 Tambling (left) with Barry Bridges at Stamford Bridge in 2009 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Robert Victor Tambling | ||
| Date of birth | 18 September 1941 | ||
| Place of birth | Storrington, Sussex, England | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1957–1959 | Chelsea | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959–1970 | Chelsea | 302 | (164) |
| 1970–1973 | Crystal Palace | 68 | (12) |
| 1973–1977 | Cork Celtic | 82 | (39) |
| 1977–1978 | Waterford | 13 | (8) |
| 1978–1979 | Shamrock Rovers | 5 | (0) |
| 1978–1979 | Cork Alberts | 15 | (2) |
| Total | 479 | (263) | |
| International career | |||
| 1962–1966 | England | 3 | (1) |
| 1977–1978 | League of Ireland XI | 2 | (?) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1974–1977 | Cork Celtic | ||
| 1984 | Cork City | ||
| 19?? –20?? | Crosshaven F.C. | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Robert Victor Tambling (born 18 September 1941) is an English former professional footballer, who played as a forward, most notably for Chelsea, Crystal Palace and England. He was Chelsea's all-time top scorer for 47 years, with 202 goals in all competitions until Frank Lampard surpassed this total on 11 May 2013. Tambling remains Chelsea's all-time top scorer in league competition with 164 goals. After enjoying a successful career in the Football League during the 1960s and early 1970s, Tambling moved to Ireland. He subsequently played for several clubs in the League of Ireland and also represented the League of Ireland XI. After retiring as a player he continued to live in Ireland, residing in Crosshaven, County Cork.