In July 1955, Bobby Ancell became the third manager of Motherwell Football Club. He would be in charge of the side for ten years, a time in which he was responsible for changing the entire face of Scottish Football. Bobby was to sign a clutch of extremely talented young players, many of whom would go on to be honoured at international level and of course they picked up the nickname, the ‘Ancell Babes’. Players such as Andy Weir, Pat Quinn, Sammy Reid, Johnny Martis, Ian St John and a host of others featured during the reign of Ancell and gave the club sterling service. In his first year in charge, the club would finish tenth, but from there on in, the talented ‘Ancell Babes’ would go on to finish 7th, 8th, 3rd, 5th, 5th, and then 9th. Soon after challenging at the top end of many years however, the side started to slip down further and he eventually left the post in June 1965. His successor came in the shape of Bobby Howitt.

Name:	Robert Francis Dudgeon Ancell
Date of Birth:	16th June 1911
Place of Birth:	Dumfries
Playing Position:	Defender
Nationality:	Scottish

Management Career:

	Berwick Rangers	1950	1952
	Dunfermline Athletic	1952	1955
	Motherwell	1955	1965
	Dundee	1965	1968

Playing Career:

	Mid-Annandale	–	–
	St Mirren	1930	1937
	Newcastle United	1936	1939
	Dundee	1946	1948
	Aberdeen	1948	1949
	Dundee	1949	1950