Bobby Ross 1942-2026 | OneFootball

All at Brentford are deeply saddened by the passing of our former captain Bobby Ross, aged 84.

Ross began his career in his home city of Edinburgh, spending three years with Hearts before joining Shrewsbury Town in 1963. He arrived at Brentford in June 1966 and quickly established himself as a first-team regular at Griffin Park.

Ross made 53 appearances and scored nine league goals during the 1966/67 season, helping the Bees win the London Challenge Cup.

A pillar of consistency, Ross played 178 consecutive league and cup games between October 1968 and March 1972, and was twice named Supporters’ Player of the Year during his remarkable run in the side.

The highlight of Ross’s Brentford career came towards the end of the 1971/72 season, when he coolly converted a late penalty against Exeter City to secure a 1-0 victory and seal promotion to the Third Division.

“My best moment would be taking the penalty that got us promoted in 1972,” Ross recalled in an interview with the club.

“There were around 15,000 people there and I was the captain. The fans that season had been brilliant, with lots of people attending away games because we were doing really well.

“When the referee blew the final whistle, they all stormed onto the pitch!”

Ross departed Brentford in October 1972, having made 323 appearances and scored 56 goals during six years with the Bees, much of which he spent as club captain.

After leaving Griffin Park, Ross won promotion from the Fourth Division again with Cambridge United the following year.

He later served as both player and manager of Hayes between 1974 and 1978, before spending more than two decades working within Queens Park Rangers’ Academy set-up.

His achievements with the Bees were recognised in December 2013 when he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.

The thoughts of everyone at Brentford are with Bobby’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.