Robbie Blake
Encyclopedia
Robert James "Robbie" Blake (born 4 March 1976) is an English
footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers
in the Barclays Premier League. He began his career as a striker but has increasingly been used as midfielder
in the latter part of his career.
He began his professional career with Darlington
in 1994 and went on to make more than 500 appearances in the Football League
and Premier League playing for Bradford City
, Nottingham Forest
, Burnley, Birmingham City
and Leeds United
. Blake has been the subject of many transfers
throughout his career, with career total transfer fees reaching £3.6 million.
, England
, Blake began his professional football career at Division Three side Darlington
in the 1994–95
season after signing on from the youth academy. He spent the first few seasons of his career playing at Feethams
, and also was loaned out to Waterford United
during the 1995–96 season, making some 68 league appearances and scoring 21 goals before the club received an offer, from then Division One
side, Bradford City
in March 1997. Bradford made a £
300,000 offer for the player which Darlington accepted.
and then Paul Jewell
. He was sent off in the final game of the 1997–98
season against Portsmouth
meaning he was suspended for the start of the following season. But he forced his way back into the team and scored in his first game back in a 2–2 draw with Sheffield United
. He and new signing Lee Mills
forged a lethal partnership in attack sharing 40 goals. Blake scored 16 goals as City won promotion to the Premiership. Blake scored the winning goal in the final game against Wolverhampton Wanderers
of the 1998–99
season to see his side finish the season as league runners-up.
However the following season was harder for Blake and he struggled to make an impact in the Premiership, starting just 15 games for Bradford, with a further 12 played as a substitute. The next season at Valley Parade
began much differently for Blake after being sent on loan to the Division One side Nottingham Forest
for two months, scoring once against Barnsley. Following his 2 month loan spell at Forest he returned to Bradford where he finished the season with four goals from his 14 starts in the 2000–01
season with Bradford ultimately being relegated to Division One. During the summer of 2001 former loan club Nottingham Forest made an undisclosed bid for the player which was rejected. Following the failed transfer bid Forest manager David Platt said;
This was not the last transfer offer Bradford would receive as just a few months later on 25 January 2002 the club received a £1 million transfer bid from fellow Division One side Burnley
and, due to Bradford's poor financial status, the club had no option but to sell the player.
injury. In his second season at Burnley Blake was the clubs top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions from 46 games. That summer, long time Burnley manager Stan Ternent
left the club and was replaced by Steve Cotterill
and under the new manager Blake continued his prolific goal scoring with 13 goals in the run up to the January transfer window. When the transfer window opened Blake was subject of multiple bids by Premiership clubs, all of which were rejected (at first). Several bids were made by Wigan Athletic
who had offers of £500,000 and £600,000 rejected. Following the failed bids Wigan manager Paul Jewell
said;
Wigan later made a third for the player, a revised figure of £700,000. Again the Burnley board turned down this offer and no further bids were made by the Latics. In his final game of his first spell at Burnley he scored what is possibly the best goal of his Burnley career leathering in a stunning free kick from 35 yards in a local derby against Preston North End. Eventually a successful bid of £1.25 million was made by Birmingham City
and Blake once again had a chance to prove himself in the top league.
against Leeds United
on 8 January 2005 as a second half substitute. Blake was confident that he could push for a starting place at Birmingham saying:
In an interview with BBC Sport
. Blake's hopes did not materialise, he went on to play just 11 games for the club and only scored two goals. During the summer of that year Birmingham confirmed that they had received an offer from Leeds United for Blake:
Blake did not travel with his team mates on the pre-season tour as he was still in negotiations with Leeds and he was eventually signed for £800,000.
and commented that although moving to Leeds was stepping back a division he was looking forward to winning promotion with his new club;
He made his debut for the club alongside Northern Ireland
striker David Healy
in the first match of the 2005–06
season against Millwall
and scored his first goal just two days later in the Championship match against Cardiff City
at Ninian Park
. He went on to make 31 starts for Leeds and finished the season with 11 goals.
Blake was one of six strikers at Leeds and was not a first team regular until the second season when Dennis Wise
was appointed manager following Kevin Blackwell
's departure. Blake did manage eight goals in the 2006–07
season but this was not enough to save Leeds from relegation after the club filed for administration and suffered a 10 point deduction. Following their relegation to the Football League One
Leeds struggled to hang on to their players with the likes of David Healy
, Richard Cresswell
, Neil Sullivan
and Kevin Nicholls
all leaving the club.
Blake soon followed when he was re-signed by Burnley for a fee of £250,000 on 13 July 2007 and signed a three year deal. A number of clauses on the sale meant the total transfer fee would rise to £350,000 after 40 games and also included a further payment if Burnley were to be promoted.
revealed that Blake felt he had "unfinished business" with the club and that the player needed no persuasion to sign the deal. Burnley director Brendan Flood also revealed that Burnley had been working on a deal for a couple of weeks prior to the announcement:
Blake made his return debut for the club on 11 August 2007 in the opening fixture of the 2007–08
Football League Championship season against West Bromwich Albion
which Burnley won 2–1. He then scored the first goal of his second spell with the Clarets against in the League Cup
game against Oldham Athletic
. He was heavily praised by both his and other managers as well as the press for his excellent form at the start of the 2007–2008 season, most notably for his performance in the 1–1 draw against Crystal Palace
just days after the birth of his daughter Mia. Blake finished the season with 10 goals and 14 assists in 43 matches.
Blake came closing to helping Burnley into the 2009 League Cup final
by scoring one goal and making two more in the second leg of the side's semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur
. The goals put Burnley just two minutes away from the final, before Tottenham scored twice in the final two minutes to reach the final on aggregate.
Blake returned to the top flight once again in May 2009, this time with Burnley after Burnley beat Sheffield United 1–0 in the play off final at Wembley. A match which Blake played in. Blake scored his first Premier League goal since 2005 on 19 August 2009 against the defending Premier League champions Manchester United, in a 1–0 win. This was Burnley's first home game in the top flight of English football for 33 years.
at Upton Park on 21 August and scored his first goal for the club eight days later in the home game against former employers Birmingham City
with a free kick that earned Bolton a 2-2 draw. As the season drew on, Blake became less and less involved in the first team and several clubs showed interest in signing him on loan, but the player decided to stay and fight for his first team place and at the end of the season, the club decided to take up the option on extending his contract for another year.
Burnley
Leeds United
:
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer, currently playing for Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the Barclays Premier League. He began his career as a striker but has increasingly been used as midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
in the latter part of his career.
He began his professional career with Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in 1994 and went on to make more than 500 appearances in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
and Premier League playing for Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
, Burnley, Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
. Blake has been the subject of many transfers
Transfer (football)
In professional association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between professional clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one professional association football club to another. In general, the players can only be...
throughout his career, with career total transfer fees reaching £3.6 million.
Darlington
Born in MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough
Middlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Blake began his professional football career at Division Three side Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
in the 1994–95
1994-95 in English football
-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
season after signing on from the youth academy. He spent the first few seasons of his career playing at Feethams
Feethams
Feethams is a cricket ground and the former home of Darlington F.C. for 120 years, from 1883 to 2003, until the club moved into a new stadium on the outskirts of Darlington.- History :...
, and also was loaned out to Waterford United
Waterford United
Waterford United is an Irish football club playing in the First Division of the League of Ireland. The club was founded and elected to the league in 1930 and hails from Waterford. Originally the club was based at Kilcohan Park greyhound stadium, but have now moved to the Waterford Regional Sports...
during the 1995–96 season, making some 68 league appearances and scoring 21 goals before the club received an offer, from then Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
in March 1997. Bradford made a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
300,000 offer for the player which Darlington accepted.
Bradford City
Blake quickly settled into the Bradford side and he scored eight goals in his first full season, first under Chris KamaraChris Kamara
Chris Kamara is a retired English footballer. He ended his playing career in 1995 and last managed a club in 1998. He is now a presenter and football analyst on Sky Sports.-Playing career:...
and then Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
. He was sent off in the final game of the 1997–98
1997-98 in English football
The 1997-1998 season was the 118th season of competitive football in England.-Premier League:Arsenal overhauled Manchester United's lead during the final weeks of the season to win the Premiership title...
season against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
meaning he was suspended for the start of the following season. But he forced his way back into the team and scored in his first game back in a 2–2 draw with Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. He and new signing Lee Mills
Lee Mills
Rowan Lee Mills , usually known as Lee Mills, is an English former footballer, who played as a striker....
forged a lethal partnership in attack sharing 40 goals. Blake scored 16 goals as City won promotion to the Premiership. Blake scored the winning goal in the final game against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
of the 1998–99
1998-99 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
season to see his side finish the season as league runners-up.
However the following season was harder for Blake and he struggled to make an impact in the Premiership, starting just 15 games for Bradford, with a further 12 played as a substitute. The next season at Valley Parade
Valley Parade
Valley Parade, also known as the Coral Windows Stadium through sponsorship rights, is an all-seater football stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It was built in 1886, and was the home of Manningham Rugby Football Club until 1903, when they changed code from rugby football to association...
began much differently for Blake after being sent on loan to the Division One side Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
for two months, scoring once against Barnsley. Following his 2 month loan spell at Forest he returned to Bradford where he finished the season with four goals from his 14 starts in the 2000–01
2000-01 in English football
The 2000–01 season was the 121st season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Manchester United secured their 3rd Premiership title in succession and their 7th title in just nine seasons...
season with Bradford ultimately being relegated to Division One. During the summer of 2001 former loan club Nottingham Forest made an undisclosed bid for the player which was rejected. Following the failed transfer bid Forest manager David Platt said;
"The offer was turned down, and as no further finance is available, we must assume the deal is dead" – David Platt
This was not the last transfer offer Bradford would receive as just a few months later on 25 January 2002 the club received a £1 million transfer bid from fellow Division One side Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
and, due to Bradford's poor financial status, the club had no option but to sell the player.
Burnley
Blake signed a three year contract with the Clarets but did not feature much in the remaining six months of the season due to a herniaHernia
A hernia is the protrusion of an organ or the fascia of an organ through the wall of the cavity that normally contains it. A hiatal hernia occurs when the stomach protrudes into the mediastinum through the esophageal opening in the diaphragm....
injury. In his second season at Burnley Blake was the clubs top scorer with 22 goals in all competitions from 46 games. That summer, long time Burnley manager Stan Ternent
Stan Ternent
Francis Stanley "Stan" Ternent is an English former footballer and manager. He managed Blackpool, Hull City, Bury, Burnley, Gillingham and Huddersfield Town. He is currently a scout for Sunderland.-Career:...
left the club and was replaced by Steve Cotterill
Steve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
and under the new manager Blake continued his prolific goal scoring with 13 goals in the run up to the January transfer window. When the transfer window opened Blake was subject of multiple bids by Premiership clubs, all of which were rejected (at first). Several bids were made by Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic F.C.
Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
who had offers of £500,000 and £600,000 rejected. Following the failed bids Wigan manager Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
said;
"The position is that we made an offer for him and it's been turned down, it's as simple as that" – Paul Jewell
Wigan later made a third for the player, a revised figure of £700,000. Again the Burnley board turned down this offer and no further bids were made by the Latics. In his final game of his first spell at Burnley he scored what is possibly the best goal of his Burnley career leathering in a stunning free kick from 35 yards in a local derby against Preston North End. Eventually a successful bid of £1.25 million was made by Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
and Blake once again had a chance to prove himself in the top league.
Birmingham City
Blake made his debut for Birmingham in the FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
against Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
on 8 January 2005 as a second half substitute. Blake was confident that he could push for a starting place at Birmingham saying:
"Clinton MorrisonClinton MorrisonClinton Hubert Morrison is an English-born professional footballer who plays for Milton Keynes Dons, on loan from Sheffield Wednesday...
and Emile HeskeyEmile HeskeyEmile William Ivanhoe Heskey is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Born in Leicester, Heskey started his career with hometown club Leicester City after progressing through their youth system, making his first team debut in 1995...
have done fantastically well, but hopefully I can push them for a place. I can play in a few positions, behind the strikers or dropping deep, and that gives the gaffer some selections to think about. I thought if anything a bottom four team in the Premiership would come in for me but Birmingham, with the quality of players they have, was an even bigger bonus." – Robbie Blake
In an interview with BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
. Blake's hopes did not materialise, he went on to play just 11 games for the club and only scored two goals. During the summer of that year Birmingham confirmed that they had received an offer from Leeds United for Blake:
"We have had an offer from Leeds for Robbie Blake. We are considering it and talks are ongoing. Robbie has done very well for us, but he feels he wants to play more and at Leeds he would probably play every week" – Steve BruceSteve BruceStephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
Blake did not travel with his team mates on the pre-season tour as he was still in negotiations with Leeds and he was eventually signed for £800,000.
Leeds United
Blake signed a three year deal at Elland RoadElland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
and commented that although moving to Leeds was stepping back a division he was looking forward to winning promotion with his new club;
"It's a step back in terms of divisions but hopefully I can get back into the Premier League with Leeds. With the quality of players we have got, I'm sure there will be no end of goals going in." – Robbie Blake
He made his debut for the club alongside Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
striker David Healy
David Healy (footballer)
David Jonathan Healy, MBE is a Northern Ireland international footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League champions Rangers...
in the first match of the 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
season against Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
and scored his first goal just two days later in the Championship match against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
. He went on to make 31 starts for Leeds and finished the season with 11 goals.
Blake was one of six strikers at Leeds and was not a first team regular until the second season when Dennis Wise
Dennis Wise
Dennis Frank Wise is an English former football manager and player, and former Executive Director at Newcastle United....
was appointed manager following Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Blackwell
Kevin Patrick Blackwell is an English former professional football goalkeeper who since retiring as a player has worked as a coach and a manager. He has an identical twin, Noel.-Early career:...
's departure. Blake did manage eight goals in the 2006–07
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
season but this was not enough to save Leeds from relegation after the club filed for administration and suffered a 10 point deduction. Following their relegation to the Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
Leeds struggled to hang on to their players with the likes of David Healy
David Healy (footballer)
David Jonathan Healy, MBE is a Northern Ireland international footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League champions Rangers...
, Richard Cresswell
Richard Cresswell
Richard Paul Wesley Cresswell is an English footballer who plays for Sheffield United. Cresswell is a centre-forward who has adapted to life as a left midfielder.-Early career:...
, Neil Sullivan
Neil Sullivan
Neil Sullivan is an English-born Scottish ex-international professional Association footballer. A goalkeeper, Sullivan currently plays for Doncaster Rovers after signing on a permanent basis from Leeds United at the end of the 2006–07 season, following two loan moves to Doncaster...
and Kevin Nicholls
Kevin Nicholls
Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds....
all leaving the club.
Blake soon followed when he was re-signed by Burnley for a fee of £250,000 on 13 July 2007 and signed a three year deal. A number of clauses on the sale meant the total transfer fee would rise to £350,000 after 40 games and also included a further payment if Burnley were to be promoted.
Return to Burnley
With Blake back at his old club, manager Steve CotterillSteve Cotterill
Stephen "Steve" Cotterill is an English former footballer who is manager of Nottingham Forest.-Playing career:...
revealed that Blake felt he had "unfinished business" with the club and that the player needed no persuasion to sign the deal. Burnley director Brendan Flood also revealed that Burnley had been working on a deal for a couple of weeks prior to the announcement:
"With strikers, once it gets mooted that they may be on the move, it invites others to join the hunt. Being able to keep it under wraps is therefore vital, otherwise you get competitive bids coming and the price spirals. Robbie is a proven entertainer and one of the top strikers in the Championship and we know he is always going to score goals. But the really important factor is that he is happy and keen to play for Burnley." – Brendan Flood
Blake made his return debut for the club on 11 August 2007 in the opening fixture of the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
Football League Championship season against West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
which Burnley won 2–1. He then scored the first goal of his second spell with the Clarets against in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
game against Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
. He was heavily praised by both his and other managers as well as the press for his excellent form at the start of the 2007–2008 season, most notably for his performance in the 1–1 draw against Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
just days after the birth of his daughter Mia. Blake finished the season with 10 goals and 14 assists in 43 matches.
Blake came closing to helping Burnley into the 2009 League Cup final
2009 Football League Cup Final
The 2009 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Football League Cup, the 49th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League...
by scoring one goal and making two more in the second leg of the side's semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. The goals put Burnley just two minutes away from the final, before Tottenham scored twice in the final two minutes to reach the final on aggregate.
Blake returned to the top flight once again in May 2009, this time with Burnley after Burnley beat Sheffield United 1–0 in the play off final at Wembley. A match which Blake played in. Blake scored his first Premier League goal since 2005 on 19 August 2009 against the defending Premier League champions Manchester United, in a 1–0 win. This was Burnley's first home game in the top flight of English football for 33 years.
Bolton Wanderers
On 30 June 2010, it was announced that he had signed for Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer and would officially join the club a day later. He made his debut for Wanderers in their 3-1 win over West Ham UnitedWest Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
at Upton Park on 21 August and scored his first goal for the club eight days later in the home game against former employers Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
with a free kick that earned Bolton a 2-2 draw. As the season drew on, Blake became less and less involved in the first team and several clubs showed interest in signing him on loan, but the player decided to stay and fight for his first team place and at the end of the season, the club decided to take up the option on extending his contract for another year.
As a player
Bradford CityBradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
- First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
(level 2) runner-up: 1998–991998-99 in English football-Premier League:Manchester United overcame close competition from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Chelsea to win their fifth Premiership title in seven seasons thanks to the comeback of Roy Keane after his long-term injury and a transfer raid totalling nearly £30 million which netted Aston Villa striker...
Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
- ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(level 2) play-offFootball League Championship play-offsThe Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following...
winners: 2008–092009 Football League Championship play-off FinalThe 2009 Football League Championship play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 2009, at the end of the 2008–09 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, and was contested by Sheffield United,...
Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
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- The Championship Playoff final runner up 2005–06
External links
- Robbie Blake profile at burnleyfootballclub.com
- Robbie Blake profile at bradfordcityfc.co.uk