Bill Robertson (English footballer)
{{Short description|English footballer}}
{{Distinguish|text=Bill Robertson (Scottish footballer), Chelsea goalkeeper of the 1940s and 1950s}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bill Robertson
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = William Harold Robertson
| height =
| position = Goalkeeper
| birth_date = {{birth date|1923|3|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = Crowthorne, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|3|15|1923|3|25|df=y}}
| death_place = Hanworth, England
| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Crowthorne BC
| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = Camberley ATC
| years1 = | clubs1 = RAF Lossiemouth | caps1 = | goals1 =
| years2 = 1945–1948 | clubs2 = Chelsea | caps2 = 37 | goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1948–1952 | clubs3 = Birmingham City| caps3 = 2 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1952–1960 | clubs4 = Stoke City | caps4 = 238 | goals4 = 0
| totalcaps = 277 | totalgoals = 0
}}
William Harold Robertson (25 March 1923 – 15 March 2003) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League for Chelsea, Birmingham City and Stoke City.{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player1/billrobertson.html |title=Bill Robertson |work=UK A–Z Transfers |publisher=Neil Brown |accessdate=29 May 2009}} He played as a goalkeeper.
Career
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,{{cite book |last=Matthews |first=Tony |title=Birmingham City: A Complete Record |year=1995 |publisher=Breedon Books |location=Derby |page=120 |isbn=978-1-85983-010-9}} and played 43 times in all competitions for the first team{{cite web |url=http://theblues.chelseafc.com/cgi-bin/playersearch.pl?Bill%20H%20ROBERTSON |title=Bill H Robertson |publisher=Chelsea F.C. |accessdate=29 May 2009}} 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 {{frac|3|1|2}} years.
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. 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. 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. 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.
After retirement from football he kept a newsagents' in Bucknell, Shropshire, before returning to the south of England in 1963. He moved to Hanworth, Middlesex, where he again kept a newsagents' shop until his retirement.
Career statistics
Source:{{ENFA}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | |||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !rowspan="2"|Division !colspan="2"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Chelsea
|– |0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 1946–47
|rowspan="2"|First Division |22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| 1947–48
|15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| rowspan="5"|Birmingham City
|rowspan="2"|First Division |1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1949–50
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950–51
|rowspan="2"|Second Division |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1951–52
|1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| rowspan="9"|Stoke City
|19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 1953–54
|rowspan="7"|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 |
| colspan="2"|Total
!238 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 250 | 0 |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!277 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 296 | 0 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{NeilBrownPlayers|player1/billrobertson}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Bill}}
Category:People from Crowthorne
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players
Category:Stoke City F.C. players
Category:English Football League players
Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II
Category:Royal Air Force airmen
Category:Military personnel from Berkshire