My Black and White Hero: Bobby Cumming

By: Brazilnut
Date: 04/11/2001

BEFORE Psycho Pearce there was Bobby. This man was Grimsby Town Through and Through, after years of having the older members of the family talking in hushed tone about Norman Hunter, Nobby Stiles, Tommy Smith and Chopper Harris.

I finally found my own hero, left back, left wing, centre back or just let's just kick 'em in midfield, Bob would play any position. When the crowd went quiet, when the opposition got on top, if someone tried to be clever then Bob went in, never out and out dirty just hard, just committed, just follow through ball - turf, leg or ref, what ever was required Bob took them along with him.

I was sure Bob was out to do it just for me: if I was in the Main stand then the tackle would put them back in the dug out. When I was in the Barrett he would have them flying into the half time score boards that were there at the time and when standing in the Pontoon the forward would be sent flying into the back of the net. Always he would look into the crowd, find me and do the business right in front so I got a perfect view.

My Dad (what does he know) always said "I would never have Bobby in the team" just because he thought he wasn't a team player and was always suspended too much. I would tell him if he didn't leave him alone I would tell Bobby - even having daydreams of Sir Bob sliding into our front room to dispatch my dad off his high horse and over the telly.

Many a Town player wouldn't have taken to the field without Bobby by their side. Many an opposition player would have walked off the pitch without limping if Bobby hadn't been there

Bob could score too. Not the boring goals, not the tap-ins but the spectacular and the important goals, like against Huddersfield when he was returning from a long injury lay off. He would galvanise the team and pitch in with a couple himself in a 5-0 victory which had the crowd chanting "Bobby is back"

Bobby was always an inspiration. I even named my budgie after him which due to the fact he had no tail feathers, he couldn't fly, but he was still hard. Bobby (the budgie) was one night out of his cage on the floor when my brother came in drunk and stood on him. That was the end of the budgie, no one ever stood on Bobby the player and got away with it

He was my Hero.