.jpg) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Charles Roberts[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1883-04-06)6 April 1883 | ||
| Place of birth | Rise Carr, Darlington, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 7 August 1939(1939-08-07) (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Manchester, England | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Centre-half | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Rise Carr Rangers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Darlington St Augustine's | |||
| Bishop Auckland | |||
| 1903–1904 | Grimsby Town | 31 | (4) |
| 1904–1913 | Manchester United | 271 | (22) |
| 1913–1915 | Oldham Athletic | 72 | (2) |
| Total | 374 | (28) | |
| International career | |||
| 1905 | England | 3 | (0) |
| 1905–1914 | Football League XI | 9 | (?) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1921–1922 | Oldham Athletic | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Charles Roberts (6 April 1883 – 7 August 1939) was an English professionalfootballer who played as acentre-half in theFootball League forGrimsby Town,Manchester United andOldham Athletic. He spent nine years at United, where he wascaptain, helping the club to twoFirst Division titles and anFA Cup. He won threecaps forEngland in 1905.
Born inDarlington, Roberts started his football career withBishop Auckland, but soon moved toGrimsby Town.
In 1904, he was transferred toManchester United for £600.[3] The United manager at the time wasErnest Mangnall who had embarked on a spending spree which would later seeManchester City playersBilly Meredith andSandy Turnbull arrive atBank Street, United's ground at the time. Roberts arrival at United was extremely important to the development of the club; a strong, skilful, fast centre half and a rebel to boot. He floutedFA rules by wearing his shorts above the knee[4] and was politically minded in favour of the unionisation of professional footballers.
Playing ascentre-half he helped Manchester United win the 1908 and 1911 league titles as well as the 1909FA Cup. Not until1983, when a United side captained byBryan Robson lifted the FA Cup for the fifth time, did another Englishman captain the club to FA Cup glory, as United's captains of their second and third triumphs were both Irish and their fourth FA Cup winning side was captained by aScotsman.[5]He left the club in August 1913 for a then record fee of £1,500 toOldham Athletic, who he also went on to manage, after appearing in 299 matches and scoring 23 goals for United.
Roberts wascapped three times forEngland in 1905, Manchester United's first England international.[4]
On 2 December 1907, Roberts and Meredith were instrumental in setting up thePlayers' Union. The organisation was not recognised by the FA but it did attract considerable support from fellow League clubs. In August 1909, the FA threatened to suspend any player who admitted to being a member of the Union, following which Roberts and his Manchester United's teammates were summoned to a meeting with the club's management. The players refused to relinquish their Union membership, forcing the club to contact their first opponents of the new season,Bradford City to cancel the fixture, as it could not field a team.[6] The FA's threat had seen the membership of the Union fall so that the only members were the Manchester United players, who called themselves "The Outcasts". It was only afterTim Coleman of Everton renewed his support by siding with The Outcasts that the FA relented and Roberts' Union was saved.
In 1928, together with former colleagueBilly Meredith, he became a coach for the ambitiousManchester Central. Roberts' son, Charlie Jr., was a player for Central's first season.[7]
He died, aged 56, atManchester Royal Infirmary in August 1939 following a cranial operation after suffering extended "dizzy spells".
Roberts' cousin,Harry Hooper, played atfull-back forSouthampton,Leicester City andQueens Park Rangers.[8] His nephews,Danny,Bill,Mark andCarl Hooper, were all professional footballers, and his nieces, Sarah and Bessie Hooper, played for Darlington Quaker Ladies.[9][10] His great-great-granddaughter,Lucy Roberts, played forManchester United W.F.C. in their inaugural season.[11]
Manchester United
Individual
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