William Roberts (18 March 1859 – 12 June 1945) was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward for Wrexham, Wrexham Olympic and Rhostyllen Victoria in the 1880s and made four appearances for Wales, scoring once. He was the brother of Bob Roberts who also played for the two Wrexham clubs and twice for Wales.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | William Roberts | ||
| Date of birth | 18 March 1859 | ||
| Place of birth | Wrexham, Wales | ||
| Date of death | 12 June 1945 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Wrexham, Wales | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1879–1883 | Wrexham | ||
| 1883–1888 | Wrexham Olympic | ||
| 1888–18?? | Rhostyllen Victoria | ||
| International career | |||
| 1886–1887 | Wales | 4 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Football career
editRoberts was "always in the thickest of the fight", and was described as "tricky and comical, and occasionally brilliant".[1] His playing career came before the advent of League football and his greatest success at club level was in the Welsh Cup, where he scored the only goal in the final of the 1882–83 tournament, thus enabling Wrexham to defeat Druids and claim the trophy for the second time.[2]
He and his brother, Bob, made their international debuts on 27 February 1886 against Ireland in the opening match of the 1886 British Home Championship. The match ended as a 5–0 victory for the Welsh, with Bill Roberts scoring the opening goal.[3] After defeats against England and Scotland, Roberts was not called up for the February 1887 match against England. After an injury to Robert Mills-Roberts in the warm-up for that match (which Wales lost 4–0)[4] the Roberts brothers were both recalled for the match against Ireland in March 1887, with Bob serving as an emergency goalkeeper. This match was the finale to the brothers' international careers with Bob conceding four goals.[5]
International appearances
editRoberts made four appearances for Wales in official international matches, as follows:[6]
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result[7] | Goals | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 February 1886 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 5–0 | 1 | 1886 British Home Championship | |
| 29 March 1886 | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham | 1–3 | 0 | 1886 British Home Championship | |
| 10 April 1886 | Cathkin Park, Glasgow | 1–4 | 0 | 1886 British Home Championship | |
| 12 March 1887 | Oldpark Avenue, Belfast | 1–4 | 0 | 1887 British Home Championship |
| Win | Draw | Loss |
Career outside football
editRoberts worked as coal-miner in his youth, but was later employed in a leather works.[1]
Honours
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. pp. 181–182. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
- ^ "Wrexham 1 Druids 0". Welsh Football Data Archive. 21 April 1883. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ "Wales 5 Ireland 0". Welsh Football Data Archive. 27 February 1886. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. p. 142.
- ^ "Ireland 4 Wales 1". Welsh Football Data Archive. 26 February 1887. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 6 November 2011.
- ^ Samuel, Bill (2009). The Complete Wales FC 1876-2008. Soccer Books. pp. 8–9. ISBN 978-1-86223-176-4.
- ^ Wales score first