PRIMROSE BLOSSOMS AT 74

Happy Birthday Bob Wilson (74) and Diego Maradona (55). Let's talk about Robert (Bob) Primrose Wilson OBE, born in Chesterfield  and was an alumnus of the local Grammar School. As a teenager his father insisted on his academic career which meant he missed the chance of signing for Manchester United.
Bob's Scottish mother followed the tradition of giving the child her maiden name as a middle name! Bob was awarded his OBE in 2007 for his services to a Cancer Charity he runs called The Willow Foundation, which helps sufferers of malignant schwannoma, an illness his daughter died from at the age of 32 in 1998.
He came from a large family which suffered the sad war time deaths of two brothers, one shot down in a Spitfire and the other killed a s rear gunner in a Lancaster.
He went to Loughborough, studied history and physical education and I believe wrote a dissertation on the swerve of a football.
At 6' Wilson was not a big goalkeeper but he played in three Arsenal double winning teams, appeared over 230 times between 1963-74 and was renowned for his bravery, especially when diving at forwards' feet head first. He only played twice for Scotland in 1971.
He also had a short spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers in their reserves up till 1963 and after his playing career finished he was the Arsenal goalkeeping coach for 28 years until 2003, when he retired and continued a successful career in broadcasting.