Graham Roberts

Graham Paul Roberts (born 3 July 1959) is an English retired footballer and manager who played as a defender for numerous clubs including Tottenham Hotspur (where he won the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup), Rangers (where he won the Scottish League and Scottish League Cup), Chelsea (where he won the Second Division) and West Bromwich Albion. He was also capped six times by England. He subsequently served as the head coach of the Pakistan national team and Nepal national team.

Playing career

Early career

Roberts was born in Southampton, and joined his local club, Southampton F.C, as an associate schoolboy in October 1973, but failed to make the grade and was released, joining Portsmouth in March 1977. He was sold to Dorchester Town where he impressed before joining local rivals Weymouth. From there he was sold to Tottenham Hotspur in May 1980 for £35,000.

Tottenham Hotspur

Roberts was a member of the successful Tottenham Hotspur side of the early 1980s, winning the FA Cup in 1981 and 1982. With Steve Perryman suspended, Roberts captained the side as Tottenham won the 1984 UEFA Cup, scoring in the second leg of the final against Anderlecht.

Rangers

He moved to Rangers in 1986 for £450,000 and won the Scottish Premier Division in his first full season and the Scottish League Cup a year later. Whilst at Rangers he was involved in a controversial Old Firm derby at Ibrox Park on 17 October 1987. During a very bad-tempered match three players were sent off and in the aftermath Roberts, his team-mates Terry Butcher and Chris Woods and Celtic player Frank McAvennie were all charged with conduct likely to provoke a breach of the peace. McAvennie was found not guilty, while Roberts was found not proven, although Butcher and Woods were both convicted and fined. During the course of the match Roberts, who had taken over as goalkeeper after Woods was sent off, was involved in a second controversy when he "conducted" Rangers supporters in a rendition of "The Sash", although Roberts would subsequently claim that he did not realise they were singing that song, a traditional Ulster loyalist anthem, when he made the gesture.

Chelsea

He joined Chelsea in August 1988 for £475,000 and helped the side emphatically win the Second Division championship in 1988–89.

West Bromwich Albion

He later moved to West Bromwich Albion, where he played out the remainder of his professional career.

International career

Roberts won six caps for England.

Coaching career

Roberts was manager of Enfield from 1992 until 1994, and went on to manage Yeovil Town between 1995 and 1998. He was later manager of Chesham United during the 1998–99 season. He was appointed manager to Hertford Town in 2000, but left in February 2001 when he became manager of Isthmian League club Boreham Wood. Despite leading the club to Division One title, he resigned from the post in July. He was then appointed manager of Carshalton Athletic, who he guided to the Isthmian League Division One South title in 2002–03 before leaving the club. Roberts briefly managed Braintree Town at the end of the 2003–04 season.

In June 2005, Roberts was appointed manager of Clyde. He only had three players under contract, and held open trials in an attempt to get new players. Roberts gave the supporters their greatest day in years, when his Clyde side defeated Celtic in the Scottish Cup in January 2006. Earlier in the season, Clyde took Rangers to extra time at Ibrox Stadium in the Scottish League Cup. Roberts was sacked by Clyde in August 2006 after allegations he made racist remarks. An employment tribunal found that the allegations were "either highly exaggerated or possibly not true" and awarded Roberts £32,000 compensation for unfair dismissal.

In September 2010, he was hired as consultant to the Pakistan national football team to assist the coaching staff. Roberts was appointed as head coach in the following month.

He then joined the Nepal national football team in January 2011. In March 2012, he stepped down as coach after a 3–0 defeat to Turkmenistan in the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup.

Honours

As a player

Tottenham Hotspur
* FA Cup: 1980–81, 1981–82
* FA Charity Shield: 1981 (shared)
* UEFA Cup: 1983–84

Rangers
* Scottish Football League Premier Division: 1986–87
* Scottish League Cup: 1987–88

Chelsea
* Football League Second Division: 1988–89

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Graham
1959 births
Footballers from Southampton
Living people
English footballers
Chelsea F.C. players
Dorchester Town F.C. players
Portsmouth F.C. players
Rangers F.C. players
Slough Town F.C. players
Southampton F.C. players
Stevenage F.C. players
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players
West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
Chesham United F.C. players
Weymouth F.C. players
Yeovil Town F.C. players
English Football League players
Scottish Football League players
National League (English football) players
England international footballers
England B international footballers
English football managers
English expatriate football managers
Enfield F.C. managers
Chesham United F.C. managers
Yeovil Town F.C. managers
Hertford Town F.C. managers
Boreham Wood F.C. managers
Carshalton Athletic F.C. managers
Braintree Town F.C. managers
Clyde F.C. managers
Pakistan national football team managers
Expatriate football managers in Pakistan
Nepal national football team managers
Scottish Football League managers
English expatriate sportspeople in Pakistan
Association football defenders
UEFA Cup winning players
Outfield association footballers who played in goal
FA Cup Final players
English expatriate sportspeople in Nepal