Bill Robinson (English footballer)
{{short description|English footballer and manager}}
{{distinguish|Billy Robinson (English footballer)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bill Robinson
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=y|1919|4|4}}
| birth_place = Whitburn, County Durham, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1992|10|7|1919|4|4}}
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}{{cite magazine| magazine=Ex Magazine| title=Electric Bill| last=Crane| first=Tim| pages=24–30| edition=63| date=2012}}
| position = Forward
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Hylton Colliery Juniors
| years1 = 1935–1939
| years2 = 1946–1949
| years3 = 1949–1952
| clubs1 = Sunderland
| clubs2 = Charlton Athletic
| clubs3 = West Ham United
| caps1 = 24
| caps2 = 52
| caps3 = 101
| goals1 = 14
| goals2 = 16
| goals3 = 60
| totalcaps = 177
| totalgoals = 90
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 =
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| manageryears1 = 1959–1962
| managerclubs1 = Hartlepools United
}}
Bill Robinson (4 April 1919 – 7 October 1992) was an English professional footballer who played in the Football League as a centre forward for Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and West Ham United. He later became assistant manager at West Ham United and went on to manage Hartlepools United.
Career
Robinson was born in Whitburn and played for Hylton Colliery before joining Sunderland as an apprentice at the age of 15.{{NeilBrownPlayers|player6/billrobinson|accessdate=22 November 2017}}{{cite web| url=http://theyflysohigh.co.uk/bill-robinson/4576040026| title=Bill Robinson (1919–1992)| first=Roger| last=Hillier| website=theyflysohigh.co.uk| accessdate=22 November 2017}} His Sunderland debut came against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 30 August 1937 and he made 10 League appearances, scoring 3 goals in 1937–38.{{cite web| url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Match.aspx?MatchID=2858&LU=S&LUID=59| title=1937–38 Football League Division 1 – Match 2| website=thestatcat.co.uk| accessdate=27 November 2017}}{{cite web| url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Season.aspx?SeasonID=59| title=1937–38 Football League Division 1| website=thestatcat.co.uk| accessdate=27 November 2017}} He then played 14 League games in 1938–39, scoring 11 goals.{{cite web| url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Season.aspx?SeasonID=60| title=1938–39 Football League Division 1| website=thestatcat.co.uk| accessdate=27 November 2017}} On 4 March 1939, just short of his 20th birthday, he scored four goals in a 5–2 win against Manchester United. This included a four-minute hat-trick starting in the 60th minute, before netting his fourth near the end.{{cite web| url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Match.aspx?MatchID=2839&LU=S&LUID=60| title=1938–39: Football League Division 1 – Match 30| website=thestatcat.co.uk| accessdate=22 November 2017}}
He made a total of 27 First Division appearances for Sunderland. However, his three in the 1939–40 season were voided due to the abandonment of the League after war broke out.{{cite book |last=Hogg |first=Tony |title=Who's Who of West Ham United |year=2005 |publisher=Profile Sports Media| isbn= 1-903135-50-8 |pages=176–177}}{{cite web| url=http://www.thestatcat.co.uk/Player.aspx?PlayerID=717| title=Bill Robinson| website=thestatcat.co.uk| accessdate=22 November 2017}}
During World War II, Robinson was conscripted for national service and served with the Durham Light Infantry, once scoring four goals while playing for them against his old team Sunderland. He made an appearance for the Combined Services C.M.F. in a game against a Combined Services B.A.O.R. team at the Arena Milan on 13 December 1945, and guested for Stoke City, Luton Town and Hamilton Academical. He also played for Charlton Athletic, winning the War Cup South final at Wembley Stadium with the club in 1944.{{cite web| url=http://www.lookandlearn.com/childrens-newspaper/CN551203-008.pdf| title=Allenby Chilton| work=The Children's Newspaper| date=3 December 1955| via=Look and Learn Magazine| archive-url=https://archive.today/20171126155349/http://www.lookandlearn.com/childrens-newspaper/CN551203-008.pdf| archivedate=26 November 2017| url-status=dead| df=dmy-all}}
He officially joined Charlton Athletic, also of the First Division, in May 1946,.{{cite web| url=https://www.11v11.com/players/bill-robinson-38793/| title=Bill Robinson| website=11v11.com| publisher=Association of Football Statisticians| accessdate=26 November 2017}} He was part of the team that won the 1946–47 FA Cup, scoring the winner in the fourth-round,{{cite web| url=https://www.cafc.co.uk/news/view/595526ab4ab7c/history-how-the-addicks-lifted-the-fa-cup-in-1947| title=How the Addicks lifted the FA Cup in 1947| publisher=Charlton Athletic F.C.| date=26 April 2017| accessdate=26 November 2017}} and returned to Wembley for the Final, setting up the only goal of the game for Chris Duffy.{{cite web| url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1947.htm| title=1947 | website=fa-cupfinals.co.uk| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206202211/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1947.htm| archivedate=6 December 2009| url-status=dead}} The 1947 Cup Final was played on 26 April, the day his son Robert was born.{{cite news| title = Emotional return for son of ex-Pools manager | newspaper=Hartlepool Mail | date = 1 November 2011 | accessdate = 22 November 2017 | url = https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/emotional-return-for-son-of-ex-pools-manager-1-3924139}} He scored 18 goals in 60 League and cup appearances for the Addicks.
Second Division team West Ham United then signed him for a fee of £7,000, also buying his house in Welling as part of the deal. A week after signing for the club, Robinson scored on his debut, a 1–2 away win against West Bromwich Albion on 15 January 1949.{{cite web| url=http://www.westhamstats.info/westham.php?west=2&ham=558&united=Bill_Robinson| title=Bill Robinson| website=westhamstats.info| accessdate=11 February 2007}} He followed this up with a goal in his next game, and managed 10 goals in his first 11 games, including his first of two hat-tricks for the club, against Leicester City on 15 April 1949. He ended his debut season as the club's second-highest scorer behind Ken Wright.
The following season, 1949–50, he scored nine goals in the first nine games. He scored in his first FA Cup game for the club, in the 5–1 defeat of Ipswich Town on 7 January 1950.
The following season saw Robinson's second hat-trick, in a 5–3 home defeat to Sheffield United, as well as five braces. He twice managed to score in five consecutive League games (between 9 September and 7 October, and between 30 December and 17 February). He held the post-war scoring record at West Ham, with his haul of 26 goals in 40 League games in 1950–51. The record would not be surpassed until 1958–59, when John Dick scored 27.{{cite book|last1=Northcutt |first1=John |last2=Marsh |first2=Steve |title=West Ham United: The Complete Record| year=2015| publisher=deCoubertin Books| isbn=978-1-909245-27-3| pages=532–533}} At this point, he was fourth in West Ham's all-time goalscorers list, behind Vic Watson, Jimmy Ruffell and Syd Puddefoot.
The 1951-52 season saw Robinson play in the first four games of the season. He played his final game for the Irons on 29 August 1951 and, bar some reserve team games, did not feature again due to a persistent knee injury.{{cite web| url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/bury-v-west-ham-united-29-august-1951-106009/| title=Bury v West Ham United, 29 August 1951| website=11v11.com| publisher=Association of Football Statisticians| accessdate=22 November 2017}} In all, Robinson made 105 appearances and scored 61 goals for the Upton Park club.{{cite web| url=https://www.whufc.com/news/articles/2015/november/20-november/founder-its-blood| title=Founder – 'It's in the blood'| publisher=West Ham United F.C.| date=20 November 2015| accessdate=26 November 2017}}
Robinson stayed at West Ham United following his injury. He was initially given the task of providing opposition reports to Ted Fenton and the management team. He then joined the coaching staff, looking after the youth team and helping to produce players such as Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst. He guided the U18s to the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 1954, and the final in 1957. He was promoted to assistant to Ted Fenton in 1957 and was responsible for coaching the first team. Under their guidance West Ham were promoted to Division One at the end of the 1957–58 season.
After this success, he left to return to his native north east to become manager of Hartlepools United in November 1959.{{cite web| url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/bill-robinson/| title=Bill Robinson| publisher=League Managers Association| accessdate=26 November 2017| archive-date=1 December 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201032552/http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/bill-robinson/| url-status=dead}}
The 1961–62 season proved to be his last in football. Robinson was sacked after Hartlepools finished 22nd in the Fourth Division and narrowly avoided relegation.{{cite web | title = Cash the key to future of the Vic | publisher=BBC Tees | date = 3 September 2010 | accessdate = 26 November 2017 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/tees/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8964000/8964237.stm}} He left the role on 30 June 1962 and was succeeded by Allenby Chilton,{{cite web| url=http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=1190&teamTabs=managers| title=Hartlepool Manager History| work=Soccerbase| accessdate=21 November 2017}} an old Hylton friend and former Charlton teammate during the war.
Career statistics
=Playing statistics=
=Managerial statistics=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center" | |||||||
| Club | From | class="unsortable"|To | P | W | D | L | Win%Win% is rounded to two decimal places |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left|Hartlepool United{{cite web| url=http://www.poolstats.co.uk/staff/012.htm| title=Bill Robinson| website=poolstats.co.uk| accessdate=26 November 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028230614/http://www.poolstats.co.uk/staff/012.htm| archive-date=28 October 2007| url-status=dead}}
|{{dts|1 November 1959|format=my|abbr=on}} |{{dts|30 June 1962|format=my|abbr=on}} {{WDL|125|27|24|74}} |
Notes
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Hartlepool United F.C. managers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Bill}}
Category:Footballers from Whitburn, Tyne and Wear
Category:English men's footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Hylton Colliery Welfare F.C. players
Category:Sunderland A.F.C. players
Category:British Army personnel of World War II
Category:Durham Light Infantry soldiers
Category:Stoke City F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Luton Town F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Hamilton Academical F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. wartime guest players
Category:Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Category:West Ham United F.C. players
Category:Hartlepool United F.C. managers
Category:English Football League players
Category:English football managers
Category:English Football League managers
Category:West Ham United F.C. non-playing staff