GoS-DB Players

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Greens on Screen started its life in 1999 before many of the football sites that we are familiar with today, including Plymouth Argyle's own official site. Greens on Screen is dedicated to the sights, sounds and history of Plymouth Argyle Football club. It is owned and run by the Plymouth Argyle Heritage Archive, a charity dedicated to the promotion, preservation, and display of the heritage of our great football club.

The site owes its existence to Steve Dean.Without Steve's dedication and commitment for over 25 years, GoS would not exist and be the valued and loved resource for all football fans that it is today. The site is truly the envy of many clubs, and we owe a huge debt to Steve for his tireless work, and continued support behind the scenes.

Greens on Screen's first page was published in January 1999. Its early purpose was to bring Plymouth Argyle a little closer to those unable to see their team, and whilst it has changed a great deal over the years, its core themes - sights and sounds for Westcountry exiles - still stand. The site was very lucky to take on the content of Trevor Scallan's Semper Viridis in the summer of 2007, and in 2009 launched GoS-DB, a wealth of facts and figures from PAFC's history. A year later, we embarked on a complete history of Argyle, with much-valued contributions from chapter authors. Greens on Screen was taken over by its new custodians, The Argyle Archive, in 2024.

Greens on Screen is an amateur website and proud of it. It is run by a team of volunteers from the Plymouth Argyle Heritage Archive (Argyle Archive). Without the hard work and much-valued contributions of these volunteers, running the site would not be possible. Greens on Screen is self-taught and as a result, a little bit quirky.

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Plymouth Argyle Heritage Archive.
April 2024

Can you help? This page is the result of the best endeavours of all concerned. If you spot a mistake or know of facts to add, or have a better photo, please get in touch using 'Contact Us' (top, right).

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BOB PRESTON

Full Name: Robert Preston

Born: 15 July 1895

Came from: Torquay United Went to: Torquay United

First game: 01 September 1923 Last game: 05 May 1928

Appearances: 147 (147/0) Goals: 3

Born in Loanhead, in Midlothian itself, to the south of Edinburgh, the half-back was initially on the books, aptly, of Heart of Midlothian from 1914, but military service took him away from the club for five years.

He had originally signed for Hearts from local non-league and fellow maroon-wearing side, Bathgate. In November 1914 he was among a group of Hearts players who volunteered to join a new battalion of the Royal Scots formed by Sir George McCrae (a textile merchant and MP). They were known as McCrae's Battalion and also the 2nd Edinburgh Pals Battalion and (officially) as the 16th Battalion Royal Scots. So, it was only on his return from service, in 1919 that he made his debut in the Scottish League First Division. In total, he made 127 appearances, many of which as captain, and scored nine times for Hearts. He had also been rewarded with a benefit match versus Leeds United at Tynecastle on 26th September 1921, which drew a crowd of 8,500. He remained with the club until the 1922-23 season.

Preston then moved south, to England, to play for Torquay United for the 1922-23 season - then a newly elected Southern League side. Whilst the number of appearances he made that season is unknown, with him sitting front row and centre in that season's team photo, he would have almost certainly been captain. However, given his pedigree in Scotland and with Argyle in search of a replacement for Jack Hill, Bob Jack soon snapped him up and brought him to Home Park in 1923. And so began five years of excellent service to the club, first at centre-half and then at wing-half after the emergence of Jack Pullen and Fred McKenzie. Ending his time with Argyle just short of 150 appearances in all competitions, Preston returned to Torquay United in 1928 - by then a Football League team - for his final spell in league football, making 15 appearances back at Plainmoor in the 1928-29 campaign.

He then had two seasons in non-League with Welsh club Llanelly, before moving to the Republic of Ireland where he played and started coaching with Bray Unknowns in the 1931-32 season, before later being on the books of both Shelbourne and Sligo Rovers. He also went on to have a brief spell as manager (player-coach) of Sligo, from 1934-35. He was Rovers' coach for their first full season as a League of Ireland club after being elected to the league, at the June 1934 AGM, along with Waterford.

After his footballing days were over he remained in Ireland, as a publican, where he sadly died, in May 1945, aged just 49.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION

If you can add to this profile, perhaps with special memories, a favourite story or the results of your original research, please contribute here.

APPEARANCE DETAILS [reselect competitions]

The details below reflect appearances in all first-team competitions.

I'm very grateful to many who have helped write GoS-DB's player pen-pictures, and to Dave Rowntree, the PAFC Media Team and Colin Parsons for their help with photos. Thanks also to staff at the National Football Museum, the Scottish Football Museum and ScotlandsPeople for their valuable assistance.

The following publications have been particularly valuable in the research of pen-pictures: Plymouth Argyle, A Complete Record 1903-1989 (Brian Knight, ISBN 0-907969-40-2); Plymouth Argyle, 101 Golden Greats (Andy Riddle, ISBN 1-874287-47-3); Football League Players' Records 1888-1939 (Michael Joyce, ISBN 1-899468-67-6); Football League Players' Records 1946-1988 (Barry Hugman, ISBN 1-85443-020-3) and Plymouth Argyle Football Club Handbooks.

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