26-04-76: Sunderland (a) 2-1 (HT 1-1) Crowd (24,880)

Born in Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland on 16th November 1947 Robert (Bobby) Kerr, started his football career with Sunderland Juniors before signing professional terms in November 1964. He made his League debut two years later, in a 1-0 win over Machester City at Roker Park, when he scored the goal in an auspicious start, but his progress was twice halted by broken legs. He did, however recover from those setbacks to become a highly competitive midfielder and club captain, who led the Black Cats to a famous 1-0 F.A. Cup Final victory over Leeds United in 1973 and promotion as Champions of the Second Division at the end of the 1975-76 season. After those two injury blows, one of which being against Leeds United, in an F.A. Cup tie in 1967, he missed very few games and played forty or more games in each season in the five seasons from 1971-72 to 1975-76. He had scored fifty-six goals in three hundred and sixty-eight League appearances, of which thirteen were as a substitute, a total of sixty-nine goals in four hundred and thirty-three in all games, before leaving Roker Park to join former boss Bob Stokoe at Blackpool in March 1979. He scored twice in eighteen starts and four games from the bench in League games before returning to the North-East with Hartlepool Unitedin July 1980. There he scored twice in forty-nine League games, one of which was as a substitute before moving to Non-League side Whitby Town, where he finished his football career. After football he managed several public houses in the North-East. Kerr had two older brothers who were also footballers. George, who was born on 9th January 1943, played as an Inside Forward with Vale of Leven, Barnsley, Bury, Oxford United and finally Scunthorpe United before going on to manage Lincoln City and Grimsby Town.

Programme & Cup Photo:

Match Report

14-11-55: International All Stars XI (h) 3-3 (HT ?) Crowd (12,000)

Programme:

Team Photo: International All-Stars

Match Report: Yorkshire Post 15-11-1955: Courtesy Steve Bell

DOHERTY SCORES TWO GOALS AND MAKES ONE

By RICHARD ULYATT: LEEDS UNITED 3 INTERNATIONAL XI 3

It was like watching footballs' version of Old Tyme waltzing at Elland Road last night. The 12,000 spectators must have enjoyed a departure from the usual hard-tackling, stop-at-nothing League Soccer as they watched, instead the players who used to grace the game before the war do the right thing easily and gracefully and, occasionally, add a few frills. It was almost a Doherty night, Raich Carter, manager of Leeeds United and therefore host, as it were, to the Internationals, could not steal the show himself and so his part was the unobtrusive one of Master of Ceremonies. Peter Doherty, however, was under no such obligation. He could shoot and dribble to hearts' content, not only because it was his nature to do so but because he was one of the fittest men on the field. Doherty scored two goals. One from what ought to have been an impossible angle and he made the other for Broome. He and Lawton, too, would have had others but for good goalkeeping. Any young footballer kept out of bed as a special treat to watch these elderly gentlemen (in a football sense) ought to have gone away much wiser, whether it was from watching Swindin's meticulous calculation of angles as he kept goal, Eddie Boot's determination not to let his elders down at centre-half, Shankly's non-stop wing half work or the precise passing and positional play of the inside-forwards. On the other side there was, of course, Charles to watch. He scored twice and, because Eddie Boot brought him down in the penalty area, Ripley was able to get the other goal from the penalty spot. Charles will have as a legacy a bruised shoulder. United were not playing at League pace, but they were often in trouble and Swindin's goal was not the only one to escape somewhat fortunately.

Leeds United:Wood; Dunn, Hair; Kerfoot, Charlton, Powell; Williams, Ripley, Charles, Vickers, Overfield.

International XI:Swindin; Beattie, Barnes; Shankly, Boot, Corkhill; Broome, Carter, Lawton, Doherty, Watson.

Referee: P. Power (York).