Bob Roberts

Robert John Roberts (9 April 1859 – 20 October 1929) was an English football goalkeeper. He spent the majority of his career at West Bromwich Albion, with whom he won an FA Cup winner's medal, and also played for Sunderland Albion and Aston Villa. He won three caps for England and is the first West Bromwich Albion player to have appeared at international level. He was nicknamed Long Bob and The Prince of Goalkeepers.

Club career

Amateur years Roberts was born in West Bromwich as one of five children to James Roberts in April 1859. After leaving Christ Church school Bob became a plasterer by trade, while his interest in sport led him to join the George Salter's Spring Works football team, the West Bromwich Strollers. Twelve months later he helped his team to victory in the 2–1 win over Preston North End in the 1888 final. His performance for Albion was described as "most remarkable" by The Times, while The Standard said that his keeping was "brilliant all through the game".

Roberts played in Albion's first ever Football League match on 8 September 1888, keeping a clean sheet in the 2–0 victory over Stoke (the match was played at Victoria Ground, Stoke ). His appearance made him one of only two players (alongside Ezra Horton) to have played in both Albion's first FA Cup game and their first league game. He was ever-present in that first league season of 1888–89, making 22 appearances and keeping four clean sheets (and kept the opposition to one-in-a-match on four separate occasions. When Bob Roberts played as goalkeeper on 13 October 1888 against Preston North End he was 29 years 187 days old; that made him, on that sixth weekend of League football, West Bromwich Albion' oldest player. In October 1889 he was suspended by the FA for four matches, after he took part in an unsanctioned match at Walsall. He moved back to the North East, where he settled for the remainder of his life, working as a plasterer, and died in Byker on 20 October 1929. England lost 3–2 to Scotland in the match, which was played at Blackburn Rovers' Leamington Road ground. He was so proud of winning his first England cap that he wore it in every subsequent match in which he played.

Roberts won various other representative honours during his career, including an appearance for the Birmingham FA in their 4–1 win against the Sheffield FA. He also turned out for the Players v Gentlemen match at the Kennington Oval and played in a county match for Staffordshire, against Lancashire. When he represented Birmingham for a match against Glasgow, such was his popularity that "dozens, possibly even hundreds" of West Bromwich Albion supporters neglected their own team's match against Walsall Swifts to watch him play. 1887–88

1888–89

1889–90

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1890–91

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1891–92

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1892–93

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