Robson Ed Image 4 Portsmouth 1920

Description

Allendale, Northumberland born goalkeeper Ed (sometimes known as Ned) Robson started his career with Gateshead and Watford before the First World War, and after the end of the conflict he joined Portsmouth in July 1919, winning the Southern League Championship with them in 1919-20, playing 39 times during the campaign. When they joined the Third Division in August 1920 he made his Football League debut in their inaugural fixture against Swansea Town, missing only one match in their inaugural League campaign, making 78 appearances before being signed by First Division Sunderland in May 1922.

In his first season at Roker Park he was the first choice keeper but he lost his place to Albert McInroy in 1923 and joined Swansea Town in May 1924, winning the Third Division (South) Championship in his first season in South Wales, when he made 14 appearances in the campaign. He made a further 15 appearances the following season before moving to Wrexham in June 1926 where he made 76 appearances over the following two seasons before joining Grimsby Town in July 1928. However he couldn’t get into the Grimsby first eleven and joined Rochdale in March 1929, playing 12 times before the end of the season, after which he retired from professional football.

In the photograph, issued to celebrate Portsmouth’s 1920 Southern League Championship triumph, Robson is at 12 o’clock.