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

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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 {{Scotland-footy-forward-1870s-stub