Bob Wall (football administrator)

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William Robert "Bob" Wall is or was an English football administrator, who spent his entire career with Arsenal Football Club.

Born in 1912, he went to school in the Highbury area and attended Finsbury Park commercial college.^[1] He joined Arsenal in 1928 as a clerical worker, handling the club's box office and the personal correspondence of manager Herbert Chapman.^[1] He soon gained the trust of Chapman, and became his assistant who transfer deals. In his very first deal at Chapman's side, when Chapman signed David Jack from Bolton Wanderers, Wall would later recall that Chapman made sure the Bolton directors' drinks contained double measure while his own had no alcohol whatsoever; while the Bolton directors got very drunk, Chapman managed to haggle down the fee to a price he considered a bargain.^[2]

Wall continued to work for Arsenal for nearly fifty years; he became assistant secretary in 1950 and secretary of Arsenal Football Club six years later,^[3] after secretary-manager Tom Whittaker had died; the club decided to split the role, with Jack Crayston taking over the role of manager.^[4] Described by Arsenal captain Frank McLintock as "an authoritarian personality",^[5], Wall would eventually come to be effectively in charge of the club's day-to-day running with the board of directors taking a backseat role.^[6]

In 1973 Wall became Arsenal's general manager, with Ken Friar succeeding him as secretary.^[4] In the meantime, in 1969 he had published his own account of life at the club, in the book Arsenal from the Heart (ISBN 0285502611). He retired from his position 1977, accepting a position on the club's board,^[7] where he remained until 1980.^[3]