About
Bob Utber has spent a lifetime watching, playing, talking and writing about sport.
Based in Victoria's Sunraysia region, he's been a fixture of Australian sporting culture for decades. On the airwaves with ABC Radio on Saturday mornings and in the pages of The Footy Almanac.
A proud MCC member for more than thirty years, Bob brings the same curiosity and warmth to his writing as he does to the people and places that fill his world.
The Books
35 Not Out
"And Still Going Gtrong"
A short history of the Sunraysia Willowfest Carnival, the Australian Cricket Club Championship that's drawn clubs from across the country to the Sunraysia region for over three decades.
A View From Fine Leg
The Sporting Life Of 'Citrus Bob' Utber
Part memoir, part love letter to sport. This book traces an extraordinary life marked by triumph and heartbreak, told with a born storyteller's honest, unhurried voice. From cricket grounds to football ovals, from Mildura to the MCG, it's the story of a life lived fully and observed keenly.
And They're Racing
Celebrating the sesquicentennial of horse racing in Wentworth
Written as Robert Utber, this book marks 150 years of horse racing in Wentworth, NSW, a region bound by the confluence of the Murray and Darling rivers. History, community, and the deep roots of racing culture in regional Australia.
Citrus Bob's Ashes Diary 2021–22
with a touch of Lemon
Bob's account of the 2021–22 Ashes series in Australia, told through watercolour sketches and the keen eye of a lifelong cricket lover. A punter's-eye view of Test cricket at its most contested.
Citrus Bob's Ashes Diary 2025–26
with Heather Lee, Dan Lonergan, John Butler & Russel Hansen
The follow-up diary covering the 2025–26 Ashes series in Australia, brought to life with photography and collaborative storytelling. A celebration of Test cricket's greatest rivalry, from the stands and beyond.
Heart And Soul
A History Of The Lang Lang Football Club 1895–2020
A comprehensive history of one of Victoria's enduring community football clubs, spanning 125 years from the late nineteenth century through to 2020. Bob Utber brings the same passion for people and place that defines all his writing.
Roy Boy
The Untold Story Of The Enigmatic Sportsman Chris Kiernan
Bob Utber tells the remarkable life of Chris Kiernan, a forgotten figure of Australian sport whose story deserved to be told. Compelling, warm, and resolutely human.
Writing & Broadcasting
Bob is a regular contributor to The Footy Almanac and has spent years bringing sport to life. His writing spans cricket, football, travel, art and the people who make Australian sporting culture.
- Regular contributor, The Footy Almanac
- Saturday morning sport, ABC Radio
- Cricket, AFL, and the culture that surrounds them
- Travel writing: sporting odysseys across the globe
Art & Curation
Beyond the written word, Bob curates exhibitions that explore sport and art. His recurring exhibition The Art of Football has been staged at regional galleries including Gallery F in Mildura, drawing together artists who see football through fresh eyes.
For Bob, art and sport share common ground: both demand close observation, honest feeling, and the courage to see something others miss.