# Bob Bonthron

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**Robert Pollock Bonthron** (14 July 1880 – 19 February 1947) was a Scottish professional [footballer](/source/Association_football) who played as a [right-back](/source/Defender_(association_football)#Full-back) for [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.), [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.) and [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham_City_F.C.) in [the Football League](/source/The_Football_League).[3]

Bonthron was born in [Burntisland](/source/Burntisland), [Fife](/source/Fife).[1] He played for [Raith Rovers](/source/Raith_Rovers_F.C.) and [Dundee](/source/Dundee_F.C.) before joining [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.) in May 1903.[3][4] He helped them to [promotion](/source/Promotion_and_relegation) to the [First Division](/source/Football_League_First_Division) in the [1905–06 season](/source/1905-06_in_English_football) and made a total of 134 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring three goals.[5]

Bonthron was a combative player and during the promotion season was at the centre of a serious incident after Manchester United's match at [Bradford City](/source/Bradford_City_A.F.C.). His treatment of Bradford player [Jimmy Conlin](/source/James_Conlin) during the match enraged the crowd, and after the game Bonthron was attacked by home supporters.[6] Criminal charges followed against the perpetrators and a [Football Association](/source/The_Football_Association) (FA) inquiry resulted in the temporary closure of Bradford City's [Valley Parade](/source/Valley_Parade) ground.[7][6]

He joined [Sunderland](/source/Sunderland_A.F.C.) in May 1907, playing 24 games,[8] before moving on the following year to [Northampton Town](/source/Northampton_Town_F.C.), with whom he won the [Southern League](/source/Southern_Football_League) championship in the [1908–09 season](/source/1908-09_in_English_football).[9][10] He spent the [1910–11 season](/source/1910-11_in_English_football) with [Birmingham](/source/Birmingham_City_F.C.) before returning to Scotland with [Airdrieonians](/source/Airdrieonians_F.C._(1878)) and [Leith Athletic](/source/Leith_Athletic_F.C.).[3]

## Personal life

Bonthron served as a [lance corporal](/source/Lance_corporal) in the [Gordon Highlanders](/source/Gordon_Highlanders) and the [Labour Corps](/source/Labour_Corps_(United_Kingdom)) during the [First World War](/source/First_World_War).[1]

He was married to Grace Reid. He died at [Edinburgh Royal Infirmary](/source/Edinburgh_Royal_Infirmary), aged 66.[11]

## Honours

**Raith Rovers**

- [Northern League](/source/Northern_Football_League_(Scotland)): 1901–02[12]

## References

1. ["Robert Pollock Bonthron | Service Record | Football and the First World War"](http://www.footballandthefirstworldwar.org/robert-bonthron-service-record/). *Football and the First World War*. Retrieved 26 April 2017.

1. ["1880 BONTHRONE, ROBERT POLLOCK (Statutory registers Births 411/ 124)"](https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/image-viewer/stat_births/stat_births-15552151_7845320). *Scotland's People*. [National Records of Scotland](/source/National_Records_of_Scotland) and the [Court of the Lord Lyon](/source/Court_of_the_Lord_Lyon)

1. Joyce, Michael (2004). *Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939*. Nottingham: SoccerData (Tony Brown). p. 30. ISBN 978-1-899468-67-6.

1. ["United All-Time Transfer List"](http://www.red11.org/mufc/alltransfer.htm). red11.org. Retrieved 8 April 2008.

1. ["Bonthron"](http://www.stretfordend.co.uk/playermenu/bonthron.html). *Manchester United: The Official Statistics Website*. Barn End Media. Retrieved 9 October 2010.

1. ["Fallen Heroes of the Great War"](http://bantamspast.co.uk/earlydays/fallenheroes.html). bantamspast Museum. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160915051347/http://bantamspast.co.uk/earlydays/fallenheroes.html) 15 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 October 2010.

1. Frost, Terry (1988). *Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988*. Breedon Books Sport. p. 53. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.

1. ["Robert Bonthron"](http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Player.aspx?PlayerID=177). StatCat. Retrieved 8 April 2008.

1. Matthews, Tony (1995). *Birmingham City: A Complete Record*. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.

1. ["Northampton Town"](https://www.fchd.info/NORTHAMT.HTM). *Football Club History Database*. Richard Rundle.

1. ["Deaths."](https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001062/19470222/099/0005). *Fife Free Press*. 22 February 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 14 December 2023.

1. Litster, John. *Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players*. Norwich: PM Publications.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bob Bonthron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bonthron) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Bonthron?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.