*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Bob Grover
Appearances: 11 Goals: 0
Clean Sheets: 0
Date / Year of birth: 14th August 1964
Position: Goalkeeper
Season of first appearance: 1986/87
Season of last appearance: 1988/89
Also played for: Gillingham (0), Maidstone United, Sheppey United, Gravesend & Northfleet, Chatham Town, Sittingbourne, Dover Athletic, Whitstable Town, Teynham & Lynsted and Borden Village
Much-travelled keeper born in Teynham, near Sittingbourne who started his career with Gillingham in 1978 and played for the club's youth and reserve teams before joining Maidstone in 1980.
Bob played for the Stones' reserve side prior to joining Sheppey in 1981 and becoming their first-choice keeper.
In 1983 Bob signed for Gravesend & Northfleet and made five first team appearances for the Fleet during the 1982/83 season.
Bob then played for Sheppey and Chatham during the 1983/84 season before linking up with Sittingbourne for the 1984/85 campaign. He also made two appearances for Dover early in the 1985/86 season.
Bob then returned to Sittingbourne once more and in November 1986 he joined Thanet United as a replacement for Glen Porter who was himself deputising for the injured Joe Radford. Bob made his debut in a Kent Senior Cup tie at Ashford on 11.11.86 and was kept busy as United went down 3-0. He kept his place for Thanet's next match, away to Poole on 15.11.86, and played a starring role in a 2-1 win. The Thanet Times' report for the game was headlined "Agile Grover defies Poole strike force" and went on to say that Bob was the "hero of the afternoon...who pulled off a string of fine saves". They included a full length diving stop to prevent what looked like a certain goal in the opening minutes. The Isle of Thanet Gazette said that Bob had "created a good impression" and showed "considerable potential". Thanet manager John Wickens said that Bob was "settling in well" but after he'd made five consecutive appearances, the last in a 3-2 defeat at Woodford on 26.11.86, Radford returned from injury to reclaim his first team place and Bob left the club.
He went back to Sittingbourne once more and then had a spell with Whitstable before joining Chatham for the 1987/88 season.
In October 1988 Bob rejoined Thanet on loan from Chatham, again as cover for the injured Radford, and his first game back was a 2-2 draw at Ruislip on 29.10.88. The Adscene said that Bob "saw plenty of action" in United's next match - a 2-1 home defeat against Trowbridge on 5.11.88 - but a few days later he had to miss a Southern League Cup tie against Dover due to being cup-tied. He returned to the side for a 6-2 thrashing at Tonbridge on 12.11.88 but then went back to Chatham as Radford was fit again.
In January 1989 Bob rejoined United for a third spell, this time because Radford was suspended for three matches. Bob made his second 'debut' of the 1988/89 season on 21.1.89 as Thanet lost 4-0 at home to Andover and it was a game of contrasting fortunes for him. After making a point-blank save early on Bob allowed an inswinging corner to float over his head and into the net and later made what the Thanet Times called "two daring saves" before being lobbed from 25 yards for Andover's fourth goal. A week later United lost 6-2 at Witney and the Adscene said that Bob was "constantly in action, making save after save". On 4.2.89 he made his sixth appearance of the season, and his last for the club, as Thanet entertained Bury at Hartsdown. The visitors won 2-0 and the Thanet Times blamed Bob for their first goal, saying it was "virtually a replica of one he gave to Andover a fortnight earlier". Again it was an inswinging corner that deceived Bob, the ball slipping through his hands to give a Bury player a tap-in.
After leaving Chatham in the summer of 1990 Bob joined Dover for the 1990/91 season and he later dropped into amateur football, playing for Teynham & Lynsted from 1991/92 to 1993/94 and turning out for Borden Village from 1994/95 to 1997/98.
Bob retired in 1998 and in 2004 he was working for a paper production company called the UPM-Kymmene Group. By 2006 he had moved on to Burgo, an Italian paper company.
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
EFC | |
|
1986/87 (TUFC) |
5 (53) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (10TH OF 20) |
PR |
1QR |
GR |
1R |
GR |
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
FAC |
FAT |
SLC |
KSC |
||
|
1988/89 (TUFC) |
6 (52) |
0 |
0 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE SOUTHERN DIV. (20TH OF 22) |
2QR |
2QR |
2R |
1R |