Les Robson

Charles Leslie Robson (born 1 November 1931) was an English footballer who scored 22 goals from 83 appearances in the Football League playing on the left wing for Hull City, Darlington and Crewe Alexandra. He was on the books of Liverpool, but never played for the first team, and also played non-league football for clubs including Goole Town.[2]

Les Robson
Personal information
Full name Charles Leslie Robson[1]
Date of birth (1931-11-01)1 November 1931[2]
Place of birth South Shields,[2] England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[3]
Playing position(s) Left winger
Youth career
– North Hull Juniors
1948–1950 Hull City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1950–1953 Hull City 3 (1)
1953–1955 Darlington 66 (19)
1955–1956 Liverpool 0 (0)
1956 Crewe Alexandra 14 (2)
1956–19?? Goole Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Robson was born in South Shields, County Durham.[2] He attended Hull Grammar School and played football for North Hull Juniors,[4] from where he joined Hull City in 1948.[5] In the 1949–50 season, Robson played for the East Riding of Yorkshire team in the county youth championships;[6] the Hull Daily Mail remarked on his speed and clever ball-play.[7] The "wiry and shrewd" Robson also appeared in the Northern Intermediate League's first representative match, against the Lancashire League.[8] In March 1950, he was rewarded with a "well-earned promotion" from Hull City Juniors to the "A" team, playing in the Yorkshire League,[9] and the following season made his first appearance for the reserves.[10]

He scored freely in the Midland League, and the Yorkshire Evening Post predicted his inclusion in the first team for the November 1951 Second Division match against Birmingham City in place of Charlie Nicklas, who had himself only recently made his senior debut.[11] He was not selected for that match, but after Hull's attempt to sign former Scotland international winger Jimmy Delaney fell through, Robson came into the team to face Nottingham Forest a fortnight later.[12] Hull lost 4–1, but Robson kept his place for the next game, a 2–1 defeat at Brentford. He scored his side's goal, Hull's first from open play in five games, despite intending his left-wing cross as a centre for Nicklas.[13] Neither youngster was retained for the next match.[14] Robson stood in for the ageing Raich Carter for the Christmas Day visit to Blackburn Rovers,[15] another defeat, but that was his last appearance for Hull.[16]

Both Robson and Nicklas signed for Third Division North club Darlington in the summer of 1953.[17] Robson spent two seasons with the club, and scored 19 league goals. He began his Darlington career brightly, with the opening goal in an eventful 2–2 draw away to Bradford in September 1953,[18] a shot via the foot of the post to secure a 3–3 draw at York City two weeks later,[19] a goal in a 1–1 draw at Carlisle United in October[20] and another the following Saturday to help Darlington beat Accrington Stanley 4–1.[21] He spent two seasons with the club, scoring 19 league goals from 66 matches,[1] and his performances attracted the attention of Second Division club Liverpool. He signed in the summer of 1955,[5] and scored on his debut for their reserve team in the Central League,[22] but never made a first-team appearance.[1] In January 1956, he moved back to the Third Division with Crewe Alexandra,[23] with whom he finished the season, scoring twice in 14 league games,[1] and then dropped into non-league football with Goole Town.[5]

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References
  1. "Les Robson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  2. "Les Robson". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  3. "Liverpool staff list for 1955–56". Liverpool Echo. 27 August 1955. Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via KjellHansen.com.
  4. 'Marksman' (13 May 1950). "Sports Gossip". Daily Mail. Hull. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Preview: The alternative Liverpool (a) preview". Hull City Independent. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  6. "E.R.C.F.A. match". Daily Mail. Hull. 7 February 1950. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "East Riding team". Daily Mail. Hull. 29 November 1949. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 'Marksman' (24 March 1950). "Sports Gossip". Daily Mail. Hull. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. 'Three Crowns' (24 March 1950). "City include Bly, Bob Gibson and Burbanks". Daily Mail. Hull. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "City reserves' many changes". Daily Mail. Hull. 5 December 1950. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. Holley, Tom (8 November 1951). "Dunn back after injury for Leeds United". Yorkshire Evening Post. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
    "Great day for the newcomers". Yorkshire Post. 29 October 1951. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. Holley, Tom (23 November 1951). "United retain 'revival' side for Bury trip". Yorkshire Evening Post. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. Findlay, Robert (3 December 1951). "Personality parade: Monk laughs". Daily Express. London. p. 6.
  14. Ulyatt, Richard (7 December 1951). "Fulham will be Mitten's next club". Yorkshire Post. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. "Logie is back for Arsenal". Evening Express. Aberdeen. 24 December 1951. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. "Players". TigerBase. Matt Wales. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  17. "They start with three hurt". Daily Mirror. London. 19 August 1953. p. 15.
  18. Goodchild, George (7 September 1953). "Referee disallows goal: sends man off". Yorkshire Post. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. "Five goals in 18 minutes". Yorkshire Post. 22 September 1953. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. "League results, tables and scorers". The Observer. London. 11 October 1953. p. 14.
  21. "League results, tables and scorers". The Observer. London. 18 October 1953. p. 14.
  22. "Liverpool Reserves v Huddersfield Town Reserves 2–1". Liverpool Football Echo. 20 August 1955. Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via KjellHansen.com.
  23. "Leslie Robson leaves Liverpool for Crewe". Daily Mail. 13 January 1956. Retrieved 19 September 2015 – via KjellHansen.com.
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