Former footballer Bob Wilson: ‘There’s a 50ft Bob Wilson. I hope they don’t remove me!’
The Arsenal legend pondered his legacy with Robert Elms in 2011.
Bob Wilson was born in Chesterfield in 1941 to a middle class family; his father was an engineer and surveyor, and his mother was a magistrate.
He came relatively late to professional football, his father believing it to be ‘not a reasonable job’. Bob went to university to train as a teacher - a career that temporarily overlapped with playing.
It was in July 1963 that Bob signed for Arsenal, a club he ended up playing for for eleven years. In 1971, he was Arsenal's player of the year in their Double-winning season, culminating in the famous ‘71 FA Cup win over Liverpool.
After retiring, he entered broadcasting, notably co-presenting Match of the Day alongside Jimmy Hill. Later, he became a coach, helping Arsenal to their subsequent double wins in 1998 and 2002.
This episode from our archive was released in the week Arsenal were crowned Champions of the Premier League - their first in 22 years.
Robert Elms found out about Bob Wilson’s favourite haunts, memories and pet hates in 2011.
