Bryan Robson facts for kids
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Robson in 2009
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bryan Robson | ||
| Date of birth | 11 January 1957 | ||
| Place of birth | Chester-le-Street, England | ||
| Height | 1.76 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Manchester United (global ambassador) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1972–1975 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1975–1981 | West Bromwich Albion | 198 | (40) |
| 1981–1994 | Manchester United | 345 | (74) |
| 1994–1997 | Middlesbrough | 25 | (1) |
| Total | 568 | (115) | |
| National team | |||
| 1975 | England Youth | 9 | (0) |
| 1979–1980 | England U21 | 7 | (2) |
| 1979–1980 | England B | 3 | (1) |
| 1980–1991 | England | 90 | (26) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1994–2001 | Middlesbrough | ||
| 2003–2004 | Bradford City | ||
| 2004–2006 | West Bromwich Albion | ||
| 2007–2008 | Sheffield United | ||
| 2009–2011 | Thailand | ||
| 2009–2011 | Thailand U23 | ||
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Bryan Robson OBE (born 11 January 1957) is a famous English football manager and former player. He started his career at West Bromwich Albion in 1972. He played over 200 games there and was the team captain.
In 1981, he moved to Manchester United. He became their longest-serving captain ever! While at United, he won many trophies. These included two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one Football League Cup, two FA Charity Shields, and a European Cup Winners' Cup. People called him "Captain Marvel" because he was so inspiring. In 2011, former Manchester United players voted him the greatest player in the club's history.
Robson played for the England team 90 times between 1980 and 1991. This made him one of England's most capped players at the time. He scored 26 goals for his country. He played in the 1982, 1986, and 1990 World Cups. He also played in Euro 1988. Robson was England's captain 65 times. Only Bobby Moore and Billy Wright have captained England more often.
After his playing career, Robson became a manager. He started as a player-manager at Middlesbrough in 1994. He stopped playing in 1997. As Middlesbrough's manager, he led them to three cup finals. He also helped them get promoted to the Premier League twice. He was also an assistant coach for England from 1994 to 1996. Later, he managed West Bromwich Albion again. He helped them avoid relegation in 2005, which was a huge achievement. He also had shorter managing jobs at Bradford City and Sheffield United. From 2009 to 2011, he managed the Thailand national team. Since 2011, he has been a "Global Ambassador" for Manchester United.
Contents
Bryan Robson: Captain Marvel's Journey
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Bryan Robson was born in Chester-le-Street, England, on January 11, 1957. He was the second of four children. His younger brothers, Justin and Gary, also became footballers. Bryan grew up supporting Newcastle United. His childhood hero was Newcastle forward Wyn Davies.
From a young age, Bryan loved football. He even joined the local Cub Scout group just to play for their team! He played football and athletics for his school. He was captain of both his school team and the local district team. As a teenager, he had trials with several big clubs. These included Burnley, Coventry City, and his favorite, Newcastle United.
In 1972, at 15, he accepted a two-year apprenticeship with West Bromwich Albion. He earned £5 a week at first, which was a good start to his football dream.
Club Career: From West Brom to Manchester United Legend
West Bromwich Albion: Rising Star
Bryan Robson made his reserve team debut for West Bromwich Albion in 1974. He signed a professional contract that summer, earning £28 a week. His first team debut came on April 12, 1975, when he was 18. He helped Albion win 3–1 against York City. In his next game, he scored his first goal for the club.
The next season, Albion got promoted back to the top division. Robson started playing more regularly. He played in different positions, including left-back and his favorite, central midfield. However, he faced some serious injuries. He broke his left leg and later his right ankle. Despite these setbacks, he always recovered and returned to play.
Under manager Ron Atkinson, Robson became a key player. In the 1978–79 season, he played almost every league game. He helped Albion finish third in the top division, their best result in over 20 years. He also helped them reach the UEFA Cup quarter-finals. His strong performances earned him his first full England call-up in 1980.
Manchester United: Captain Marvel's Era
In October 1981, Bryan Robson moved to Manchester United. It was a record-breaking transfer fee of £1.5 million at the time! He signed his contract on the Old Trafford pitch. He made his United debut on October 7, 1981. He quickly became known for wearing the number 7 shirt.
Robson scored his first goal for United in November 1981. In his first season, United finished third in the league. In 1983, he helped United win the FA Cup. He scored twice in the final replay against Brighton. This was his first trophy as United captain. He was the first English captain to lift the FA Cup for United since 1909.
The next season, United had a great run in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Robson scored two goals against Barcelona to help United win. He signed a new seven-year contract in 1984. In 1985, he captained United to another FA Cup triumph against Everton.
The 1985–86 season started amazingly with ten wins in a row. But injuries limited Robson's playing time. In November 1986, Alex Ferguson became the new manager. Robson remained a vital part of the team under Ferguson.
In 1990, Robson and United finally won another major trophy. He scored in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace. United won the replay, and Robson became the first United captain to lift the FA Cup three times. He also helped United win the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991.
Even with younger players joining, Robson was still important. In the 1992–93 season, United won the first-ever Premier League title. Robson finally got his league championship medal after 15 years of trying! He won another Premier League medal in the 1993–94 season. His final game for United was on May 8, 1994. He played 461 games and scored 99 goals for the club. He is remembered as one of their greatest players.
Middlesbrough: Player-Manager Role
In May 1994, Robson left Manchester United. He became the player-manager at Middlesbrough. He had a fantastic start, leading the club to win the Division One title and get promoted to the Premier League. He also helped Middlesbrough move to their new Riverside Stadium.
Middlesbrough signed big-name players like Juninho. Robson led them to both domestic cup finals in the 1996–97 season. However, they lost both finals and were relegated from the Premier League. Despite this, the club kept faith in Robson. He led them back to the Premier League the very next season.
Robson played his last game as a player on January 1, 1997, just before his 40th birthday. He continued to manage Middlesbrough until June 2001.
International Career: Leading England
Bryan Robson played for the England youth team in 1975, winning a "mini World Cup." He made his England under-21 debut in 1979.
On February 6, 1980, Robson made his full international debut for England at Wembley. He scored his first goal for England in September 1981. He became a regular player for England.
At the 1982 FIFA World Cup, Robson made history. He scored against France after just 27 seconds! This was one of the fastest goals in World Cup history. He even received a special gold watch for this achievement.
Robson captained England for the first time in November 1982. He scored a hat-trick in England's 8–0 win over Turkey in 1984. He was nicknamed "Captain Marvel" for his leadership. He helped England qualify for the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Sadly, he got a shoulder injury during the tournament, which limited his play.
He continued to lead England through qualifying for UEFA Euro 1988 and the 1990 FIFA World Cup. In both tournaments, injuries again affected his ability to play fully. Despite this, he was highly respected by his teammates and managers. Many famous players, like Paul Gascoigne, called him the best player of his generation. His final game for England was in October 1991.
Managerial Career: From Club to Country
Bradford City and West Bromwich Albion
After leaving Middlesbrough, Robson returned to management in November 2003 with Bradford City. He had a tough time there, and the team was relegated. His contract was not renewed.
In November 2004, Robson returned to his old club, West Bromwich Albion, as manager. The team was at the bottom of the Premier League on Christmas Day. No team had ever avoided relegation from that position before. But Robson and his team defied the odds! They won their final game and, with other results going their way, they managed to stay in the Premier League. This was a huge achievement. However, the next season, Albion were relegated. Robson left the club in September 2006.
Sheffield United and Thailand
In May 2007, Robson became the manager of Sheffield United. He had a challenging time there and left in February 2008.
In September 2009, Robson took on a new challenge. He became the coach of the Thailand national team. This was his first time managing an international team. He led Thailand to some victories in qualifying matches. However, they did not qualify for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He resigned from the role in June 2011.
Return to Manchester United
In March 2008, Bryan Robson returned to Manchester United as an ambassador. He works to help promote the club's goals. He also continues to be a global ambassador for the club.
Playing Style
Bryan Robson was a fantastic box-to-box midfielder. This means he was great at both attacking and defending. He scored many goals and had excellent timing and movement. He was quick, very competitive, and brave. He also had great stamina, tackled well, passed accurately, and was good at heading the ball.
Life Outside Football
Personal Life
Bryan Robson married his wife Denise in 1979. They have three children: Claire, Charlotte, and Ben.
Illness
In March 2011, it was announced that Robson had surgery for throat cancer.
Other Activities
As a player, Robson promoted sports brands like adidas. He also appeared in TV commercials, including one for Carlsberg beer with other former England players. In 2007, he started a sports company called Robson Lloyd Consultancy Ltd. This company aims to build community sports academies. His autobiography, Robbo: My Autobiography, was released in 2006.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 1974–75 | Second Division | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1975–76 | Second Division | 16 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 21 | 2 | ||
| 1976–77 | First Division | 23 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 28 | 8 | ||
| 1977–78 | First Division | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 3 | |||
| 1978–79 | First Division | 41 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | — | 57 | 9 | ||
| 1979–80 | First Division | 35 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 11 | ||
| 1980–81 | First Division | 40 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 11 | |||
| 1981–82 | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 198 | 40 | 12 | 2 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 245 | 46 | ||
| Manchester United | 1981–82 | First Division | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 5 | ||
| 1982–83 | First Division | 33 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 49 | 15 | ||
| 1983–84 | First Division | 33 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 47 | 18 | |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 33 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | — | 46 | 14 | ||
| 1985–86 | First Division | 21 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 28 | 8 | ||
| 1986–87 | First Division | 30 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 7 | |||
| 1987–88 | First Division | 36 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 43 | 11 | |||
| 1988–89 | First Division | 34 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 3 | 0 | 46 | 8 | ||
| 1989–90 | First Division | 20 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 4 | |||
| 1990–91 | First Division | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 | |
| 1991–92 | First Division | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 5 | |
| 1992–93 | Premier League | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | ||
| 1993–94 | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 3 | |
| Total | 345 | 74 | 35 | 10 | 51 | 5 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 465 | 100 | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1994–95 | Division One | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| 1996–97 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 568 | 115 | 48 | 12 | 70 | 7 | 39 | 10 | 12 | 3 | 737 | 147 | ||
International
- Source:
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1980 | 3 | 0 |
| 1981 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 10 | 4 | |
| 1983 | 11 | 1 | |
| 1984 | 7 | 3 | |
| 1985 | 5 | 2 | |
| 1986 | 10 | 2 | |
| 1987 | 10 | 5 | |
| 1988 | 3 | 3 | |
| 1989 | 12 | 5 | |
| 1990 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 5 | 0 | |
| Total | 90 | 26 | |
- Scores and results list England's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Robson goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 September 1981 | Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway |  Norway |
1–0 | 1–2 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2 | 23 February 1982 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Northern Ireland |
1–0 | 4–0 | British Home Championship |
| 3 | 3 June 1982 | Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 3–0 | |||||
| 5 | 16 June 1982 | Estadio San Mamés, Bilbao, Spain |  France |
1–0 | 3–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup |
| 6 | 2–1 | |||||
| 7 | 1 June 1983 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  Scotland |
1–0 | 2–0 | British Home Championship |
| 8 | 16 November 1983 | Stade Municipale, Belair, Luxembourg |  Luxembourg |
1–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying |
| 9 | 4–0 | |||||
| 10 | 12 September 1984 | Wembley Stadium, London, England |  East Germany |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 17 October 1984 | Finland |
4–0 | 5–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 12 | 18 November 1984 | Besiktas Inonu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey |  Turkey |
1–0 | 8–0 | |
| 13 | 3–0 | |||||
| 14 | 6–0 | |||||
| 15 | 12 June 1985 | Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico |  West Germany |
1–0 | 3–0 | Azteca 2000 Tournament |
| 16 | 16 October 1985 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | Turkey |
3–0 | 5–0 | 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 17 | 26 February 1986 | Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel |  Israel |
1–1 | 8–0 | Friendly |
| 18 | 2–1 | |||||
| 19 | 1 April 1987 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland |
1–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying |
| 20 | 14 October 1987 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | Turkey |
1–0 | 8–0 | |
| 21 | 11 November 1987 | Red Star Stadium, Belgrade, Yugoslavia |  Yugoslavia |
3–0 | 4–1 | |
| 22 | 15 June 1988 | Rheinstadion, Düsseldorf, West Germany |  Netherlands |
1–1 | 1–3 | UEFA Euro 1988 |
| 23 | 8 February 1989 | Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece |  Greece |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 24 | 8 March 1989 | Arena Kombëtare, Tirana, Albania |  Albania |
2–0 | 2–0 | 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 25 | 13 December 1989 | Wembley Stadium, London, England | Yugoslavia |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 26 | 2–1 |
Managerial Stats
- Includes all competitive games. Updated 6 January 2010.
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Middlesbrough |  |
31 May 1994 | 6 December 2000 | 314 | 127 | 86 | 101 | 40.45 |
| Bradford City | |
24 November 2003 | 17 June 2004 | 28 | 7 | 1 | 20 | 25.00 |
| West Bromwich Albion | |
9 November 2004 | 18 September 2006 | 81 | 19 | 24 | 38 | 23.46 |
| Sheffield United | |
22 May 2007 | 14 February 2008 | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 36.84 |
| Thailand |  |
23 September 2009 | 8 June 2011 | 15 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 40.00 |
| Total | 476 | 173 | 127 | 176 | 36.34 | |||
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Manchester United
- Premier League: 1992–93, 1993–94
- FA Cup: 1982–83, 1984–85, 1989–90
- FA Charity Shield: 1983, 1993
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1990–91
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: Six times in the 1980s
- PFA Team of the Century (1977-1996): 2007
- First Division Goal of the Season: 1985–86
- Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 1988–89
As a Player-Manager
Middlesbrough
- Football League First Division: 1994–95 (Champions)
As a Manager
Middlesbrough
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98
Individual Awards
- Premier League Manager of the Month: March 1997
Personal Honours
Robson was awarded the OBE in 1990. In 1998, he was named one of the Football League 100 Legends. He was also one of the first people inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002. West Bromwich Albion also named him one of their 16 greatest players in 2004.
- Football League 100 Legends
- English Football Hall of Fame Inductee
- FWA Tribute Award: 2006
See also
In Spanish: Bryan Robson para niños
