{{Short description|English footballer (born 1980)}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Bobby Hassell | image = Bobby Hassell.png | caption = Hassell playing for Barnsley | fullname = Robert John Francis Hassell | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|6|4|df=y}} | birth_place = Derby, England | height = | position = Defender | youthyears1 = {{0|000}}?–1997 | youthclubs1 = Mansfield Town<ref>{{cite book|editor1-first=Glenda|editor1-last=Rollin|editor2-first=Jack|editor2-last=Rollin|title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013|year=2012|publisher=Headline|location=London|isbn=978-0-7553-6356-8|page=427|edition=43rd}}</ref> | years1 = 1997–2004 | years2 = 2004–2014 | years3 = 2015 | clubs1 = Mansfield Town | clubs2 = Barnsley | clubs3 = Bharat FC | caps1 = 164 | goals1 = 3 | caps2 = 270 | goals2 = 8 | caps3 = 18 | goals3 = 0 | totalcaps =452 | totalgoals = 11 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | club-update = | nationalteam-update = }}
'''Robert John Francis Hassell''' (born 4 June 1980) is an English former footballer who played for Mansfield Town, Barnsley and Bharat FC in I-League as a defender. He is an Academy Manager at Barnsley.
==Career==
===Mansfield=== Born in Derby, Derbyshire, Hassell graduated from the youth ranks at Mansfield Town. Showing his versatility from the start of his career, Hassell played in both the centre of defence and at right-back. After losing the 2003–04 Division Three Play-Off Final to Huddersfield Town, Hassell failed to negotiate a new contract with Mansfield.
===Barnsley=== Barnsley boss Paul Hart brought Hassell to Oakwell as part of a rebuilding process in the summer of 2004, completing his move on 1 July. Despite a slow start, Hassell made 43 appearances throughout the 2004–05 campaign and gradually became a fans' favourite. He missed parts of the 2005–06 campaign through injury but played a key role when fit in helping Barnsley gain promotion from League One. Unlike two years' previously, he was on the winning side at the Millennium Stadium as Barnsley triumphed over Swansea City on penalties in the Play-Off Final.
Hassell then enjoyed another fine campaign during 2006–07, again in the running for all the end of season awards, clocking up 42 appearances and netting two goals. In the following season, he showed his versatility to perform heroically during Barnsley's run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup. He made multiple last ditch tackles and goal-line clearances whilst playing at right-back in a 2–1 win over Liverpool at Anfield, and was outstanding in an unfamiliar central midfield position as Chelsea were beaten 1–0 at Oakwell.
He was named as Barnsley's Players' Player of the Year, Fans Player of the Year and Disabled Supporters' Player of the Year for the 2008–09 season.
When Mark Robins was appointed Barnsley manager following the start of the 2009–10 season, Hassell initially dropped out of the team, yet soon found his way back in due to consistent performances and a high work rate. Hassell was made Barnsley vice-captain in the summer of 2010 when Robins handed the captaincy to Jason Shackell. The 2010–11 season was another successful one for Hassell who made his 200th league start for Barnsley against Millwall in January.
Keith Hill named Hassell as club captain for the 2011–12 season. Hassell had to go in goal in a League Cup tie with Rochdale on 11 August 2012 after Ben Alnwick was sent off and Barnsley had already used all 3 of their substitutions.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/19242981 |title=Barnsley boss Keith Hill laments 'petulant' Ben Alnwick |publisher=BBC |date=13 August 2012 |access-date=14 August 2012}}</ref>
In his final years as a Barnsley player, Hassell found games harder to come by but nevertheless always impressed when called upon. He was released by the club after ten years in May 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/27310352|title=Barnsley Release Defender Bobby Hassell After 10 Years|publisher=BBC Sport|date=7 May 2014}}</ref> A year later in July 2015, Hassell was rewarded for his service to Barnsley with a testimonial match at Oakwell against Mansfield Town. The home side, featuring Hassell's former teammates from the 2006 promotion winning team, won the match 4–3. He is regarded as a club legend at Barnsley.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/barnsley-fc/bobby-hassell-testimonial-barnsley-4-mansfield-town-3-1-7366561|title=Bobby Hassell Testimonial|work=The Sheffield Star|date=20 July 2015}}</ref>
===Bharat=== In December 2014, Bobby signed for new I-League team Bharat.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=ILeagueOfficial|author=Hero I-League|number=539726753313210368|date=2 December 2014|title=.@BharatFC have announced their 2nd foreign player signing – English defender Robert 'Bobby' Hassell. #ILeague}}</ref> Hassell played the first ever match for the club as the I-League debutants held Dempo to a goalless draw.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Lions' debut ends in a stalemate|url=http://www.goal.com/en-india/match/bharat-fc-vs-dempo/1980976/report|publisher=Goal|access-date=25 January 2015}}</ref>
===Return to Barnsley===
After leaving India, Hassell took up a position as Head of Recruitment for Barnsley's Academy in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/article/bobby-hassell-appointed-academy-head-of-recruitment-2850323.aspx|title=Bobby Hassell Appointed Academy Head of Recruitment – News – Barnsley Football Club}}</ref> He now serves as Academy Manager at Oakwell.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/club/whos-who/|title = Who's Who? – Barnsley Football Club}}</ref>
==Personal life==
Hassell is a committed Christian and he credits his faith as helping him overcome his temper and giving him an abundant sense of peace.<ref>[http://www.inspiremagazine.org.uk/article.aspx?i=160&q=593' Bobby Hassell talks about his faith with Inspire magazine]</ref>
==Career statistics== {| class=wikitable style="text-align: center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition |- !rowspan=2|Club !rowspan=2|Season !colspan=3|League !colspan=2|FA Cup !colspan=2|League Cup !colspan=2|Other !colspan=2|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="8"|Mansfield Town |1997–98<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|1997|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |rowspan="5"|Third Division||10||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||10||0 |- |1998–99<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|1998|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |3||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||3||0 |- |1999–2000<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|1999|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |11||1||1||0||2||0||0||0||14||1 |- |2000–01<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2000|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |40||1||1||0||3||0||0||0||44||1 |- |2001–02<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2001|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |43||1||3||0||1||0||1{{efn|Appearances in Football League Trophy|name=FLT}}||0||48||1 |- |2002–03<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2002|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |Second Division||20||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||0 |- |2003–04<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2003|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |Third Division||37||0||4||0||1||0||0||0||42||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !164!!3!!9!!0!!7!!0!!1!!0!!181!!3 |- |rowspan="11"|Barnsley |2004–05<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2004|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |rowspan="2"|League One||39||0||1||0||2||0||1{{efn|Appearances in Football League Trophy|name=FLT}}||0||43||0 |- |2005–06<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2005|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |31||2||4||0||0||0||1{{efn|Appearances in Football League Trophy|name=FLT}}||0||36||2 |- |2006–07<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2006|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |rowspan="8"|Championship||39||2||2||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||42||2 |- |2007–08<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2007|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |20||0||5||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||25||0 |- |2008–09<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2008|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |40||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||42||0 |- |2009–10<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2009|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |24||2||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||26||2 |- |2010–11<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2010|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |37||1||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||39||1 |- |2011–12<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2011|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |19||0||1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||21||0 |- |2012–13<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2012|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |17||1||2||0||2||1||colspan="2"|—||21||2 |- |2013–14<ref>{{Soccerbase season|10849|2013|accessdate=7 December 2014}}</ref> |4||0||0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||4||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !270!!8!!18!!0!!9!!1!!2!!0!!299!!9 |- |Bharat FC |2015 |I-League||18||0||colspan="2"|—{{efn|Although Bharat FC is a part of extending 2015 I-League, it will not play in 2014 Federation Cup|name=BFC}}||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||18||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !452!!11!!27!!0!!16!!1!!3!!0!!498!!12 |}
{{notelist}}
==Honours== '''Barnsley''' *Football League One play-offs: 2006<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/5010240.stm |title=Swansea 2–2 Barnsley (aet) |website=BBC Sport |date=27 May 2006 |access-date=22 May 2026}}</ref>
'''Individual''' *Barnsley Player of the Year: 2008–09<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/club/player-of-the-season/ |title=Barnsley Player of the Season |website=Barnsley FC |access-date=2 January 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080704120208/http://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0%2C%2C10309~10441%2C00.html Bobby Hassell profile] at barnsleyfc.co.uk *{{Soccerbase}}
{{navboxes |title=Awards |bg=gold |fg=navy |list1= {{Mansfield Town F.C. player of the season}} {{Barnsley F.C. Player of the Year}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hassell, Bobby}} Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Derby Category:English men's footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Mansfield Town F.C. players Category:Barnsley F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:English expatriate sportspeople in India Category:English expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in India Category:Kalyani Bharat FC players Category:I-League players Category:Barnsley F.C. non-playing staff Category:21st-century English sportsmen Category:English Christians