later. He played a total of 206 league games for the Rams, scoring 83 goals and became a Derby legend.
Much to Derby fans' disappointment he was sold for £350,000 to a rebuilding Leeds United squad, managed by Billy Bremner, in November 1987.
Howard Wilkinson succeeded Bremner as Leeds managed in September 1988 and in the subsequent push for promotion Bobby became a cult hero for Leeds due to a high work rate and general rapport with the crowd. His scoring record of 35 times in 110 games is a good one for Leeds at that time. He helped them seal a return to the top flight as they sealed the Second Division title on the last day of the 1989–90 season by beating AFC Bournemouth 1–0 at Dean Court.
However, Davison lost his first team place for the 1990–91 season following the arrival of Lee Chapman, who was established as a top goalscorer. He played just five times in the 1990–91 First Division campaign and scored once as Leeds finished fourth. He managed just two league appearances in the 1991–92 campaign, which Leeds ended as champions. He was loaned back to Derby County (who suffered Second Division playoff disappointment in 1991–92) that season, scoring an impressive eight goals in just 10 league games, but the permanent return to the Baseball Ground never happened.
In 1992, he was released to Leicester City. After helping Leicester come close to achieving promotion to the Premier League, he found himself out of favour with the club, so joined Sheffield United in 1993. Again, after coming close to achieving promotion, he found himself out of favour before joining Rotherham United. After a loan spell at Hull City, Davison returned to Halifax Town, where he made 30 appearances in all competitions, scoring once.

## Coaching career

In February 1998, Davison was appointed player-manager at Guiseley. He offered his resignation in October 2000 after a string of poor results left them dicing with relegation. Davison was Assistant Manager to Colin Todd at Bradford City for three years, he left the club in June 2007 when Stuart McCall brought in Wayne Jacobs. He also had short a short spell coaching Sheffield United.
On 20 February 2008, when Sheffield United announced their takeover of Ferencváros, they also announced the appointment of Davison as an advisory coach to the Hungarian side. On 16 April 2008, after the removal of János Csank, Davison became Ferencváros's new head coach. His first game in charge was a 1–0 victory against Bõcs KSC, and the team went on to win promotion the next season by 17 points. On 30 October 2009, Ferencváros replaced the dismissed Davison with Craig Short.
In November 2010, Davison joined his former club Leeds United as youth team coach.
In December 2012, Davison was appointed head coach at Eccleshill United.

## Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Huddersfield Town | 1980–81 | Third Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Halifax Town | 1981–82 | Fourth Division | 46 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 49 | 21 |
| Halifax Town | 1982–83 | Fourth Division | 17 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 16 |
| Halifax Town | Total | Total | 63 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 72 | 37 |
| Derby County | 1982–83 | Second Division | 26 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 26 | 8 |
| Derby County | 1983–84 | Second Division | 40 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 18 |
| Derby County | 1984–85 | Third Division | 46 | 24 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 26 |
| Derby County | 1985–86 | Third Division | 41 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 23 |
| Derby County | 1986–87 | Second Division | 40 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 22 |
| Derby County | 1987–88 | First Division | 13 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 |
| Derby County | Total | Total | 206 | 83 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 239 | 98 |
| Leeds United | 1987–88 | Second Division | 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 19 | 6 |
| Leeds United | 1988–89 | Second Division | 39 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 45 | 17 |
| Leeds United | 1989–90 | Second Division | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 33 | 11 |
| Leeds United | 1990–91 | First Division | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Leeds United | 1991–92 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Leeds United | Total | Total | 91 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 110 | 35 |
| Derby County (loan) | 1991–92 | Second Division | 10 | 8 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 8 |
| Sheffield United (loan) | 1991–92 | First Division | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 4 |
| Leicester City | 1992–93 | Division One | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 30 | 9 |
| Leicester City | 1993–94 | Division One | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Leicester City | Total | Total | 25 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 31 | 9 |
| Sheffield United | 1993–94 | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 10 | 1 |
| Sheffield United | 1994–95 | Division One | 3 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Sheffield United | Total | Total | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| Rotherham United | 1994–95 | Division Two | 21 | 4 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 25 | 7 |
| Rotherham United | 1995–96 | Division Two | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Rotherham United | Total | Total | 22 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 7 |
| Hull City (loan) | 1995–96 | Division Two | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 12 | 4 |
| Halifax Town | 1996–97 | Football Conference | 25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| Guiseley (loan) | 1996–97 | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 4 | 7 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Guiseley | 1997–98 | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 33 | 15 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 14 | 3 | 49 | 21 |
| Guiseley | 1998–99 | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 21 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 3 | 30 | 9 |
| Guiseley | 1999–00 | Northern Premier League Premier Division | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1 | 18 | 2 |
| Guiseley | 2000–01 | Northern Premier League Division One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| Guiseley | Total | Total | 75 | 29 | 4 | 3 | — | — | 25 | 7 | 104 | 39 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 553 | 199 | 27 | 14 | 32 | 13 | 52 | 18 | 664 | 244 |
* ↑ Appearances in Football League Group Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in Football League Trophy
* 1 2 3 4 5 Appearances in Full Members' Cup
* 1 2 3 Appearances in Anglo-Italian Cup
* ↑ Two appearances in FA Trophy, one appearance in West Riding Senior Cup
* ↑ One appearance in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, one appearance in Northern Premier League President's Cup
* ↑ Seven appearances two goals in Northern Premier League President's Cup, four appearances one goal in West Riding County Cup, two appearances in FA Trophy, one appearance in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup
* ↑ Three appearances one goal in FA Trophy, two appearances two goals in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup, one appearance in Northern Premier League President's Cup, one appearance in West Riding County Cup
* ↑ Appearances in Northern Premier League Challenge Cup

## Honours

Individual
* PFA Team of the Year: 1986–87 Second Division