Bob Rea

Name: Robert Rea
Born: 29 March 1878, Belfast
Died: 31 October 1946, New York, USA (tbc)
Position: Inside-Right/Left

Representative Honours: Ireland: 1 Full Cap (1901); Irish League: 2 Caps (1898-1900).
Club Honours: (with Linfield) Irish League Champion 1897/98, Runner-Up 1898/99; Irish Cup Winner 1897/98; City Cup Winner 1897/98 (with Distillery) Belfast Charity Cup Winner 1899/00.

Club Career:

Teams	Seasons	Signed	Fee	League	FA Cup	Other
Cliftonville	-	-1894	Amateur	-	-	-
Linfield	95/96-98/99	Nov-1895	-	*49/12	-	-
Distillery	99/00	Oct-1899	-	-	-	-
Belfast Celtic	99/00	Jan-1900	-	-	-	-
Glentoran	00/01	Jun-1900	-	*16/ 8	-	-
Belfast Celtic	01/02	-	-	-	-	-
Cliftonville	02/03	-	-	-	-	-
Ulster	02/03	-	-	-	-	-
Linfield	03/04	-	-	*1/ 0	-	-
TOTALS	-	£-		66/20	-	-

* all games.

Biography:
After beginning his Irish League career with Cliftonville during the 1895/96 season, Bob Rea first made a real splash in Linfield’s 1897/98 “Double” winning side. Also in the Blues’ forward-line that defeated St Columb’s Court 2-0 in the Irish Cup Final was Rea’s brother, Sam who was making his club debut! During that season Bob Rea also won his first major representative honour, playing for the Irish League in a 5-0 defeat by their Scottish counterparts in Dundee.

Rea then spent the start of 1899/1900 season with Distillery before joining Belfast Celtic. He was a member of the Whites’ side that claimed the Charity Cup for the first-time, when he guested for them as a last minute replacement for the injured Tom Black, while still a Belfast Celtic player. Distillery, having lost in their previous six Final appearances in the competition, they saw-off Linfield with a resounding 5-0 scoreline.

After moving on to Glentoran in the summer of 1900, Rea put in some great goalscoring performances as the Glens ran his former club close in the race for the Irish League title. His form was rewarded with a second selection for the Irish League (who lost out 4-2 to the Football League in November 1900) and with his sole cap for Ireland (in a 3-0 defeat by England at Southampton).

Rea left the Oval after a single season to return to Belfast Celtic. He later had a second spell with Cliftonville before ending his Irish league career with Ulster. He never really established himself in any of these clubs and in 1903/04 he returned to Linfield and helped out with the Linfield Swifts. He then immigrated to the USA, in October 1909 and remained there until his death.

The Rea name remained a prominent one in the Irish League as Sam played for Glentoran from 1902 to 1908 and another brother, Fred also played for the Glens (1906-1911) and represented the Irish League.
Ireland Cap Details:09-03-1901 England. A L 0-3 BC

Summary: 1/0. Won 0, Drew 0, Lost 1.

Additional information by George Glass.