Herbie Roberts facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Herbert Roberts | ||
| Date of birth | 19 February 1905 | ||
| Place of birth | Oswestry, Shropshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 19 June 1944 (aged 39) | ||
| Place of death | London, England | ||
| Playing position | Centre half | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1922–1926 | Oswestry Town | ||
| 1926–1937 | Arsenal | 297 | (4) |
| National team | |||
| 1931 | England | 1 | (0) |
|
|||
Herbert Roberts (born February 19, 1905 – died June 19, 1944) was a talented English footballer. He is famous for playing as a centre-half for Arsenal during their very successful period in the 1930s. He helped Arsenal win many important trophies.
Contents
Herbie Roberts' Football Journey
Early Days and Joining Arsenal
Herbert Roberts was born in Oswestry, Shropshire, England. Before becoming a professional footballer, he played as an amateur for his local team, Oswestry Town. At the same time, he worked as a policeman.
In December 1926, Herbert Chapman, the manager of Arsenal, signed Roberts for £200. Roberts then became a professional player. He was a tall, quiet, and humble player who started as a right half.
Becoming a Key Player at Arsenal
Roberts made his first appearance for Arsenal on April 18, 1927, against Aston Villa. In his first two seasons, he didn't play much, only appearing in five games.
His big chance came when manager Herbert Chapman changed his position. Roberts moved to play as a centre half. He replaced another player, Jack Butler, in this role.
Arsenal and their captain, Charlie Buchan, developed a new way of playing called the "WM" formation. In this new setup, Roberts became the tall "stopper" centre-half in the middle of the defence. This was a new idea at the time, created because of a change in the offside law in 1925. This position soon became very common in English football.
Winning Trophies with Arsenal
By the 1928–29 season, Roberts was playing much more often for Arsenal. He unfortunately missed the 1929–30 FA Cup final due to an injury.
However, he did play in Arsenal's 2–1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the Charity Shield in October 1930. From the 1930–31 season onwards, Roberts was Arsenal's main centre-half. He played over 30 games every season until 1936–37.
During this successful time, he helped Arsenal win four First Division titles. He also finally won an FA Cup medal in 1935–36. He had played in the team that lost the 1931–32 final. He also won another FA Charity Shield in 1931.
Playing for England
During this period, Herbie Roberts also played one game for the England national team. This was against Scotland on March 28, 1931.
End of His Playing Career
Roberts' long and successful career with Arsenal ended suddenly early in the 1937–38 season. He broke his leg in a match against Middlesbrough. This injury forced him to retire from playing football.
Arsenal won the First Division title for a fifth time that season. However, Roberts had only played 13 matches, which was one short of the number needed for a medal back then. In total, he played 335 matches for Arsenal and scored 5 goals.
Life After Football and World War II
After retiring from playing, Herbie Roberts worked as a trainer for Arsenal's reserve team. When World War II started, Roberts joined the Royal Fusiliers, serving as a lieutenant.
Sadly, he died while on duty at the age of 39 from an illness. He was buried at Southgate Cemetery in north London. Herbie Roberts was one of nine Arsenal players who died during the war.
See also
- List of footballers killed during World War II
External sources
- Arsenal.com, historic players, Herbie Roberts
