Footballer and corner-shop entrepreneur. Born in the St. Rollox district of Glasgow, and raised in Mount Florida, McColl left school at thirteen to work as a clerk. He began his footballing career with the junior club Benmore in 1892, moving to Queen's Park in 1894, before becoming a professional with Newcastle United (1901-04). He returned to Glasgow to play for Rangers (1904-07). A prolific goal-scorer, McColl was described as the greatest centre forward in the world of his time. He also played for the Scottish national team on 13 occasions and scored 13 goals.
Realising that his football career would fade, he used the £300 he had received for moving to Newcastle United to open a small confectionery shop with his brother on Queen Margaret Drive in Glasgow. This brought him the nickname of 'Toffee Bob'. By the mid-1920s the pair had built a chain of 150 shops in Scotland, the north of England and Northern Ireland. However, they lost a fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and were forced to sell the company to Cadburys, although McColl and his brother remained as directors.
He died in Newton Mearns (East Renfrewshire) and lies buried at Cathcart Cemetery (Glasgow). McColl was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2011. The R.S. McColl chain entered receivership in 2022 and was bought by Wm. Morrison Supermarkets.
