Eric Redrobe

Last updated

Eric Redrobe
Personal information
Date of birth (1944-08-23) 23 August 1944 (age 78) [1]
Place of birth Wigan, England
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Bolton Wanderers
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1962–1966 Bolton Wanderers 4 (1)
1966–1972 Southport 192 (55)
1972–1976 Hereford United 86 (17)
1976–1977 Bath City 28 (7)
1977–1978 Hereford United 1 (0)
Lydbrook Athletic
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Eric Redrobe (born 23 August 1944 in Wigan) is an English former association footballer who played in the Football League as a striker for Bolton Wanderers, [2] Southport [3] and Hereford United [4] during the 1960s and 1970s.

Contents

Career

Redrobe played rugby league for Lancashire Schoolboys, and received contract offers in that sport, but chose to play association football instead. [5] His style was bustling and often physical, although he was not a particularly big man, with a height of about 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m). He exhibited excellent ball control.

A former England youth international,[ citation needed ] he started his career at Bolton Wanderers making four appearances and scoring one goal in two-and-a-half seasons. [2] He had a trial at Colchester United before joining Southport in 1966. In his first season, he scored the winning goal in Southport's last away game, then, needing to win their last home game to secure promotion from the Fourth Division, he set up the only goal of the game for George Andrews. [5] Called 'Big Eric' or 'Big Red' by Southport fans, Redrobe was a regular in the side during its three seasons in the Third Division before relegation.

After another three seasons in the Fourth Division, he was sold for a fee of £6,000 to Hereford United, newly elected to the Football League, in October 1972; [5] he scored nine goals as the Bulls were promoted at their first attempt. He remained at Edgar Street until the end of Hereford's successful 1975–76 season when they won the Third Division. He dropped into non-league football to play for Bath City before a brief return to Hereford in 1977. [6] [7] He later became a bailiff. [8]

In 2007, he was chosen as the Southport fans' all-time favourite player as part of the Professional Footballers' Association centenary celebrations. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southport F.C.</span> Association football club in Southport, England

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Thompson (footballer, born 1942)</span> English footballer

Peter Thompson was an English professional footballer. Thompson was known for his speedy and electric style of play.

John Morris was an English footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Manchester United, Derby County and Leicester City.

Mark Patterson is an English former footballer who made nearly 500 appearances in the Football League playing as a midfielder for Blackburn Rovers, Preston North End, Bury, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United, Southend United and Blackpool. He went on to play, and then to manage, in non-League football.

Christopher James Price is an English former footballer who made 561 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, playing for Hereford United, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth. He played as a right-back.

Robert James Savage is an English footballer who played as a midfielder in the Football League for Wrexham, Stoke City, AFC Bournemouth, Bradford City and Bolton Wanderers.

John William Thomas is an English former professional footballer. He scored 123 goals from 364 appearances in the Football League playing for Tranmere Rovers, Halifax Town, Bolton Wanderers, Chester, Lincoln City, Preston North End, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil MacKenzie</span> English footballer

Neil David MacKenzie is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder. He scored 38 goals in 479 league and cup appearances across a 19-year career.

David Cross is an English former footballer who played as a striker. He scored 223 goals in 599 appearances in the Football League and the North American Soccer League. Cross was born in Heywood, Lancashire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Perry (footballer)</span>

William Perry was a professional footballer. He spent thirteen seasons at Blackpool from 1949 to 1962. Born in South Africa, he played for the England national team.

Kevin Rose is a former English footballer who played in the Football League for Hereford United, Bolton Wanderers, Carlisle United and Rochdale as a goalkeeper. He holds the record of most consecutive appearances for Hereford United.

George Andrews is an English former professional footballer. During his career, he made over 400 appearances in the Football League and scored 149 goals in spells at Cardiff City, Southport, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall. He scored Walsall's winning goal in their shock FA Cup third round victory over Newcastle United in January 1975.

Paul Comstive was an English professional footballer who mainly played as a midfielder. He played in the Football League for seven different clubs and also played non-league football.

Stephen Whitworth is an English former professional footballer who made nearly 600 appearances in the Football League playing for Leicester City, Sunderland, Bolton Wanderers and Mansfield Town. He was capped seven times for England.

Roy Greaves is an English former footballer who made more than 500 appearances in the Football League playing for Bolton Wanderers, where he spent the vast majority of his career, and Rochdale, and in the North American Soccer League for the Seattle Sounders.

Stanley Joseph Bentham was an English footballer.

Neville Bannister is an English former footballer who scored 30 goals from 154 appearances in the Football League playing as an outside right for Bolton Wanderers, Lincoln City, Hartlepools United and Rochdale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Halliday (footballer)</span> English footballer and manager

John Frederick Halliday was an English professional footballer and manager who played as a full back in the Football League for Bolton Wanderers and Bradford City. He went on to manage Bradford Park Avenue and Brentford. He was posthumously inducted into the Brentford Hall of Fame in 2015.

James Alan Kenneth Caton is an English footballer who plays as a winger for Northern Premier League Premier Division club Bamber Bridge.

Dion Elie Charles is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Bolton Wanderers. Born in England, he represents the Northern Ireland national team.

References

  1. "Redrobe, Eric : Biography". The Football Genome Project. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Bolton Wanderers : 1946/47–2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  3. "Southport : 1946/47–1977/78". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  4. "Hereford United : 1972/73–1996/97 & 2006/07–2008/09". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 Dewhurst, Tony (27 March 2009). "The Big Interview: Southport FC goals legend Eric Redrobe". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 18 November 2009.
  6. "1976–77". I Love Bath City. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  7. "Past Players R". I Love Bath City. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  8. "Redrobe Predicts Promotion For Bulls". Hereford Times. 27 March 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2009.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. Smith, Martin (19 December 2009). "Best footballers: Shearer a hero on two fronts". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 November 2009.