Robert McRoberts (12 July 1874 – 27 February 1959) was a Scottish professional
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player and manager. He played as a
centre forward.
McRoberts was born in
Coatbridge
Coatbridge ( sco, Cotbrig or Coatbrig, gd, Drochaid a' Chòta) is a town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, about east of Glasgow city centre, set in the central Lowlands. Along with neighbouring town Airdrie, North Lanarkshire, Airdrie, Coatbrid ...
, Scotland. He started his football career at
Airdrieonians and
Albion Rovers in the
Scottish League
The Scottish Football League (SFL) was a league featuring professional and semi-professional football clubs mostly from Scotland.One club, Berwick Rangers, is based in the town of Berwick-upon-Tweed, which is located approximately 4 km sout ...
,
and went on to play for
Gainsborough Trinity
Gainsborough Trinity Football Club is a football club based in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. Established in 1873, the club became members of the Football League in 1893 and remained members of the Second Division until 1912, making Gainsbo ...
,
Small Heath
Small Heath is an area in south-east Birmingham, West Midlands, England situated on and around the Coventry Road about from the city centre.
History
Small Heath, which has been settled and used since Roman times, sits on top of a small hill. ...
(Birmingham) and
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, where he also played as a
defender, in the
Football League. He was Small Heath's leading goalscorer for three successive seasons, from
1899–1900 to
1901–02, and was Chelsea's first ever £100 signing, playing in their first League game in September 1905. On 4 November 1905, as Chelsea beat
Barnsley 6–0 in a home league match, McRoberts scored the club's first-ever penalty.
After retirement, he came back to Birmingham where in June 1911 he was appointed their first full-time professional team manager.
Previously the team had been selected by a committee. He managed the club for four years.
McRoberts died in
Birkenhead
Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...
, England, at the age of 84.
Sources
*
*
References
External links
Chelsea F.C. official website
1874 births
1959 deaths
Footballers from Coatbridge
Scottish men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
Airdrieonians F.C. (1878) players
Albion Rovers F.C. players
Gainsborough Trinity F.C. players
Birmingham City F.C. players
Chelsea F.C. players
English Football League players
Scottish Football League players
Scottish football managers
Birmingham City F.C. managers
English Football League managers
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