Bill Robertson (English footballer)

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Not to be confused with Bill Robertson (Scottish footballer), Chelsea goalkeeper of the 1940s and 1950s.

Bill Robertson
Personal information
Full name William Harold Robertson[1]
Date of birth (1923-03-25)25 March 1923[1]
Place of birth Crowthorne, England[1]
Date of death 15 March 2003(2003-03-15) (aged 79)
Place of death Hanworth, England
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
– Crowthorne BC
– Camberley ATC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– RAF Lossiemouth
1945–1948 Chelsea 37 (0)
1948–1952 Birmingham City 2 (0)
1952–1960 Stoke City 238 (0)
Total 277 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Harold Robertson (25 March 1923 – 15 March 2003) was an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Chelsea, Birmingham City and Stoke City.[1][2] He played as a goalkeeper.

Career[edit]

Robertson was born in Crowthorne, Berkshire. In youth football he played as a centre forward, only switching to goalkeeping while in the Royal Air Force stationed at Lossiemouth during the Second World War. He signed for Chelsea in October 1945,[3] and played 43 times in all competitions for the first team[4] before moving to Birmingham City in December 1948. This move failed to improve matters, as Robertson found himself behind Gil Merrick in the pecking order and played just three times in 3+1⁄2 years.[3]

He became new Stoke City manager Frank Taylor's first signing in the summer of 1952 as he saw him as a replacement for the ageing Dennis Herod.[1] He had an awful first season with the club breaking his leg against Manchester City on 20 December 1952 after 19 matches during which time he had conceded 38 goals and the 1952–53 season ended with relegation to the Second Division.[1] He recovered from his injury and became first choice 'keeper under Taylor as Stoke failed to gain a return to the top-flight, narrowly missed out in 1954–55, 1956–57 and 1958–59 finishing 5th three times.[1] Stoke had an awful 1959–60 campaign which saw Taylor sacked by the board and new manager Tony Waddington signed Everton's Jimmy O'Neill and Robertson decided to retire.[1]

After retirement from football he kept a newsagents' in Bucknell, Shropshire, before returning to the south of England in 1963.[3] He moved to Hanworth, Middlesex, where he again kept a newsagents' shop until his retirement.[1]

Career statistics[edit]

Source:[5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Chelsea 1945–46 – 0 0 6 0 6 0
1946–47 First Division 22 0 0 0 22 0
1947–48 15 0 0 0 15 0
Total 37 0 6 0 43 0
Birmingham City 1948–49 First Division 1 0 1 0 2 0
1949–50 0 0 0 0 0 0
1950–51 Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0
1951–52 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 2 0 1 0 3 0
Stoke City 1952–53 First Division 19 0 0 0 19 0
1953–54 Second Division 32 0 3 0 35 0
1954–55 41 0 1 0 42 0
1955–56 36 0 5 0 41 0
1956–57 42 0 1 0 43 0
1957–58 18 0 0 0 18 0
1958–59 31 0 0 0 31 0
1959–60 19 0 2 0 21 0
Total 238 0 12 0 250 0
Career total 277 0 19 0 296 0

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "Bill Robertson". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  3. ^ a b c Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 120. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  4. ^ "Bill H Robertson". Chelsea F.C. Retrieved 29 May 2009.
  5. ^ Bill Robertson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

External links[edit]

  • Bill Robertson at Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database
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