Robson, Bobby (1933– )

English footballer and manager who coached England from 1982 to 1990 before enjoying considerable success in Europe at PSV Eindhoven, Porto, and Barcelona. As a player he scored 133 goals in 584 league appearances for West Bromwich Albion and Fulham 1951–67, and 4 goals in 20 full internationals for England 1957–62.

Career highlights

(as a player)

International appearances (1957–62)

(as a manager)

FA Cup

UEFA Cup

European Cup Winners' Cup

Dutch League

Portuguese League

Portuguese Cup

Spanish Cup

His long managerial career began inauspiciously at Fulham when he was sacked in January 1969 after just two months in charge. However, shortly afterwards he was appointed manager of Ipswich Town, and over the next 13 years fashioned the small East Anglian club into one of the best sides in English football, winning the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1982, and twice finishing as runners-up to Liverpool in the league championship. His eight-year spell as England manager was affected by a poor relationship with the tabloid press, but he eventually won over even his most hostile critics when he took England to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup. Moving to Holland, he won the Dutch league in successive seasons with PSV Eindhoven but was sacked after failing to win the European Cup. He had a short spell in charge of Sporting Lisbon before joining Porto. In 1996 after leading the club to the Portuguese Cup and consecutive league championships he succeeded Johan Cruyff as Barcelona's coach. In his first season he won the European Cup Winners' Cup, the Spanish Cup, and qualified for the Champions League. He returned to Eindhoven for the 1998–99 season, and in September 1999 succeeded Ruud Gullit as manager of Newcastle United, a post he held until August 2004.

He was knighted in 2002 for services to football.