Dudley Roberts

{{Short description|English footballer (1945–2024)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}

{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Dudley Roberts

| full_name = Dudley Edward Roberts

| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|10|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Derby, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|7|3|1945|10|16|df=y}}

| death_place =

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}

| position = Striker

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1963–1968

| clubs1 = Coventry City

| caps1 = 12

| goals1 = 6

| years2 = 1968–1974

| clubs2 = Mansfield Town

| caps2 = 200

| goals2 = 66

| years3 = 1973

| clubs3 = → Doncaster Rovers (loan)

| caps3 = 7

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1974–1976

| clubs4 = Scunthorpe United

| caps4 = 59

| goals4 = 17

| totalcaps = 278

| totalgoals = 89

}}

Dudley Edward Roberts (16 October 1945 – 3 July 2024)[https://www.awassfuneraldirectors.co.uk/om3WAXtf5/Dudley-Dud-Edward-Roberts Dudley 'Dud' Edward Roberts] was an English footballer who played in The Football League for four clubs in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a tall centre-forward who is probably best remembered from his six-year spell at Mansfield Town.

Roberts was born in Derby, the son of former Coventry City striker Ted Roberts. He began his career at his father's old club, signing a professional contract in November 1963. However, despite a good goalscoring record, he only played a handful of games for the Sky Blues, and moved to Mansfield Town in March 1968, making his debut against Brighton & Hove Albion.{{cite book|author1=Bracegirdle, Dave |author2=Hartshorn, Steve| title=The Legends of Mansfield Town| publisher=Breedon Books| year=2004| isbn=1-85983-435-3}}

Roberts' greatest moment of fame came on 26 February 1969, when Roberts scored the first goal in Mansfield's shock 3–0 win against West Ham United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.{{cite web| url=http://www.stagsnet.net/vintage/reports/whu.html| title=Mansfield Town 3, West Ham United 0| publisher=Stagsnet| access-date=7 September 2009}} The following year, he had a goal disallowed when Mansfield lost 2–0 against Leeds United, also in the fifth round of the FA Cup.{{cite web| url=http://www.thestags.freeserve.co.uk/leedfa.html| title=Leeds United 2, Mansfield Town 0| publisher=Stagsnet| access-date=7 September 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090504003519/http://www.thestags.freeserve.co.uk/leedfa.html| archive-date=4 May 2009| df=dmy-all}} He also had a goal disallowed in the goalless draw against Liverpool the same year in the League Cup, denying Mansfield a famous victory.{{cite web| url=http://www.thestags.freeserve.co.uk/liver1.html| title=Mansfield Town 0, Liverpool 0| publisher=Stagsnet| access-date=7 September 2009| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828135649/http://www.thestags.freeserve.co.uk/liver1.html| archive-date=28 August 2008| df=dmy-all}}

In league competition, Roberts was Mansfield's top scorer in 1969–70 and 1970–71. He scored four goals in Mansfield's 6–2 win against Tranmere Rovers on 27 February 1971,{{cite web| url=http://www.stagsnet.net/vintage/reports/tranmere71.htm| title=Mansfield Town 6, Tranmere Rovers 2| publisher=Stagsnet| access-date=7 September 2009}} and also scored a hat-trick on two other occasions.

Roberts left Mansfield in the February 1974, having scored 73 goals in 230 games for the club. He subsequently joined Scunthorpe United. He also had a short loan spell at Doncaster Rovers in early 1973. He retired from the game in 1976 due to injury, and settled in the Mansfield area.

Roberts died on 6 July 2024, at the age of 78.[https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2024/july/05/dudley-roberts--1945---2024/ Dudley Roberts: 1945 – 2024]