Robert Francis "Choc" Bignall (14 March 1922 – 11 August 2013), commonly referred to as Bob Bignall,[1] was an Australian soccer player who was the Australia captain at the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia.[2][3][4][5] Bignall started his career in 1939 and played over 400 matches in NSW for Corrimal Rangers, Woonona, North Shore and South Coast United as a defender before going on to represent both NSW and national sides as captain in the 1950s.[6][7] He was inducted to the Football Federation of Australia Hall of Fame in 1999.[8]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Bignall | ||
| Date of birth | 14 March 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Wollongong, Australia | ||
| Date of death | 11 August 2013 (aged 91) | ||
| Position(s) | Right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1935– | Corrimal Rangers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Woonona-Bulli | |||
| 1945 | North Shore | ||
| 1950–1953 | Corrimal | ||
| 1960 | South Coast United | ||
| Career Total: | 424 | ||
| International career | |||
| 1954–1959 | Australia | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editBignall played for North Shore in 1945, then the Corrimal Rangers from 1950 to 1953 and for South Coast United in 1960 and 1961. All clubs were part of the NSW Division 1.[4] He was a small stature man who had lightning speed and a tenacious will to win.[6]
International career
editBignall played eight matches for the Australian national team between 1954 and 1956, and he was the 127th player to debut for his nation against New Zealand on 28 August 1954. He became the 16th captain of the national team against South Africa in Sydney on 24 September 1955. He was also the captain for both of the 1956 Summer Olympic games.[7][9]
Later life and death
editAfter retiring from soccer, Bignall became a greyhound trainer.[10][11]
Bignall died 11 August 2013 at the age of 91.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Bob Bignall". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Bignell Olympic Soccer Captain". The Sydney Morning Herald. 4 October 1956. p. 10. Retrieved 25 October 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bob Bignall Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ a b "Australian Player Database - BI". OzFootball. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- ^ "FIFA Player Statistics: Robert Bignell". FIFA. Archived from the original on 2 November 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b Stocks, Greg (29 July 2008). "Bob Bignall". OzFootball. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
- ^ a b "The Australian national men's football team: caps and captains" (PDF). Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 11 June 2009 – via OzFootball.
- ^ "FFA Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ "Vale Bob Bignall". OzFootball. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
- ^ Dunstan, Ross (25 February 1973). "Champion greyhound untroubled". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 49. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "Former Australia captain dies". The World Game. 12 August 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
- ^ "'56 Olympics captain Bob Bignall dies". Illawarra Mercury. 13 August 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
External links
edit- Obituary in Goal Weekly
- Obituary at Football South Coast