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Robert Melville Buchanan or Bobby Buchanan as he was better known is a Scottish born footballer, coach, journalist and television presenter. Bobby was born on 3 April 1936 in Glasgow, to James Somerville Buchanan and Bridgette Elizabeth Gallagher. The Buchanan family, including younger brother James, spent most of Bobby's early years living in the seaside town of Saltcoats in Ayrshire, in the west of Scotland. After leaving school Bobby trained and qualified as an electrician with his father's local electrical business. Bobby subsequently spent a short period in the British Army in the late 1950s seeing active service during the Malayan Emergency []. Bobby was wounded and returned home to the UK, ending his military service. Bobby married Alexandra (Sandra) Marshall on 9 September 1960 and the couple lived at 17 Seaton Street, Ardrossan until 1964. Whilst Bobby was a good footballer, Sandra was a Scottish Champion sprinter who ran for the local Ardeer Recreational Club and was unlucky to miss being selected for the 1958 Cardiff Games. Bobby and Sandra welcomed their first child Gordon James Buchanan in February 1963. In the lead-up to 1964 Bobby and Sandra were considering emigrating to either South Africa or Canada. They saw an advertisement in the local Addrossan and Saltcoats Herald in early 1964 sponsoring emigration to Australia. The advertisement mentioned the opportunity of being sponsored by Grange Thistle Soccer Club [] in Brisbane, Australia. Bobby, Sandra and Gordon subsequently emigrated to Australia arriving in Sydney on St Patricks Day 1964. Continuing their journey to Brisbane shortly thereafter they initially lived in the inner northern suburb of The Grange before settling in Stafford Heights. Bobby and Sandra welcomed their second child Denise Ann Buchanan in 1965. Within 2 years both Bobby's and Sandra's parents would also emigrate to Brisbane, Australia where they would live out their days. Football Bobby played junior football in Scotland [] in the late 1950s and early 1960s with Ramblos of Saltcoats, Irvine Meadow [] and Winton Rovers []. Bobby played centre forward and featured regularly on the scoresheet. Although small in stature, he was especially good at scoring with his head. Bobby played in the Final of the Scottish Amateur Cup [] at Ibrox Stadium on 14 May 1960 when his team Ramblos played Minishant Amateurs. Ramblos was a club in only its fourth year of existence at the time and had defeated the 1959 cup holders Crosshill Thistle in the semifinal. Minishant defeated Ramblos in the 1960 final and Bobby won runners-up medal for his efforts. In his early years, Bobby often crossed paths with his namesake Bobby Lennox of Celtic and Scotland as both were a product of Saltcoats street football. After emigrating to Australia Bobby played for Grange Thistle Soccer Club in 1964 and 1965. In 1965 Bobby was the top goal scorer in the First Division scoring 25 goals. It was a scoring record that would last for decades. In 1966 Bobby moved to Latrobe Soccer Club [] after a wrangle with Grange Thistle over seeking a free transfer. Latrobe finally paid an undisclosed fee for Bobby and he played his first game for Latrobe against Grange Thistle. Latrobe won 6-1. His numerous goals at centre forward and right wing helped Latrobe become Premiers and Champions in 1966 and Premiers in 1967. Bobby's team at Latrobe included future Socceroo legend Ray Richards []. Bobby was selected to represent Brisbane in the 1965 Kruger Cup intercity series against Ipswich. Bobby played in both matches. Game 1 was played on 26 April 1965 at the Exhibition ground and won by Ipswich 3-2. The return game was held at Bundamba on 18 July 1965. The Kruger Cup intercity series between Ipswich and Brisbane was an annual home and away based series which had taken place since the end of World War 2 until 1961. It was being revived in 1965. On 19 August 1965, the Queensland Soccer Federation appointed Bobby State Coach of the Queensland Under 18 team for the Australian Youth Championships to be played in Brisbane in October. In 1966 Bobby was selected in the 18 man Queensland squad to prepare for the 11 June 1966 match at the Brisbane Exhibition Ground against visiting Italian giants A.S. Roma. However, Bobby did not make the final 12 players selected for the game which A.S.Roma won 6-0. As Premiers in 1966, Latrobe qualified as the only Queensland team to play in the 12 team Australia Cup Competition. Latrobe travelled to Sydney to play Sydney Hakoah, the Australia Cup winners of the previous year, in the first round. Hakoah were clear favourites for the match. Bobby opened the scoring in the 26th minute to give Latrobe the hope of an unlikely upset. While Bobby scored again in the 54th minute Latrobe lost the match 6-2. Latrobe qualified for the Australia Cup again in 1967 travelling again to Sydney to play Sydney FC Prague on 31 March 1965 at E.S. Marks Field. A classy Prague outfit gave Latrobe a modern football lesson easily winning the match 6-0. Brisbane journalist Alan Fouche, writing about the game, said of the "midfield, the magnificent Argentinean Blanco more than ably supported by his Prague colleague virtually ruled unchallenged, while Buchanan was easily the most impressive attacker on view". Argentine import Raul Blanco of Sydney Prague would go on to coach the Socceroos in the late 1990s []. Bobby was placed on the transfer list by Latrobe at the end of the 1967 season. Newly promoted club Germania (now called Southside Eagles) subsequently paid a reduced $450 transfer fee and Bobby moved to the Bulimba training grounds to become player/manager for Germania for the 1968 season. Bobby's new team sprung several surprise wins with him running the team from the centre-half position, including defeating Coalstars 1-0 and Grange Thistle 3-1. Bobby retired from playing football at the end of the 1969 season, putting away his boots and taking up the pen as a soccer reporter for the Brisbane Telegraph [] and Sunday Sun newspapers well into the 1970s. As with most reporters of the day, Bobby would watch a local match and dictate his copy over the nearest pay-phone to his Editor. Stories from 1972 included In 19 Bobby was founding Editor of a new magazine especially for Brisbane Soccer fans. The "Go Soccer" magazine covered all of the previews and results from local divisions and heavily promoted junior football for the first time in ink. Bobby assembled the magazine for print during the week, gathering articles from contacts across Brisbane and when the finished magazine was ready he would drive around the clubs on a Friday evening distributing the magazine in time for the Saturday matches where it would be sold for a small fee to cover the costs. Go Soccer magazine was eventually adopted by the Queensland Soccer Federation as its weekly communications medium up until the mid 1990s and the advent of the internet. In the mid-1970s Bobby joined Brisbane television station Channel 7's Sportscene program as the expert soccer commentator http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/football/soccer-stalwart-bob-buchanan-made-brisbane-home-from-scotland/story-fnii0fy1-1226836009994 Every Sunday morning from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s Brisbane's soccer fraternity tuned in to hear Bobby update the overnight results from the UK and Europe, as well as interview local players and coaches. Long before the internet, there was shortwave radio and Bobby would sit up into the wee hours on a Saturday night listening to the BBC overseas broadcasts of UK matches. He'd compile the results and present them to viewers the following morning on Sportscene. When the gods of world football visited Brisbane Bobby was always there with microphone and camera crew to ask the questions all football fans wanted to ask. In his decade and more at Sportscene Bobby recorded interviews for Channel 7 Brisbane with world famous players and football managers including Stanley Mathews, George Best, Bobby Moore, Brian Robson, Bobby Robson, Jack Charlton, Dave Sexton, Ron Greenwood, Tommy Docherty, Willie Henderson, Alan Sunderland, Alan Brazil and Bob Latchford, amongst others. In June 1985 Australia's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) expanded services to Brisbane including televising National Soccer League matches and games involving visiting international clubs and national teams. Bobby provided expert comments for SBS in its first broadcast season of Brisbane games while SBS established its local presence. When Sportscene