Bob Turpie RIP

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Paul Vanes writes:

ROBERT PAUL (Bob) TURPIE born Hampstead, London 13 November 1949, died 10 April 2018.

Bob Turpie, fourth from the left along the front row, after he joined Nuneaton Borough from Peterborough, 1973-74. Courtesy of Coventry Evening Telegraph.

Bob Turpie, fourth from the left along the front row, after he joined Nuneaton Borough from Peterborough, 1973-74. Photo courtesy of the Coventry Evening Telegraph.

Joined Queens Park Rangers as an apprentice in 1964/65 season and made a winning debut versus Portsmouth 13/09/1969 and made one other league appearance before moving to Peterborough United in July 1970. He made 29 appearances plus 6 from substitutions and scored 1 goal in 1970/71 season and in the following season made 4 more appearances scoring 2 goals.
He went to Nuneaton Borough on a short term loan before David Pleat signed him in the summer of 1972 and he went on to form a deadly partnership with Bob Vincent, described by many Boro fanatics to be their best ever striking duo. He was Player of the Year in 1973/74 after scoring 19 goals. In February 1975 he suffered an industrial accident that saw metal enter his right eye and despite two operations during a lengthy hospital stay, sadly he lost the sight in that eye.
Did it stop him playing football ? He returned the following season netting a hat trick at Dartford in his second game. He was released at the end of the season but was asked to re-sign which he did. Bob played 201 games plus 5 sub appearances netting 58 goals for Borough. One interesting statistic is Boro played two pre-season friendlies in Scotland beating East Stirlingshire 3-1 with Bob netting a goal and this was the first managerial appointment of the future Sir Alex Ferguson.
In January 1977, Bob moved to AP Leamington where he made 19 appearances plus 1 sub netting 4 goals and then he joined Atherstone Town.
Bob came back to the Windmill ground in summer of 1978 playing at least 8 times and was a named substitute on 9 occasions scoring 1 goal. He later coached Atherstone Town Reserve and Youth teams and found time to scout for Birmingham City and Stoke City.
Tragedy struck the family in 2007 when son Sam collapsed and died during a charity match aged only 29, he was coaching the Borough youth team at that time.
On behalf of everyone at the New Windmill ground, may we offer our most sincere condolences to wife Francis, daughters Neana and Heidi, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild plus the very many friends in their sad loss. Francis said Bob was a wonderful Father and Husband who will be dearly missed.

The funeral is at Nuneaton Crematorium at 10.15 on the 9th of May with the wake immediately following at the Nuneaton Town Sports Bar.
With grateful thanks to Mort Birch of the Nuneaton News and the brilliant Nuneaton Town website.

Update: Tony Currier ex-QPR, Sheffield United, Leeds and England attended Bob’s funeral.