Chelsea FC Reserve Player Profile: Bobby Atherton

Full Name: Robert William Atherton

Born: Saturday, 29th July 1876
Place of Birth: Bethesda, Caernarvonshire, Wales
Height:
Died: Friday, 19th October 1917

Pending individual appearances being added to the database, this is the information from Peter Wollaston's reserve Team players book:

Although born in Wales, Bobby Atherton was brought up in Scotland and started playing football for Dalry Primrose before moving to Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian. In 1903 he was signed up by Middlesbrough where he played 60 games (13 goals) before moving to Chelsea in July 1906. He played for Chelsea for just a single year and in that season he played just one game in the Western League, 3 games in the South Eastern League, but being in the proposed line-up in 3 other games and a solitary match in the London League, where again he was also in one other proposed line-up.

Having retired in May 1907, Atherton moved back to Edinburgh becoming a steward in the Merchant Navy. His ship disappeared without trace in October 1917 either due to a mine or enemy action and he was presumed dead. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London, dedicated to civilian merchant sailors and fishermen who were killed as a result of enemy action and have no known grave.