Biography
Defender Richard Jobson joined Hull City in February 1985 for a £40,000 fee and went on to become the club’s finest defender for a generation during the last two decades of the 20th century. But the early signs were not promising – he was returning to the city of his birth under the protective wing of manager Brian Horton, but within weeks of signing he had gone AWOL and his City career appeared over before it had properly begun. It is therefore testament to Jobson’s improving attitude, and Horton’s splendid man-management skills, that Jobbo returned to the City fold at the start of the 1985/86 season to commence action in Division Two, following City’s promotion the previous May. For the next five seasons Jobson was a firm first team fixture – rarely injured, rarely flustered, always strong in the air, always tough in the tackle and always willing to step out of defence and prompt attacks with the ball at his feet.
The statistics were impressive – between August 1985, a home match against Portsmouth, and May 1990, an away match at Watford, Jobson played in 245 of City’s 255 senior fixtures and bagged 17 goals. He scored his first City goal in a barnstorming 1-1 draw at Leeds United in August 1985, repeating the feat four months later when the West Yorkshire foes were beaten 2-1 at Boothferry Park. He scored twice in a January 1986 4-2 win over Oldham Athletic, continuing the unknowable trend of scoring against his future clubs. In February 1987, in a far-flung corner of South Wales and with the night air thick with the pungent whiff of coal dust, Jobson scored the only goal of an FA Cup replay against Swansea City to set up a Fifth Round tie against Wigan Athletic that, if won, could have propelled the Tigers to national attention – but this was 20th century Hull City, Wigan won 3-0. In January 1988 Jobbo again netted against Leeds United in a thrilling 3-1 win that announced the arrival of Andy Payton – but that was Brian Horton’s last league victory as City manager and Nobby was cruelly sacked three months later.
The model of consistency at both centre back and right back, Jobson was the division’s leading defensive player as well as City’s. He transcended the mere numbers and played an absolutely pivotal role in the success of Horton’s Tigers during the late 1980s. He was always amongst the best players in teams put together by successors Eddie Gray, Colin Appleton and Stan Ternent, but it was the latter who chose to cash in on the ambitious Jobson and netted a £460,000 fee in August 1990 – which he duly wasted. This serves to emphasise the quality that Richard Jobson bought to Hull City for five mostly glorious years.
Richard Ian Jobson was born in Cottingham but rejected the typical path into football – he grew up in the Burton-on-Trent area, where he was a notable teenage badminton player and scholar, and was studying for a Civil Engineering degree in Nottingham when chosen to play football for the British Universities XI. He joined Northern Premier League part-timers Burton Albion in August 1982, ahead of his second year of studies. Burton was a side managed by a youthful Neil Warnock, Jobson immediately found his way into the Brewers’ first team where he played alongside experienced former Tiger Dave Sunley.
In November 1982 Watford manager Graham Taylor spotted Jobson and lured him away from both Burton Albion and his studies, signing him for Division One side Watford. Jobson was quickly introduced to the Hornets’ first team, making a December 1982 debut in a Group Cup tie against Reading and starting his first Division One match ten days later against Ipswich Town. This was a time when Watford, newly promoted to the top flight, were powering past many of their Division One opponents to finish second on the table and qualify for European competition. Jobson’s first Watford goal came in an April 1983 4-2 win over local rivals Luton Town, the first of several he scored in various derby matches.
In the 1983/84 season Jobson was used sparingly in the League and FA Cup, but played in six UEFA Cup ties against German side Kaiserslautern, Bulgarian side Levski-Spartak Sofia and Czech side Sparta Prague. Watford reached the FA Cup Final that season but Richard played in only one tie, a substitute appearance in the Villa Park semi-final against unlikely opposition, a Plymouth Argyle side from Division Three that featured ex-Tigers Gordon Nisbet and Gordon Staniforth. Jobbo had played only twice for Watford in the early months of the 1984/85 season, taking his Hornets tally to four goals in 39 appearances, before he transferred to Hull City in February 1985.
In August 1990 Jobson joined Division Two promotion chasers Oldham Athletic and played in every game as the Latics won promotion to Division One, which a year later became the Premier League, placing him at a level of football commensurate with his talent. He was a first team regular for Oldham’s three seasons in the top flight, scoring regular goals from defence and in April 1994 playing in a FA Cup Semi-Final against Manchester United. Jobbo came close to playing in the Premier League and tasting FA Cup glory while at Hull City, but it took the move to Oldham to deliver in full.
As the 1990s wore on and Jobson entered his thirties, injuries became more regular and he played less frequently, taking his tally to eleven goals in 225 appearances. In October 1995 Premier League side Leeds United paid £1 million for his services as relegated Oldham cashed in their prized assets, but in two seasons at Elland Road Richard made only 26 appearances for the Whites and scored once – in January 1998 he was loaned to League Division 2 side Southend United where he scored once in eight appearances. In March 1998 Joe Royle, Jobson’s manager at Oldham Athletic who was now in charge at League Division 1 side Manchester City, secured his signature a second time but more injuries kept him out of the game for over a year. When he returned to the Citizens’ first team at the start of the 1999/00 season the old consistency came back and Jobson was a first team regular as the Maine Road side finished second in League Division 1, winning promotion to the Premier League. He left Manchester City in December 2000 having scored four goals in 57 appearances, having just spent a month on loan back at Watford, his first senior club, where he made 2 appearances for the League Division 1 side.
In December 2000 Jobson joined League Division 1 strugglers Tranmere Rovers, in nine months at Prenton Park he made just 22 appearances that included a March 2001 FA Cup Sixth Round tie against Liverpool. He switched to League Division 3 side Rochdale in September 2001 and in two seasons he scored three goals in 62 appearances, assisting Dale into the May 2002 end of season play-offs that saw them defeated by Rushden & Diamonds at the semi-final stage. Jobbo retired from playing in the 2003 close season – deciding in 1982 to not complete that Civil Engineering degree turned out to be a wise choice.
Throughout much of his playing career Jobson had been a prominent players’ representative for the Professional Footballers’ Association, stretching back to his time at Hull City. Between 1998 and 2003 he served on the PFA Management Committee and he became PFA Chairman in November 2002. He then joined the staff of the PFA in 2003, once his playing days ended, and spent a long second career working for the footballers’ union, rising to the position of Assistant Chief Executive.
Jobson was called up for two England B internationals in March and April 1992, starting games against Czechoslovakia B and CIS B (formerly known as the Soviet Union) at the height of his powers at Oldham Athletic. But he was never selected for the England first team – scandalously overlooked, some would say.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 9 May 1963, Cottingham
Hull City First Game: 9 February 1985, Burnley H (Division Three), 21 years, 276 days old
Hull City Final Game: 28 August 1990, Blackburn Rovers A (Division Two), 27 years, 111 days old
Clubs
Burton Albion (1982), Watford (1982-1985), Hull City (1985-1990), Oldham Athletic (1990-1995), Leeds United (1995-1998), Southend United (1998, loan), Manchester City (1998-2001), Watford (2000, loan), Tranmere Rovers (2000-2001, loan), Tranmere Rovers (2001), Rochdale (2001-2003)
Hull City Record
Career: 255 apps, 18 goals
Richard Jobson| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984/85 | 6 (2) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1985/86 | 36 (0) | 7 | 3 (0) | 0 | 4 (0) | 0 | – | – | 4 (0) | 0 |
| 1986/87 | 40 (0) | 5 | 3 (0) | 1 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 2 (0) | 0 |
| 1987/88 | 44 (0) | 2 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
| 1988/89 | 46 (0) | 1 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
| 1989/90 | 45 (0) | 2 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
| 1990/91 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |