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Robson
Facts |
101 Things you
may or may not know about
Bobby Robson
(well it's actually 40, as the lad who wrote
this was getting some severe grief off his wife....)
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The last time a Robson managed Ipswich team played
a league game at St James Park, in February 1978, Town ran out 1-0
winners.
Ipswichs youth policy, the key to Robsons
success at Portman Road, was actually started by Newcastle legend Jackie
Milburn, who managed Town between April 1963 and September 1964.
The success of his youth policy is illustrated by
his FA Cup winning side of 1978 which contained only three players bought
from elsewhere.
When Don Revie became England manager in 1974,
Robsons was offered the vacant Leeds position for 3 times his then
Ipswich salary of £10,000, but declined.
He was voted Sun Readers Manager of the Year at
the end of the 1974/75 league campaign
During the 1980-81 season, when Town were chasing a
League, Cup and UEFA Cup treble, Robson called the Town fans "A
bunch of Zombies" for failing to get behind the team at home
games.
When he was sacked as manager by Fulham in 1968 he
became the 686th manager since WWII to be dismissed by a League
Club.
Robson would have joined Barcelona in 1981 but the
Catalans refused to pay Ipswich £150,000 in compensation
Between 1973 and 1982, Robsons Ipswich side
qualified for Europe 9 seasons out of 10.
His first match in charge at Portman Road was a 2-2
draw at Goodison Park (18 January 1969)
His last match in charge at Portman Road was a 2-1
home win against Spurs (17 May 1982)
He turned down the position of Everton manager on
three occasions in the Seventies.
In 1969 he is alleged to have had a punch-up
with then Town captain Billy Baxter and received a black-eye for his
troubles.
Over his 13 year tenure in Suffolk he made a profit
of £1.6 Million in the transfer market. Just 14 players were purchased (£1.0
M) but 45 were sold (£2.6 M)
In 1981, then Sunderland chairman Tom Cowie offered
to double Robsons salary if he would move to Weerside. Wisely he
declined.
After Ipswichs FA Cup 6th Round Tie
at Millwall (1978) was held up due to rioting by home fans Robson was
misquoted by Jimmy Hill on Match of the Day as saying "We Should Turn
the Flame Throwers on Them !".
He was capped 20 times by England
Due to poor hearing he failed his National Service
medical.
He was Bells Manager of the Month on three
occasions during the 1980-81 season.
As a Town manager his league record against
Sunderland was played 9, won 5, drawn 2, lost 2, which included a 4-1
trashing at Portman Road in March of 1981.
His trophy haul at Ipswich included the FA Cup
(1978), UEFA Cup (1981), Texaco Cup (1973) and the FA Youth Cup (1973 and
1975)
The Division 1 Championship eluded him with Town
finishing as runners-up in 81 and 82.
His first car was a £200 second Morris Minor
bought in 1958.
He has managed just one game for another team
against the Town. A pre-season friendly between Ipswich and FC Porto.
As a Town manager his league record against
Newcastle was played 18, won 9, drawn 4, lost 5.
As a Town manager his league record against
Middlesbrough was played 16, won 7, drawn 4, lost 5.
Robsons Ipswich played four cup games against
Newcastle. In 1971 Town won an FA Cup 3rd Round Replay 2-1 at
Portman Road after a 1-1 draw on Tyneside. Two years later Town won a
Texaco Cup Semi-Final 2-1 on aggregate.
At 15 he had a trial at Middlesboro, but was
rejected
Two years on Middlesboro offered him £4 a week to
sign professional forms but he declined and joined Fulham instead.
His first managerial appointment was with Vancouver
Whitecaps in 1967
Robson had an excellent rapport with Towns
meagre seventies away following and without fail would always appear
outside the away ground before the game to hand out complimentary tickets
As Fulham manager Robson bought a certain Malcolm
MacDonald from Tonbridge for £1,000.
Between his dismissal by Fulham and his appointment
as Ipwich Manager, he was briefly employed as a scout by Chelsea.
In the same period he was offered a similar
position at Arsenal.
George Best signed a one-match contract with
Ipswich to appear in Robsons testimonial game against an England XI in
1979.
For his first England international appearance,
against France in 1957, he was paid a £20 match fee.
His managerial record at Ipswich, in all
competitions, was played 709, won 316, drawn 173, lost 220.
The conveyancing for Robsons first house
purchase was undertaken by FA Chairman Bert Millichip.
Towns highest scoring win under Robson was 7-0,
against both West Brom and Southampton at home.
Towns worst defeat under Robson was a 7-0
beating at Sheffield United
101. ROBSON IS GOD !
Thanks to Ralph Morris
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