Obituary: Halifax born former Shayman Bobby Hoy dies aged 73

Halifax born, Hoy’s name will be synonymous with Huddersfield Town, a club he served over a ten-year period, having joined from school as an apprentice in April 1965.

Hoy signed professional forms in November 1967, having already made his league debut in a Second Division at Birmingham City the previous April.

Whilst playing with the reserves, Hoy was good enough to earn five England youth caps during 1967-68, lining up alongside the likes of Peter Shilton, Tony Currie and Steve Kindon, and he became a first team regular at Leeds Road during the successful 1969-70 campaign when the Terriers won the Second Division title, Hoy making 28 league appearances and contributing seven goals as a tricky outside-right, linking well with Frank Worthington.

Huddersfield spent two seasons in the top flight before their rapid descent which saw them relegated to the Fourth Division at the end of the 1974-75 season.

Hoy had left the club before that season was over with 144 league appearances and 18 goals to his name, joining Blackburn Rovers and helping them clinch promotion that term, figuring in seven matches before the season’s close.

Playing only a bit-part role during 1975-76, Hoy then joined Halifax Town, a club which had just been relegated to the league’s basement under Alan Ball Snr.

He became a hugely popular player with the Shaymen, though he served the club for just one season, one which ended in a re-election application. Among highlights, however, were the record-equalling 6-0 thumping of Doncaster Rovers on 2 November 1976, when Hoy weighed in with two goals, and a run to the third round of the FA Cup before the Shaymen succumbed to Second Division Luton Town at The Shay.

Hoy made thirty league appearances and finished with seven goals before leaving for a short spell with York City, then signing for Rochdale in December 1977, making his debut, ironically, in a 3-1 defeat at Halifax Town.

During 1978-79, Hoy was instrumental to Rochdale’s cause as the side pulled from the clutches of the re-election zone under Doug Collins, and his last league goal was a penalty scored against the Shaymen in a 2-2 draw at Spotland on 2 October 1979

Hoy later had a six-game association with non-league Macclesfield Town before giving up the game.

He worked as a delivery parts driver for Vauxhall but still enjoyed performing for audiences as a clubland singer for many years.