Overview
- Chelsea and Cork club Crosshaven confirmed late Thursday that Bobby Tambling had died at the age of 84, with both organisations issuing public tributes and giving few details about his final illness.
- Tambling scored 202 goals in 370 appearances for Chelsea between 1959 and 1970, a club record that stood for decades before being eclipsed by Frank Lampard in 2013.
- His achievements include scoring in Chelsea’s 1965 League Cup final win and a still-standing club record of five goals in a single league match against Aston Villa in 1966.
- After leaving Chelsea Tambling played for Crystal Palace and then settled in Cork in the 1970s, where he played for and later managed local sides including Cork Celtic, Cork City and Crosshaven.
- Reports note Tambling had been diagnosed with dementia in recent years, and his death has renewed public memories of his role in Chelsea’s rise in the 1960s and his long involvement in Irish football.