He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan (with whom he won the 1990 Challenge Cup and 1991 Challenge Cup),[5] in Australia for Eastern Suburbs (Reserve Grade), and Leeds, Widnes, St Helens (with whom he won the double of the 1996 Challenge Cup and 1996's Super League I Championship as captain, but lost the Premiership to the Wigan Warriors (the League Leaders' Shield was not introduced until 2003's Super League VIII), and the 1997 Challenge Cup), Huddersfield Giants, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Salford City Reds, Leigh Centurions,[6][7] the Rochdale Hornets and after a 9-year hiatus the Barrow Raiders, usually as a scrum-half, but also as a stand-off, and has coached at representative level for France, and at club level for the Rochdale Hornets and the Barrow Raiders.

[8] Unable to establish a regular place in the first team ahead of Andy Gregory and Shaun Edwards, he joined Leeds later that year for a fee of £100,000.

[10] Goulding captained St Helens at scrum-half in the 1996 Challenge Cup Final, kicking four conversions and helping his team to a 40–32 victory over Bradford Bulls.

[11] Bobbie Goulding played scrum-half, and scored two conversions in St. Helens' 16–25 defeat by Wigan in the 1995–96 Regal Trophy Final during the 1995–96 at Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield on Saturday 13 January 1996.

[13] On his return to the side, he helped St. Helens win the Challenge Cup final for the second consecutive year, kicking six goals in a 32–22 victory over the Bradford Bulls.

[15] Despite the controversies during the season, Goulding was selected to play for Great Britain at scrum-half in all three matches of the Super League Test series against Australia.

[16] He went on to play for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Salford City Reds before ending his career as a player-coach with Rochdale Hornets, with his final appearance as a player coming in 2005.