Bobby Chalmers Football player
Robert Barry Lionel "Bobby" Chalmers (born 19 February 1941) is a former association football forward who played professionally for the Rhodesia national team and various clubs in South Africa, where he scored 303 goals in all competitions, making him the all-time top goalscorer in the now-defunct South African National Football League. Considered one of the best players ever from present-day Zimbabwe, Chalmers captained the Rhodesian team during its unsuccessful attempt to qualify for the 1970 FIFA World Cup, and was its leading goalscorer. In a profile published in 1980, Chalmers was described by journalist Glen Byrom as a "perfect gentleman and sportsman ... Southern Africa's crown prince of soccer".Growing up in a sporting family in Bulawayo, Chalmers showed promise in rugby and cricket as well as football. While still an amateur, he played three times for Rhodesia in 1961, in friendly matches against touring English clubs. The following year he moved with his new wife to Durban, South Africa, where he signed for Durban City as a professional. After two years playing on the wing, he became City's centre-forward during the 1964 season and was a great success, scoring 58 goals in all competitions that season and helping his team to win that year's Castle Cup, uniquely scoring a hat-trick in the final. He also performed strongly for a league all-star team in an exhibition game against Real Madrid in September 1964, scoring twice and afterwards receiving praise from visiting defender José Santamaria, a Uruguay international.In 1966, he was transferred from City to their cross-town rivals, Durban United, for what was then a South African record fee of R20,000. After two successful years with United, he moved again to Maritzburg, where he remained for the rest of his career. In 1969, he was recalled by Rhodesia to captain the national side in its bid to qualify for the World Cup for the first time. As a white man in a mostly black team, he was aided in this task by his fluent proficiency in both Sindebele and Shona. Rhodesia were pitted against a strongly fancied Australian team, but held their opponents to a draw in two successive matches before losing a play-off decider 3–1. Chalmers retired from playing in 1974, forced out of professional soccer by a knee injury, and became a public relations officer for a Durban hotel chain.
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