Classic Arsenal Players - Part 14 - Stewart Robson
A PROMISING CAREER RUINED BY INJURIES
IT WAS A sad sight indeed. Former Arsenal player Stewart Robson lies stricken on the Highbury turf. It was just ten minutes into the first game of the new 1993/94 season, but Robson's campaign was already over.
Now playing for Coventry City, Robson was given a standing ovation from the Arsenal fans as he limped away from the arena he used to call home, a once promising football career ruined by the curse of injuries.
Stewart Ian Robson was born on 6 November 1964 in Billericay, Essex. He was educated at Alleyn Court Prep School in Westcilff-on-Sea and Brentwood School before he joined Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1978.
Robson, a versatile midfield player who could also played in defence, worked his way through the ranks to make his first team debut away at West Ham United on 5 December 1981, just a few weeks after his 17th birthday.
Robson scored his first goal for the club on 13 March 1982, the winner against Ipswich Town at Highbury, and at the end of his first season he had made 22 appearances, scoring twice.
Robson became a regular in the side in the following 1982/83 season, starting nearly 50 matches and helping the club reach the semi final of both domestic cup competitions, although they would ultimately lose both to Manchester United.
In the semi final of the FA Cup at Villa Park on 16 April 1983 it was a first half injury to Robson with Arsenal 1-0 up that allowed United to get a foothold in the game and eventually win 2-1.
Those injury problems would return in the 1983/84 season but Robson still started 32 matches, scoring a career best total of seven goals.
IT WAS A sad sight indeed. Former Arsenal player Stewart Robson lies stricken on the Highbury turf. It was just ten minutes into the first game of the new 1993/94 season, but Robson's campaign was already over.
Now playing for Coventry City, Robson was given a standing ovation from the Arsenal fans as he limped away from the arena he used to call home, a once promising football career ruined by the curse of injuries.
Stewart Ian Robson was born on 6 November 1964 in Billericay, Essex. He was educated at Alleyn Court Prep School in Westcilff-on-Sea and Brentwood School before he joined Arsenal as a schoolboy in 1978.
Robson, a versatile midfield player who could also played in defence, worked his way through the ranks to make his first team debut away at West Ham United on 5 December 1981, just a few weeks after his 17th birthday.
Robson became a regular in the side in the following 1982/83 season, starting nearly 50 matches and helping the club reach the semi final of both domestic cup competitions, although they would ultimately lose both to Manchester United.
In the semi final of the FA Cup at Villa Park on 16 April 1983 it was a first half injury to Robson with Arsenal 1-0 up that allowed United to get a foothold in the game and eventually win 2-1.
Those injury problems would return in the 1983/84 season but Robson still started 32 matches, scoring a career best total of seven goals.
Robson particularly enjoyed a fine run towards the end of the season under new manager, Don Howe, scoring five times in the last 10 matches of the season, including in the North London derby at Highbury on Easter Monday 1984.
Robson's form was recognised by his country as he became a regular in the England U21 side and while he made the senior squad on more than one occasion, injuries meant he would never win a full cap.
Robson enjoyed his best season in 1984/85, missing just two matches, and he showed his versatility during the season by playing at right back and centre back as well as in midfield. Robson, still just 20, was rewarded by winning the Arsenal Player of the Year award in 1985.
However just as he seemed to be reaching his best form, the injuries returned. Robson missed three months of the 1985/86 season with groin and hamstring injuries, although he still managed 34 appearances, scoring 6 goals.
The summer of 1986 saw George Graham replace Howe as Arsenal manager, and although Robson started the first five matches, an injury in the North London derby on 6 September 1986 saw Robson lose his place in the side to Steve Williams and he was unable to win it back.
Due to a lack of playing time and a fall out with Graham, Robson left to join West Ham United for £700,000 in January 1987. A once promising Arsenal career had ended with him making 186 appearances, scoring 21 goals.
Robson made his West Ham debut on 24 January 1987 in a 3-1 win over Coventry City and he initially impressed, winning the Hammers Player of the Year award in 1988.
However injuries would again hamper Robson's progress at Upton Park and manager John Lyall commented that Robson had never been fully fit during his time at West Ham.
The Hammers was relegated at the end of the 1988/89 season, the first of three consecutive campaigns where Robson would play just 14 times in total.
In the end West Ham cut their loses and he left on a free transfer to sign for Coventry City in March 1991.
Robson's last appearance for West Ham came in a humiliating 6-1 FA Cup defeat at Aldershot on 16 January 1991. He had made less than 70 league appearances in East London, scoring four goals.
After a good start to life at Highfield Road where Robson won the Coventry City Player of the Year award in 1992, injury on his return to Highbury on the opening day of the 1993/94 season saw Robson again on the sidelines.
After a full season out of action, Robson was forced to retire in the summer of 1995 aged just 31, having made less than 60 league appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring three goals.
Robson immediately joined Wimbledon as youth team coach, working his way up to the reserve team and then as first team coach, until leaving the club in 2001.
In 2003 Robson spent a short spell at Southend United as first team coach and then as caretaker manager between 25 March and 16 April 2003. The team won just one of his three games in charge.
Robson then joined Rushden and Diamonds the following year as technical director of football.
After retiring, Robson began working for Sky Sports, co-commentating on FA Cup matches.
He also worked on Arsenal TV where he incurred the wrath of Gunners fans and officials alike by criticizing the club and manager Arsene Wenger in particular.
Robson's controversial comments made him very much in demand on the media circuit and he switched to ESPN to cover the 2014 World Cup and 2016 European Championships, while he can now be seen on BT Sport.
Always a popular player with the fans wherever he played for due to his committed attitude and versatility, Robson won the Player of the Year award at every club he played for.
He broke into the Arsenal team at the time I first started watching the club so he was one of my early favourites, along with fellow youngsters Chris Whyte and Raphael Meade.
He played with a maturity way beyond his years and I was shocked to discover while researching this article that he was still a teenager when giving a majestic display against Manchester United in the 1983 FA Cup semi final. I had just assumed he had been much older.
It was sad that injuries curtailed his career as I believe he could have been a future England captain.
Robson's form was recognised by his country as he became a regular in the England U21 side and while he made the senior squad on more than one occasion, injuries meant he would never win a full cap.
Robson enjoyed his best season in 1984/85, missing just two matches, and he showed his versatility during the season by playing at right back and centre back as well as in midfield. Robson, still just 20, was rewarded by winning the Arsenal Player of the Year award in 1985.
The summer of 1986 saw George Graham replace Howe as Arsenal manager, and although Robson started the first five matches, an injury in the North London derby on 6 September 1986 saw Robson lose his place in the side to Steve Williams and he was unable to win it back.
Due to a lack of playing time and a fall out with Graham, Robson left to join West Ham United for £700,000 in January 1987. A once promising Arsenal career had ended with him making 186 appearances, scoring 21 goals.
Robson made his West Ham debut on 24 January 1987 in a 3-1 win over Coventry City and he initially impressed, winning the Hammers Player of the Year award in 1988.
However injuries would again hamper Robson's progress at Upton Park and manager John Lyall commented that Robson had never been fully fit during his time at West Ham.
In the end West Ham cut their loses and he left on a free transfer to sign for Coventry City in March 1991.
Robson's last appearance for West Ham came in a humiliating 6-1 FA Cup defeat at Aldershot on 16 January 1991. He had made less than 70 league appearances in East London, scoring four goals.
After a good start to life at Highfield Road where Robson won the Coventry City Player of the Year award in 1992, injury on his return to Highbury on the opening day of the 1993/94 season saw Robson again on the sidelines.
After a full season out of action, Robson was forced to retire in the summer of 1995 aged just 31, having made less than 60 league appearances for the Sky Blues, scoring three goals.
In 2003 Robson spent a short spell at Southend United as first team coach and then as caretaker manager between 25 March and 16 April 2003. The team won just one of his three games in charge.
Robson then joined Rushden and Diamonds the following year as technical director of football.
After retiring, Robson began working for Sky Sports, co-commentating on FA Cup matches.
He also worked on Arsenal TV where he incurred the wrath of Gunners fans and officials alike by criticizing the club and manager Arsene Wenger in particular.
Robson's controversial comments made him very much in demand on the media circuit and he switched to ESPN to cover the 2014 World Cup and 2016 European Championships, while he can now be seen on BT Sport.
Always a popular player with the fans wherever he played for due to his committed attitude and versatility, Robson won the Player of the Year award at every club he played for.
He broke into the Arsenal team at the time I first started watching the club so he was one of my early favourites, along with fellow youngsters Chris Whyte and Raphael Meade.
He played with a maturity way beyond his years and I was shocked to discover while researching this article that he was still a teenager when giving a majestic display against Manchester United in the 1983 FA Cup semi final. I had just assumed he had been much older.
Robson has taken much criticism for the comments he has made in the media about Arsenal over the years, and at one time he was even banned by the club from Emirates Stadium. He was a big critique of Arsene Wenger in particular and these days he seems to find the negative in everything connected to the club.
But despite that I certainly hold no malice towards him and will always remember him fondly as one of the many success stories of our academy system in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Coming up next time I look back at one of Robson's best games for Arsenal, that FA Cup semi final defeat to Manchester United in 1983. Look out for that coming soon.
But despite that I certainly hold no malice towards him and will always remember him fondly as one of the many success stories of our academy system in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Coming up next time I look back at one of Robson's best games for Arsenal, that FA Cup semi final defeat to Manchester United in 1983. Look out for that coming soon.
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