Football League Second Division winner 1966–67
If heart and soul were the main criteria for success then Cov kid Bobby would have played for his country many times. What he lacked in finesse and style he made up for with his bustling, gutsy performances as one of the bravest Coventry City centre-forwards. Jimmy Hill gave him his debut in 1963 and had faith in Bobby when the fans criticised his early fumbling displays.
In 1966 Hill sold the fans’ hero George Hudson and Gould had the unenviable task of replacing ‘The Hud’. The barracking continued but Bobby’s persistence paid off and he confounded his critics in 1966-67 by heading the Second Division’s scorers with 24 goals. As City ground down the opposition on the way to promotion in the spring of 1967 he scored ten goals in ten games during a 24-game unbeaten run.
His arrival in the First Division was stunning as he came off the bench to score two goals in a 3-3 draw against Nottingham Forest. Eight goals in 14 games in the top flight convinced Arsenal to pay £90,000 for him in January 1968. After a nomadic playing career that saw him play for nine clubs, Gould had two spells as manager of the Sky Blues with mixed results but he successfully led Wimbledon to the FA Cup in 1988.
Hat tricks (2)
1966-67
17 December 1966 v Ipswich Town H, Division Two
1967-68
16 December 1967 v Burnley H, Division One
Playing honours
Football League Second Division winner 1976–77 with Wolverhampton Wanderers
FA Cup winner 1974–75 with West Ham United
Managerial honours
FA Cup winner 1987–88 with Wimbledon

