Robinson Arthur “Nat” Image 3 Birmingham 1906

Description

Coventry born goalkeeper Arthur “Nat” Robinson began his football career with Allesley and Coventry Stars in 1893, before joining Singer’s in 1894, the club that would become Coventry City in 1898. In the 1899 close season he transferred to Second Division Small Heath, making his Football League debut against Walsall the same September, missing one game in his first three seasons at Muntz Street (they moved to St Andrew’s in 1906).

He twice helped The Blues to promotion to the First Division, in 1901 and 1903, both times as Second Division runners up, and he continued to be the undisputed number one glovesman for The Blues until well after they had both changed their name to Birmingham and moved to the new ground, losing his place in November 1907 to Jack Dorrington. While at Birmingham he also twice appeared for The Football League making his debut in October 1906 against The Irish League in a 6-0 victory in Belfast and also keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against The Scottish League in Glasgow in March 1907, and he also played in two England trials.

In the summer of 1908, after 306 appearances for Small Heath/Birmingham, he joined First Division Chelsea as back up to Jack Whitley, and played 3 League games for The Pensioners over his two seasons at Stamford Bridge before returning to his hometown to re-join (by now Southern League) Coventry City. At Coventry he was understudy to Robert Evans, making 2 appearances during 1910-11 to add to his earliest appearances for the club, and he remained on their books until the First World War.