Bobby Robson

Lore & Background

Robson was born in Sacriston, County Durham, the fourth of five sons of Philip and Lilian Robson. His family moved to Langley Park when he was a few months old. He attended Langley Park Primary School and Waterhouses secondary modern school. He left school aged 15 to work as an electrician's apprentice for the National Coal Board. He signed for Fulham in May 1950. He played for Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and Vancouver Royals. He made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals. He managed Fulham, Ipswich Town, England, PSV, Sporting CP, Porto, Barcelona, and Newcastle United. He was created a Knight Bachelor in 2002 and inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He was honorary president of Ipswich Town. He died on 31 July 2009.

Reader's Guide

Robson's professional playing career as an inside forward spanned nearly 20 years. He made his first-team debut for Fulham in 1950. He transferred to West Bromwich Albion in March 1956 for a club-record £25,000. He captained West Brom for the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons. He returned to Fulham in August 1962. He left Fulham in 1967 to join Vancouver Royals as player-manager. He made his managerial debut at Fulham in January 1968. He managed England to the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He won league championships in the Netherlands and Portugal, and trophies in England and Spain. He was the last English manager to win a European competition in 1997. His final official club job was at Newcastle United, which he left in 2004. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Republic of Ireland national team.

Did You Know?

• Robson had partial deafness in one ear, which rendered him ineligible for national service.
• He was an electrician's apprentice before turning professional.
• He scored four goals in a 5–1 win against Burnley in the 1957–58 season.
• He was selected for the 1958 and 1962 FIFA World Cup squads.
• He put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity.