Robert Buchanan

Robert John Buchanan (22 November 1867 – 1909) was a Scottish international footballer, who played as a forward in the 1890s.

Playing career

Early career Born in Edinburgh, Whilst on the books of Abercorn, he made his solitary international appearance for Scotland on 21 March 1891 scoring in a 4–3 victory over Wales.

He then moved to England to join the short-lived Sunderland Albion.

Southampton He moved to the south coast in the summer of 1896 to join Southern League team Southampton St. Mary's. The Southampton public took to him immediately and his "never-give-up" attitude earned him the nickname "Death or Glory Bob". In his first season with the "Saints" he was ever-present, scoring eleven league goals as Southampton took the Southern League title for the first time. He scored a hat trick in his second appearance, a 6–1 victory over Sheppey United on 26 September 1896. He also helped Southampton reach Round 2 of the FA Cup for the first time, where they went out to Newton Heath after a replay.

The following season, he was top-scorer with ten league and six FA Cup goals as the Saints again took the Southern League championship. Saints also had a superb run in the FA Cup reaching the semi final where they went out in a replay 2–0 to Nottingham Forest. In the cup run he scored "unlikely goals" against Leicester Fosse and Newcastle United.

Although he remained with Southampton for the 1898–98 season, he only played twice. After 57 appearances for the Saints with 33 goals, he moved back to south-east London to join Sheppey United.

Later life On retiring from the game, he settled in Sheerness, where he worked as an engine-fitter and died in Southwark in early 1909.

Honours Southampton Southern League championship: 1896–97 & 1897–98