Bob came from the Garnock Valley and when he and his wife Lesley came to Kilmarnock in 19 74 they moved to Failford Placs, a neighbourhood ok Club members; -Alex Dillon, Matt Brown, Les Austin and Bill Caven. The “Wardneuk bus” came to the Club every Friday night and Bob soon was part of the Club fabric. On the field, although quite fast, he was the kind of player who, when he passed you the ball, it was a case of, “Go oan yersel.” because he was never there for the return pass. He saved his acceleration for chasing baddies when wearing his constabulary working clothes. But as we all know our club needs more than speedy athletes, it needs characters who contribute to the administration and social side KRFC. Bob did both becoming President and with his seemingly inexhaustible range of stories was a noted contributor to social evenings around the bar and he could almost match his friend the late Tom Meehan in story for story.

When Bob played he was much slimmer, in fact like some before him, and after him he was likened to a skelf of wood. But when he stopped playing he put on some weight. One of Bob’s stories is when he went into an outfitters to hire a kilt, he expressed a doubt to the assistant that they might not have a kilt that would encompass him. The assistant replied that he doubted that they had a cubical big enough to accommodate him.

A genuinely congenial and approachable character he made a multitude of friends in our own Club and many Clubs throughout Scotland. He went on tour abroad and always enjoyed the away internationals in Ireland and made many friends in Eniskerry.

Bob and Lesley moved from Wardneuk to Kay Park Terrace and there raised their family of two boys, David and Alan. Bob joined the Police as a cadet and as usual there was a story. When considering this career move he told me that he said to his father, “Dad, I have half a mind to become a policeman.” His father replied, “Go ahead son, that’s all you need.” So Bob joined at the age of sixteen serving in Irvine and Kilmarnock and getting to know all the characters and villains of the parish. Bob served his time in the police and retired but sadly did not get as long a retirement as he deserved. Sadly, with his passing, reminiscences and tales delivered in his unique style while enjoying a glass of port has been lost.

He will be missed.

Alex Dillon John Campbell