Pride of Anglia - Ipswich Town Football Club
since 1878
Factfile: Sir Bobby Robson
Full Name: Robert William Robson
Born: Sacriston, Co. Durham, 18/02/1933
Management Record : Ipswich Town: Texaco Cup Winners (1973), FA Cup Winners (1978), UEFA Cup Winners (1981). England: World Cup Semi-Finalists (1990). PSV Eindhoven: League Champions (1991 & 1992). FC Porto: Portuguese Cup Winners (1994), League Champions (1995 & 1996). FC Barcelona: European Cup Winners' Cup (1997), Spanish Cup Winners (1997)
Ipswich’s youth policy, the key to Robson’s success at Portman Road, was actually started by Newcastle legend Jackie Milburn, who managed Town between April 1963 and September 1964.
The success of his youth policy is illustrated by his FA Cup winning side of 1978 which contained only three players bought from elsewhere.
When Don Revie became England manager in 1974, Robson’s was offered the vacant Leeds position for 3 times his then Ipswich salary of £10,000, but declined.
He was voted Sun Reader’s Manager of the Year at the end of the 1974/75 league campaign.
During the 1980-81 season, when Town were chasing a League, Cup and UEFA Cup treble, Robson called the Town fan’s "A bunch of Zombies" for failing to get behind the team at home game’s.
When he was sacked as manager by Fulham in 1968 he became the 686th manager since WWII to be dismissed by a League Club.
Robson would have joined Barcelona in 1981 but the Catalan’s refused to pay Ipswich £150,000 in compensation.
Between 1973 and 1982, Robson’s Ipswich side qualified for Europe 9 season’s out of 10.
His first match in charge at Portman Road was a 2-2 draw at Goodison Park (18 January 1969) .
In
1969 he is ‘alleged’ to have had a punch-up with then Town captain Billy
Baxter (left) and received a black-eye for his troubles.
He turned down the position of Everton manager on three occasions in the Seventies.
His last match in charge at Portman Road was a 2-1 home win against Spurs (17 May 1982).
Over his 13 year tenure in Suffolk he made a profit of £1.6 Million in the transfer market. Just 14 players were purchased (£1.0 M) but 45 were sold (£2.6 M).
In 1981, then Sunderland chairman Tom Cowie offered to double Robson’s salary if he would move to Weerside.
After Ipswich’s FA Cup 6th Round Tie at Millwall (1978) was held up due to rioting by home fans Robson was misquoted by Jimmy Hill on Match of the Day as saying "We Should Turn the Flame Throwers on Them !".
He was capped 20 times by England. Due to poor hearing he failed his National Service medical.
He was Bell’s Manager of the Month on three occasions during the 1980-81 season.
Robson has an Honorary Master of Arts from the University of East Anglia.
His
first car was a £200 second Morris Minor bought in 1958.
The Division 1 Championship eluded him with Town finishing as runners-up in 81 and 82.
At 15 he had a trial at Middlesboro, but was rejected.
Two years on Middlesboro offered him £4 a week to sign professional forms but he declined and joined Fulham instead.
His first managerial appointment was with Vancouver Royals in 1967.
Robson had an excellent rapport with Town’s meager 1970's away following and without fail would always appear outside the away ground before the game to hand out complimentary tickets.
As Fulham manager Robson bought a certain Malcolm MacDonald from Tonbridge for £1,000.
Between his dismissal by Fulham and his appointment as Ipswich Manager, he was briefly employed as a scout by Chelsea.
In the same period he was offered a similar position at Arsenal.
For his first England international appearance, against France in 1957, he was paid a £20 match fee.
George
Best signed a one-match contract with Ipswich to appear in Robson’s testimonial
game against an England XI in 1979.
His managerial record at Ipswich, in all competitions, was played 709, won 316, drawn 173, lost 220.
The conveyancing for Robson’s first house purchase was undertaken by FA Chairman Bert Millichip.
Town’s highest scoring win under Robson was 7-0, against both Westbrom and Southampton at home.
Town’s worst defeat under Robson was a 7-0 beating at Sheffield United.
Born Robert William Robson in Sacriston, Co. Durham, 18-2-33.
One of five brothers: Tom, Philip, Ronald, Keith and himself.
After leaving school his first job was as a trainee electrician in a Durham Colliery at £4.00 per week.
First attended FA Coaching courses in 1953 along with Jimmy Hill and Ron Greenwood.
First met Elsie, his wife to be, in his home village, and married her three years later in 1955.
Met
life long friend Don Howe whilst a player at Westbromwich Albion. Howe
would be his right-hand man during his eight years as England manager.
In the England squad for two World Cup Finals. Sweden in 1958 and Chile in 1962.
Had two perfectly legitimate goals ruled out, one against the legendary USSR goalkeeper Yashin, and one against Austria, in the group stage of the 1958 World Cup.
Although part of the squad for the 1962 World Cup Finals in Chile, missed all of England's games due to an ankle injury acquired in a warm-up game in Peru. Replaced by a certain Bobby Moore.
Continued his training for FA coaching certification at Lilleshall under the tutelage of then England supremo Walter Winterbottom.
Whilst at Westbrom he had to walk to training from his digs as the coaching staff had forbidden the player's to ride bicycles.
Acquired his full FA Coaching Badge in 1961.
In the mid-60's coached the Oxford University side to successive Varsity Match victories over Cambridge.
His wife Elsie has borne him three son's: Paul, Andrew and Robert.
In the early 80's one of Robson's scouts, John Carruthers, brought a certain Paul Gascoigne to Portman Road for a trial. The 14 year old was sent back north again as Robson didn't want to take a chance on the over-weight youngster.
Robson's
favourite vegetable is the brussel sprout.
Tendered his resignation twice whilst England manager - after defeat in the '86 World Cup Quarter Finals and after three group match defeats at Euro '88 - but both were declined by the FA.
Appointed head coach at PSV Eindhoven in 1990.
Won successive Dutch League titles with PSV in 1991 and 1992.
Despite successive league titles he is not offered an extension to his contract at PSV after an early exit from the Champions League.
Appointed head coach at Sporting Lisbon in 1992.
Saudi Arabia offered Robson the position of National Team manager in 1977 and again in 1998.
Sacked by Sporting Lisbon part way through the 93/94 season following a 3-2 aggregate defeat by Casino Salzburg in the UEFA Cup 3rd Round.
Sporting topped the Portuguese league at the time.
Declined the position of Wales Manager in early 1994.
Received his OBE from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in 1991.
Joined FC Porto as coach in January 1994.
Put one over on Sporting Lisbon as his Porto side claim the Portuguese Cup with a 2-1 replay win in the '94 Final.
Revenge is even sweeter the following season (94/95) as Porto clinch the Championship with a 2-0 win in Lisbon.
FC Porto President Da Costa blocks moves by Arsenal for Robson to replace George Graham as manager in 1995.
Retained the Portuguese Championship with FC Porto in 1996.
Turned down the offer to be Southend United's player/manager in 1967.
Terry Venables became Barcelona coach in 1984 on Robson's recommendation.
Robson's FC Porto side reached the Champions League Semi-Final stage in 1997.
To save Ipswich money, Robson once hitch-hiked to Old Trafford whilst on a scouting mission.
Robson is Life Vice-President of the League Managers Association. One of just three managers to be made so.
Joined
FC Barcelona as Head Coach in the summer of 1996.
Coached Ronaldo at both PSV and Barcelona.
Coached FC Barcelona to a triple Cup success in his first season.
Defeating Real Betis in the domestic cup final, PSG in the European Cup Winners' Cup final and Athletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup.
Despite his success in 96/97 he was forced ''up-stairs'' into a role as Technical Director to make way for new coach Louis Van Gaal.
He was offered the role as coach of the Nigerian national side at the '98 World Cup Finals.
Rejoined PSV Eindhoven, on a one-year contract, as Head Coach in 1998.
As well as representing England at Full International level, Robson also played for the Under 23's and the England 'B' side.
Coached the England 'B' side for an international with Iceland in 1982 prior to his appointment as full England manager.
He took a cut in salary when he accepted the England managerial post in 1982.
The day before the 1981 UEFA Cup Semifinal 2nd Leg in Cologne, Robson took the Ipswich team to a fairground rather than have them train - much to the amusement of the German Press (Town of course one 1-0 and 2-0 on aggregate).
His
trophy haul at Ipswich included the FA Cup (1978), UEFA Cup (1981), Texaco
Cup (1973) and the FA Youth Cup (1973 and 1975).
Three biographies/autobiographies have been published about the Great Man. Time on the Grass (1982), High Noon: A Year at Barcelona (1997) and My Autobiography: An Englishman Abroad (1999).
Robson was asked by Martin Edwards to take the helm at Old Trafford in 1981 - he declined preferring to challenge for the League Championship with Town.
Once spat on by Newcastle fans at St James' Park following his decision to omit Kevin Keagan, then a Newcastle player, from his first ever England squad selection.
Between 1955 and 1961 Robson made 239 league appearances for Westbromwich Albion and scored on 56 occasions.
Robson's 13 year reign at Portman Road makes him Town's 2nd longest serving manager. A.Scott Duncan is longest serving manager with 18 years.
His favourite Mediterranean dish is the Cataplana. This Portuguese dish takes its name from the copper vessel in which it is cooked and is a seafood casserole that usually contains clams, prawns, mussels and white fish.
In his two spells as a player at Fulham (1950-55 and 1962-66) he played a total of 344 league matches and scored 77 goals.
Played his first organised football for Langley Park Juniors.
After winning the UEFA Cup in Amsterdam, Robson and the Ipswich squad are detained for several hours at Norwich Airport whilst their bags are scrutinized by Her Majesty's Customs officials (all Norwich fans no doubt !).
Returned
to English club football after a 17-year absence as manager of Newcastle
United in September, 1999.
Steered Newcastle United away from bottom of the Premiership, where previous manager Ruud Gullit had left them, to mid-table respectability (1999/2000).
Took Newcastle to Wembley in April 2000 for an FA Cup Semifinal with Chelsea. United lost 2-1.
Carling Premiership Manager of the Month in August 2000.
Member of the Fulham side that won the first ever Daily Express 5-A-Side Championship.
Replaced by the legendary Hungarian striker Puskas as manager of the Vancouver Royals without having managed a single game.
Robson's first cash signing as Ipswich manager was Ian Collard, from Westbromwich Albion, for £25,000.
Robson's 1980/81 Ipswich side were acclaimed "European Team of the Year" by Adidas and France Football magazine.
Robson's most expensive signing for Town was Frans Thijssen for whom he paid £220,000 to FC Twente in 1979.
Robson rates Kevin Beattie as the best player produced by the English game in the 1970's.
Robsons record as England manager was played 95, won 47, drawn 29 and lost 19. England won 49% of their games under his guidance.
Sir Bobby Robson received his knighthood, in the Queen's Jubilee birthday honours list, in July 2002.