Walter Robbins
Encyclopedia
Walter William Robbins was a Welsh
professional footballer and Wales
international.
ship when he rose to attention after scoring 70 goals during a single season for Ely United in the Cardiff and District League at the age of 16. He signed for Cardiff City
, making his debut during the 1928–29 season against Portsmouth
before scoring his first goal for the club in his next game, a 1–1 draw with Bolton Wanderers
. Relegation to Division Two
saw the departures of George McLachlan
and Fred Warren
during the following season, handing Robbins a regular first team place. On 6 February 1932, Robbins scored five goals during a 9–2 win over Thames
, which remains the clubs record league win. Several months later, Robbins was sold to West Bromwich Albion
where he spent 8 years before the outbreak of World War II
.
tour of Canada but these matches were not classed as international cap matches. His Cardiff City teammates Len Davies, Fred Keenor
and Fred Warren
were also selected for the tour. He made his full debut for Wales on 25 October 1930 in a 1–1 draw with Scotland
.
.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
professional footballer and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international.
Club career
Having previously worked for a local brewery, Robbins was serving a motor engineering apprenticeEngineering apprentice
An engineering apprenticeship is an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering or electrical engineering. A typical example is the apprenticeships formerly available at the BTH and EEC at Rugby in England...
ship when he rose to attention after scoring 70 goals during a single season for Ely United in the Cardiff and District League at the age of 16. He signed for 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...
, making his debut during the 1928–29 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...
before scoring his first goal for the club in his next game, a 1–1 draw with 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....
. Relegation to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
saw the departures of George McLachlan
George McLachlan
George Herbert McLachlan was an FA Cup-winning Scottish footballer and manager. He was born in Glasgow and played as an outside left or at wing half.-Early years:...
and Fred Warren
Fred Warren
Frederick Windsor 'Freddie' Warren was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Club career:...
during the following season, handing Robbins a regular first team place. On 6 February 1932, Robbins scored five goals during a 9–2 win over Thames
Thames A.F.C.
Thames Association Football Club were an English football club from Custom House, east London , who briefly played in the Football League between 1930 and 1932.-Name:...
, which remains the clubs record league win. Several months later, Robbins was sold to 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...
where he spent 8 years before the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
International career
In 1929, Robbins was selected for the Football Association of WalesFootball Association of Wales
The Football Association of Wales is the governing body of association football in Wales. It is a member of FIFA, UEFA and the IFAB.Established in 1876 , it is the third-oldest national association in the world, and is one of the four associations The Football Association of Wales (FAW) is the...
tour of Canada but these matches were not classed as international cap matches. His Cardiff City teammates Len Davies, Fred Keenor
Fred Keenor
Frederick Charles 'Fred' Keenor was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international best known for captaining the Cardiff City team to success in the 1927 FA Cup Final...
and Fred Warren
Fred Warren
Frederick Windsor 'Freddie' Warren was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Club career:...
were also selected for the tour. He made his full debut for Wales on 25 October 1930 in a 1–1 draw with Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
.
International goals
- Results list Wales' goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Result Competition 1. 18 November 1931 Anfield AnfieldAnfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, LiverpoolLiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, EnglandEnglandEngland 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...
1–3 1932 British Home Championship 1932 British Home ChampionshipThe 1932 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1931–32 football season. It was won by England, who succeeded in beating all three of their rivals during the course of the competition....2. 7 December 1932 Racecourse Ground Racecourse GroundThe Glyndŵr University Racecourse Stadium AKA The Racecourse Ground is a stadium located in Wrexham, North Wales. It is the home of Wrexham F.C. and, since 2010, the Crusaders Rugby League team who play in the engage Super League...
, WrexhamWrexhamWrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
, WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
4–1 1933 British Home Championship 1933 British Home ChampionshipThe 1933 British Home Championship was a football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1932–33 season. It was won by the strong Welsh side which claimed several tournaments during the 1930s, the last undisputed victories Wales would achieve.The tournament began with...3. 7 December 1932 Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Wales 4–1 1933 British Home Championship 4. 4 October 1933 Ninian Park Ninian ParkNinian 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...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Wales3–2 1934 British Home Championship 1934 British Home ChampionshipThe 1934 British Home Championship was an annual international football tournament played between the British Home Nations during the 1933–34 football season. It was won by Wales, whose run of form during the 1930s was their last sustained period of international success in the team's history...
After retirement
Following the end of World War II, Robbins worked as a trainer with Cardiff City and Newport CountyNewport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
.