| Bob Evans | |
| Fullname: | Robert Owen Evans |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Birth Date: | August 1881 |
| Birth Place: | Wrexham, Wales |
| Death Place: | Coventry, England |
| Youthyears1: | 1895–189? |
| Youthclubs1: | Olympic Juniors |
| Years1: | – |
| Clubs1: | Stansty Villa |
| Years2: | 1898–1903 |
| Clubs2: | Wrexham |
| Years3: | 1903–1908 |
| Caps3: | 104 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 1908–1909 |
| Caps4: | 57 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 1909–1913 |
| Caps5: | 127 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 1913–1914 |
| Caps6: | 3 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 1914–19?? |
| Nationalyears1: | 1902–1914 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 10 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
Robert Owen Evans (August 1881 – 8 March 1962) was a Welsh international professional footballer who won ten caps for his country and made 107 appearances in the Football League playing for Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham.[1] He played as a goalkeeper.
Evans was born in Wrexham. He played local football before joining Wrexham in 1898.[2] Wrexham were champions of The Combination for three successive seasons, from 1900–01 to 1902–03,[3] and Evans played in two Welsh Cup finals for the club, on the losing side in 1902 but victorious in 1903.[4] [5]
His performances for Wrexham and for his country earned him a move to the Football League when First Division club Blackburn Rovers paid a fee of £150 for his services in April 1903.[2] He spent five seasons at Blackburn, playing 104 league games.[1] He then moved into the Southern League, spending the 1908–09 season with Croydon Common, for whom he played 8 games in the Western League, 12 in the United League and 31 in the South-Eastern League as well as 12 in the Southern League,[6] and then four years with Coventry City. He returned to the Football League with Birmingham,[2] played the first three games of the 1913–14 season, conceded nine goals, and relinquished the starting place to Bert Crossthwaite.[7] Evans finished off his playing career at non-league club Nuneaton Town.[2]
Evans made his debut for the Wales national football team while a Wrexham player, on 22 February 1902 in a 3–0 defeat against Ireland at Cardiff Arms Park.[8] He won ten caps in total,[1] of which the last five came in 1911 and 1912 while a Coventry City player.[9] [10] Evans' international appearances were restricted by having to compete with Leigh Richmond Roose, who was an automatic first choice for his country for many years.[11] [12]
Evans died in Coventry in 1962 at the age of 80.[2]