Portman Road
The Cobbold Stand, formerly known as the Portman Stand, was constructed in 1971
Full name	Portman Road Stadium
Location	Ipswich, Suffolk
Coordinates	52°3′18.22″N 1°8′41.39″E / 52.0550611°N 1.1448306°E / 52.0550611; 1.1448306Coordinates: 52°3′18.22″N 1°8′41.39″E / 52.0550611°N 1.1448306°E / 52.0550611; 1.1448306
Opened	1884[1]
Expanded	2002
Owner	Ipswich Borough Council[1]
Surface	Grass
Capacity	30,311[2]
Field dimensions	112 yards (102 m) x 82 yards (75 m)[3]
Tenants
Ipswich Town F.C.

Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003. It has staged several other sporting events, including athletics meetings and international hockey matches.

The stadium underwent significant redevelopments in the early 2000s, which increased the capacity from 22,600 to a current figure of 30,311, making it the largest capacity football ground in East Anglia. Each of its four stands have since been converted to all-seater, following the recommendations of the Taylor Report. Also located at the ground are conference and banqueting facilities, the Sir Bobby Robson Suite, Legends Bar and a club store selling Ipswich Town merchandise.

History[link]

Ipswich played their early matches at Broomhill Park,^[4] but in 1884, the club moved to Portman Road and have played there ever since.^[1] The ground was also used as a cricket pitch during the summer by the East Suffolk Cricket Club who had played there since 1855.^[5] The cricket club had erected a pavilion, the first fixed building at the ground. More substantial elements of ground development did not begin for a further 11 years, though Ipswich became one of the first clubs to implement the use of goal nets in 1890.^[1] At this time, Ipswich were an amateur side (the team became professional in 1936) and the first visit of a professional club came in 1892, when Preston North End played a Suffolk County Football Association team. This was followed six years later by a visit from Aston Villa, a game which was so popular that a temporary stand was erected in order to accommodate a crowd of around 5,000.^[6] In 1901, a tobacco processing plant was built along the south edge of the ground by the Churchman brothers,^[1] a name which would later become synonymous with the south stand located there.^[7]

The first permanent stand, a wooden structure known affectionately as the "Chicken Run",^[8][9] was built on the Portman Road side of the ground in 1906.^[6] This structure was sold in 1971 to the local speedway team, the Ipswich Witches, who installed it at Foxhall Stadium.^[6] Two amateur internationals were held at the ground in 1910, with England winning 10–1 against Bohemia and 20–0 against France. In 1914, the ground was commandeered by the British Army for use as a training camp for the duration of the First World War. Control of Portman Road was not returned to the club until two years after the end of the war and significant work was required to repair damage to the ground caused by heavy machinery.^[6]

The Britannia Stand, formerly known as the Pioneer Stand and the West Stand, with turnstiles

For a short period during the 1920s, Portman Road was host to a number of whippet races in an attempt to increase revenue,^[6] and in 1928 a small stand was built on the west side of the ground. The football club turned professional in 1936 and the cricket club were forced to move out,^[5] so work began on the first bank of terracing at the north end of the pitch. The following year, on the back of winning the Southern League, a similar terrace was built at the southern "Churchmans" end and 650 tip-up seats, bought from Arsenal, were installed.^[6] Portman Road was home to Ipswich Town's first Football League match on 27 August 1938, a 4–2 victory against Southend United in Division Three (South) witnessed by more than 19,000 spectators.^[10]

The Supporters' Association funded a number of improvements at Portman Road; in 1952, concrete terracing replaced the wooden terraces at the cost of £3,000 and another £3,000 was used to re-terrace the North Stand in 1954, bringing the capacity of the ground to approximately 29,000. In 1957, the association raised £30,500 towards the building of a new West Stand, increasing ground capacity to around 31,000. Floodlights were installed two years later; the result of £15,000 raised by the association.^[1] The floodlights were switched on by club president Lady Blanche Cobbold for the first floodlit match at the ground, a friendly against Arsenal, in February 1960.^[11][12]

Television cameras made their debut at Portman Road in 1962 as Anglia Television arrived for Match of the Week;^[13] it was another six years before the BBC televised a match at the ground, Match of the Day visiting Portman Road for the first time in 1968 to witness Ipswich's league fixture against Birmingham City.^[6]

Sir Bobby Robson Stand with club store

Meanwhile, ground development continued with roofing enhancements to the North Stand and an increase in capacity to 31,500 by 1963. Dressing rooms were constructed in 1965 and new turnstiles were introduced two years later, including a separate entrance for juveniles at the Churchmans end. In 1968 the club agreed to a new 99-year lease on the ground with owners Ipswich Borough Council.^[6]

The two-tier propped cantilever Portman Stand was built along the east side of the ground in place of the existing terraces in 1971, providing 3,500 additional seats and increasing the capacity of the ground to approximately 37,000. Advertising appeared around the perimeter of the ground in the same year, while the following year saw the construction of the "Centre Spot" restaurant underneath the Portman Stand. Additional seating was added to the Portman Stand in 1974 and the ground saw its record attendance of 38,010 the following year in an FA Cup tie against Leeds United. Following success in the 1978 FA Cup, the club invested in 24 executive boxes in front of the Portman Stand and, as a result of the Safety of Sports Ground Act (1975), reduced the capacity in front by introducing seats, taking the overall capacity down to 34,600.^[1][6]

Sir Alf Ramsey Stand

Plastic seats replaced wooden benches in the West Stand in 1980 and in the following year, the club announced a deal with electronics company Pioneer Corporation with the stand expanded at a cost of around £1.3m, renamed as the Pioneer Stand and re-opened in 1983. However, the cost of building the stand meant the club had to sell players, and led to a decline in fortunes on the pitch.^[14] Safety barriers were removed from the North Stand in 1989 following the Hillsborough disaster and following the recommendations of the Taylor Report, the terraces in both the North and South stands were also converted to all-seating. The Pioneer Stand was renamed as the Britannia Stand following a new sponsorship deal with the building society in 1999,^[1][6] and in the following year a statue of Sir Alf Ramsey was unveiled at the corner of Portman Road and Sir Alf Ramsey Way.^[15]

Success for Ipswich Town in promotion to the Premier League in 2000 led to further investment in the infrastructure, with the club spending around £22 million on redeveloping both the North and South stands.^[1] The complete renovation of the South Stand into a two-tier stand added 4,000 seats to the stadium. The subsequent demolition and reconstruction of a two-tier North Stand added a further 4,000 seats and brought the total capacity of the ground to more than 30,000.^[1] In 2001, local brewery Greene King took on the sponsorship of the updated South Stand and as such, the stand was renamed the Greene King stand until 2009, when the sponsorship deal ended and the name changed back to the original 'South Stand'. ^[16] Following the death of former manager Bobby Robson in 2009, the club announced that the North Stand would be renamed as the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. The official unveiling took place at half time during the league match hosting Newcastle United F.C., another of Robson's former clubs, on 26 September 2009.^[17] On 31 March 2012, the South Stand was renamed the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand in memory of Sir Alf Ramsey who guided Ipswich Town to the Old First Division title. The season was the 50th anniversary of Ipswich Town winning the old First Division title.^[18]

Structure and facilities[link]

View from the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand, with the Britannia Stand to the left, Sir Bobby Robson Stand opposite and the Cobbold Stand to the right

The pitch is surrounded by four all-seater stands, the Sir Bobby Robson Stand, the Cobbold Stand, the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and the Britannia Stand. All stands are covered and are multi-tiered.

The Cobbold Stand was constructed in 1971, and originally known as the Portman Stand.^[19] With two tiers and a cantilever roof, it is used to accommodate away fans, with an allocation of up to 3,000 seats per game and for family seating. It also contains a number of executive boxes as well as regular seating for home fans.^[20] The Sir Alf Ramsey Stand is a two-tiered stand which has a match-day capacity of approximately 7,000. It also houses the "Sir Bobby Robson Suite" restaurant and "Legends Bar". The tunnel, from which the players emerge onto the pitch from their dressing rooms, is unusually located in the corner of the stadium between the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and the Britannia Stand.^[19]

The Britannia Stand was originally constructed in 1952 as a simple concrete seating area.^[21] It was updated to an all-seater stand in 1990 and currently has three tiers consisting of home fan seating and an additional family area. It also contains the directors' box, further executive boxes and the press area. Behind the stand is a full-size AstroTurf pitch which is often used on a casual basis by fans before home games.^[22] The Sir Bobby Robson Stand was completely rebuilt in 2001 and has a capacity of around 7,500.^[23] It is a two-tier cantilever stand which is divided into an adults-only lower tier "...traditionally for the 'hard core' Town fan..." and a mixed upper tier.^[16][24]

Statue of Sir Alf Ramsey

There are nine areas throughout the ground designated for disabled supporters, in the lower Britannia Stand, the Sir Alf Ramsey Stand and the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. These provide over 300 spaces to accommodate wheelchair users and ambulant disabled, together with their carers. The ground also provides 12 seats in the Britannia Stand for visually impaired spectators with commentary via individual radio headsets in each seat, provided by local radio station BBC Radio Suffolk.^[25]

The former groundsman, Alan Ferguson, received a number of accolades, including both Premiership and Championship Groundsman of the Year,^[26][27] and the pitch was voted the best in the Championship for two consecutive seasons in 2004 and 2005.^[28]

There are statues of Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson, both former Ipswich Town and England managers, outside the ground.^[29][30] Nearby Portman's Walk was renamed Sir Alf Ramsey Way in 1999.^[6]

Other uses[link]

Statue of Sir Bobby Robson

On 20 August 2003, Portman Road hosted its first and thus far only senior England fixture, a friendly against Croatia,^[31] the match finishing 3–1 to England in front of 28,700 spectators.^[32] The stadium has been used by England youth teams on a number of occasions, the first on 24 November 1971, saw the England U23 team draw 1–1 with Switzerland.^[33] England U21s drew in a UEFA European U21 Championship qualifying match there on 18 August 2006 against Moldova, in front of 13,556 spectators.^[34] In addition, a variety of other sports have been hosted at Portman Road, including athletics in 1927,^[35] an American football match in 1953,^[36] and several international hockey matches in the 1960s and 70s.^[37][38][39]

The stadium has also hosted several music concerts, including performances by Elton John,^[40] R.E.M.,^[41] Red Hot Chili Peppers,^[42] Pink,^[43] Neil Diamond,^[44] Tina Turner,^[45] Dire Straits,^[46] Dirty Pretty Things^[47] & Rod Stewart,^[48] among others.

In March 2005, around 8,000 Christians attended a gathering at the stadium, the largest act of Christian worship in Suffolk, since American evangelist Billy Graham used Portman Road on part of his Mission England Tour in 1984.^[49]

Records[link]

Average and highest attendances at the ground since Ipswich Town turned professional

The highest attendance recorded at Portman Road is 38,010 for a match against Leeds United in the FA Cup sixth round on 8 March 1975.^[50] The record modern (all-seated) attendance is 30,152, set on 21 December 2003 against local rivals Norwich City in Football League Division One.^[50] The largest crowd for a non-competitive game at the ground was over 23,000 for Bobby Robson's testimonial where Ipswich, including George Best, played against an England XI.^[51]

The highest seasonal average at the stadium since Ipswich turned professional was 26,431 in the 1976–77 season while Ipswich were playing in the First Division. The lowest average attendance at Portman Road was 8,741 in the club's inaugural league season, the 1936–37 season in Division Three (South).

The highest total seasonal attendance was recorded during the 1980–81 season when the aggregate was more than 814,000 during a season in which Ipswich won the UEFA Cup and finished second in the First Division.^[52]

Portman Road hosted Ipswich Town's first appearance in European football competition when they defeated Floriana of Malta 10–0, still a club record, in the European Cup in 1962.^[53] Since then, Ipswich Town remain undefeated at Portman Road in all European competitions, a total of 31 matches spanning 40 years,^[54] a record until it was surpassed by AZ Alkmaar in December 2007.^[55]

Transport[link]

The stadium is approximately 450 yards (410 m) from Ipswich railway station, which lies on the Great Eastern Main Line from London Liverpool Street to Norwich. The stadium has no parking facilities for supporters, and the streets around the ground are subject to a residents-only permit parking scheme, but there are a number of pay and display or park and ride car parks within a short distance of the ground.^[20][56]

References[link]

Sir Bobby Robson

Bobby Robson at the Republic of Ireland versus Slovakia match in Croke Park, Dublin on 29 March 2007.
Personal information
Full name	Sir Robert William Robson
Date of birth	(1933-02-18)18 February 1933
Place of birth	Sacriston, County Durham, England
Date of death	31 July 2009(2009-07-31) (aged 76)
Place of death	County Durham, England
Playing position	Inside forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1950–1956	Fulham	152	(68)
1955	London	1	(1)
1956–1962	West Bromwich Albion	239	(56)
1962–1967	Fulham	192	(9)
1967–1968	Vancouver Royals	0	(0)
Total		583	(133)
National team
1957–1962	England	20	(4)
Teams managed
1968	Fulham
1969–1982	Ipswich Town
1982–1990	England
1990–1992	PSV Eindhoven
1992–1994	Sporting CP
1994–1996	Porto
1996–1997	Barcelona
1998–1999	PSV Eindhoven
1999–2004	Newcastle United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE (18 February 1933 – 31 July 2009)^[1] was an English footballer and manager, who managed seven European clubs and the England national team during his career.

His professional playing career as an inside-forward spanned nearly 20 years, during which he played for three clubs: Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and, briefly, Vancouver Royals. He also made 20 appearances for England, scoring four goals.

After his playing career he found success as both a club and international manager, winning league championships in both the Netherlands and Portugal, earning trophies in England and Spain, and taking England to the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup. His last management role was as a mentor to the manager of the Irish national football team.

Robson was created a Knight Bachelor in 2002, was inducted as a member of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003, and was the honorary president of Ipswich Town. From 1991 onwards he suffered recurrent medical problems with cancer, and in March 2008, put his name and efforts into the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, a cancer research charity. In August 2008, his lung cancer was confirmed to be terminal; he said: "My condition is described as static and has not altered since my last bout of chemotherapy...I am going to die sooner rather than later. But then everyone has to go sometime and I have enjoyed every minute". He died just under a year later.

Early life[link]

Born in Sacriston, County Durham, Robson was the fourth of five sons of Philip and Lilian Robson (née Watt).^[2] When he was a few months old, Robson's family moved to the nearby village of Langley Park where his father was a coal miner. As a boy, he was often taken by his father to watch Newcastle United at St James' Park, requiring a bus ride or a walk of several miles.^[3][4][5] Robson describes Jackie Milburn and Len Shackleton as his childhood heroes.^[4] Both played for Newcastle in the inside-forward position, the position Robson would later assume during his playing career.

Robson attended Waterhouses Secondary Modern School but the headmaster did not allow the school football team to join a league.^[6] Instead, he began to play for Langley Park Juniors on Saturday mornings at the age of eleven, and by the time he was 15, he was representing the club at Under-18 level.^[7] Robson played football whenever he possibly could but also worked as an electrician's apprentice for the National Coal Board in the Langley Park colliery.^[8] In May 1950, Bill Dodgin, the Fulham manager made a personal visit to the Robson household to offer Bobby a professional contract. Despite being offered a contract by nearby Middlesbrough, the offer made by Dodgin was too attractive to turn down, so he signed for Fulham and moved to London,^[9][10][11] playing as a wing-half and inside-forward.^[12] Robson had also interested his beloved Newcastle, but he opted to join Fulham as, in his opinion, "Newcastle made no appreciable effort to secure [my] signature".

Playing career[link]

Club playing career[link]

Although Robson had signed professionally, his father insisted he continue to work as an electrician. He spent the day working at the Festival of Britain site and trained three nights a week at Fulham.^[13] Eventually this took its toll on Robson and he gave up his trade for full-time football.^[14]

Robson made his debut in 1950 for Fulham, recently promoted to the First Division, in a match against Sheffield Wednesday.^[15] He came to regard Fulham as "a nice club, a social club..." but "never...a serious, championship-challenging club".^[16] Indeed, he and Fulham were relegated from the top-flight in the 1951–52 season,^[17] but he made his return to the First Division, four years later, when he signed for Vic Buckingham's West Bromwich Albion in March 1956.^[9] The transfer fee of £25,000 was a club record for Albion at the time.^[18][19]

He made his Albion debut in a 4–0 home defeat by Manchester City on 10 March 1956.^[20] In 1957–58 he was the club's top league goalscorer; his tally of 24 goals included four in a 5–1 win against Burnley.^[21][22] He went on to play 257 games and score 61 goals for West Bromwich Albion and captained the team for the 1960–61 and 1961–62 seasons.^[23] In August 1962, however, he returned to Fulham after a disagreement with Albion vice-chairman Jim Gaunt over his salary.^[24][25] The on-going dispute over both minimum and maximum wages in the game, instigated by Robson's team-mate Jimmy Hill and the Professional Footballers' Association, combined with the birth of Robson's second son, prompted Robson to demand a higher salary.^[26] Gaunt refused to negotiate Robson's contract, so Robson placed a transfer request and was sold to Fulham for £20,000 in a deal which doubled his salary.^[27] Soon after Robson joined Fulham, the club sold Alan Mullery and Rodney Marsh, meaning Robson's chances of securing any significant honour there were substantially reduced.^[28] Robson himself stated "In all my time as a footballer, I didn't win a thing."^[28]

Despite press reports of interest from Arsenal,^[29] and the offer of a player-manager role by Southend United,^[30] Robson left Fulham in 1967 and accepted a three-year deal with Canada's Vancouver Royals. He was to be player-manager in their inaugural 1968 season in the North American Soccer League and believed it "...was a chance too good to miss".^[9][31] The position proved difficult; a long-distance joint-ownership agreement gave the Hungarian footballer Ferenc Puskás control over the San Francisco section of the squad,^[32] while Robson took care of the Vancouver squad. Robson was dissatisfied by this situation and when, in January 1968, Fulham offered him a contract as their manager, he accepted the position at Craven Cottage.^[33]

International playing career[link]

During his first spell at Fulham, Robson participated in two ambassadorial Football Association tours in the West Indies in 1955 and South Africa in 1956.^[15] However, it was during his time at West Bromwich Albion that he graduated to the full England squad, with his first call-up in 1956. His manager, Vic Buckingham, advocated the "push and run" approach to the game, a precursor to "total football",^[34] and playing this, Robson graduated to the full England squad in 1956,^[35] It was also at West Bromwich Albion that Robson met future England international and assistant coach Don Howe.^[36]

He went on to make 20 appearances for the England national team, making his debut in a November 1957 victory against France, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory.^[37] Although he made a successful debut, he was dropped for England's next game against Scotland, in favour of Bobby Charlton.^[38] He was, however, selected for the 1958 World Cup squad, ahead of Nat Lofthouse and Stanley Matthews but returned from Sweden disappointed, as England were defeated by the Soviet Union in a group play-off match.^[39]

Following the 1958 World Cup, Robson became an established member of the England squad, enjoying considerable success in a period between October 1960 and March 1961 when he played in six England victories, including scoring a goal in the record 9–3 defeat of Scotland at Wembley Stadium.^[40] He was selected for the 1962 World Cup finals in Chile but an injury to his ankle sustained in a pre-tournament friendly against a Chilean club side ruled him out of most of the tournament. As Robson recalled, "I never played for England again...my international career was unfulfilled".^[41]

Career statistics[link]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list England's goal tally first.^[42][43]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	27 November 1957	Wembley Stadium, London	France	2–0	4–0	Friendly
2.	27 November 1957	Wembley Stadium, London	France	4–0	4–0	Friendly
3.	15 April 1961	Wembley Stadium, London	Scotland	1–0	9–3	1961 British Home Championship
4.	10 May 1961	Wembley Stadium, London	Mexico	3–0	8–0	Friendly

Managerial career[link]

Early club management[link]

In 1959, the then England manager and the Football Association director of coaching Walter Winterbottom suggested to Robson that he take a coaching course at Lilleshall.^[36] Robson made his debut as a manager in January 1968 at his former club Fulham, against Macclesfield Town, then in the Cheshire League, in the third round of the FA Cup. Fulham were struggling with 16 points from 24 games.^[44][45] Despite the acquisition of the young Malcolm Macdonald, Robson could not save the club from relegation to the Second Division,^[46] and he left them in November,^[47] with the club sitting eighth in the Second Division. He discovered that he had been sacked, not from the club itself, but from the headline "Robson sacked" on an Evening Standard placard outside Putney station.^[48]

Statue of Robson at Portman Road

He moved on to Ipswich Town in 1969 and it was there that he established his reputation as a successful manager. He won the vacant job at the Suffolk club after a chance encounter with Town director Murray Sangster while scouting at Portman Road for Chelsea manager Dave Sexton.^[49] After four mediocre seasons, Robson led Ipswich to fourth place in the First Division and success in the Texaco Cup in the 1972–73 season.^[50] In the following nine seasons, Ipswich finished lower than sixth place in the First Division only once, in the 1977–78 season. However, that season was a success with a 1–0 victory over Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.^[51] His reign at Ipswich lasted 13 years, during which time the club twice finished as League runners-up, and made regular appearances in European competitions, capturing the UEFA Cup in 1981 with a 5–4 aggregate victory over Dutch side AZ 67 Alkmaar.^[52] During his thirteen year tenure, he brought in only 14 players from other clubs, relying instead on players developed through Ipswich's youth programmes.^[12]

In 2002, in recognition of his achievements with the club, a life-size statue of Robson was unveiled opposite the Cobbold Stand of Ipswich Town's ground Portman Road.^[53] On 7 July 2006, Robson was named as honorary president of Ipswich Town Football Club, the first since Lady Blanche Cobbold who had died in 1987.^[54]

England manager[link]

Robson's achievements with Ipswich earned him a job offer from the Football Association for the position of national coach, and he declined an offer of a ten-year contract extension from Ipswich director Patrick Cobbold.^[55] On 7 July 1982, two days after England were knocked out of the 1982 World Cup, he succeeded Ron Greenwood as coach of the English national football team,^[9] selecting former West Bromwich Albion team-mate Don Howe as his chief coach.^[56]

Robson's first game in charge saw immediate controversy, as he dropped Kevin Keegan for the match against Denmark.^[57] On 21 September 1983, Robson suffered his only loss in the 28 qualifying matches he was to undertake as England manager.^[58] The defeat, once again to Denmark, ultimately led to England's failure to qualify for the 1984 European Championships,^[59] and resulted in Robson offering to resign in favour of Brian Clough.^[60] The resignation was rejected by the FA chairman, Bert Millichip (primarily down to his and the FA's disdain for Clough), and Robson went on to lead the England team to qualify for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.^[61]

England began the competition poorly and captain Bryan Robson was injured with a recurrence of a dislocated shoulder.^[62] Bobby Robson changed the team's tactics for the final match of the first round, selecting Peter Beardsley ahead of Mark Hateley as a striking partner for Gary Lineker.^[63] The team won its next two matches, against Poland and Paraguay, 3–0 and qualified for the quarter-finals.^[64] England were defeated in the last eight by Argentina with a brace of goals from Diego Maradona; the infamous "Hand of God" goal, and the "Goal of the Century" he scored five minutes later.^[64] Robson was unimpressed by Maradona's claim of divine intervention:^[65]

Robson's England dropped only one point in qualifying for Euro 1988 which included an 8–0 defeat of Turkey.^[59] However this was followed by failure at the tournament itself, held in West Germany, where England were knocked out in the group stage. They finished bottom of their qualifying group, succumbing to defeats against Ireland, Holland and the USSR.^[66] Robson was vilified by the British press, and after a draw in a friendly with Saudi Arabia, one newspaper demanded: "In the name of Allah, go".^[67] Once again Robson submitted his resignation, and once again it was rejected by Millichip (again Brian Clough is often cited as a reason).^[68]

Robson led England without conceding a goal through the six-match qualification for the 1990 World Cup where they were one of six seeded teams.^[69] Once again they were placed in a group with Holland and Ireland, with Egypt the fourth side.^[70] As in the 1986 World Cup, Robson was denied the service of his captain, Bryan Robson, who suffered an achilles tendon injury which prevented him playing in the latter stages of the tournament.^[71] England topped their qualifying group, accumulating four points from their three games.^[72] However their progress was not without controversy. England changed formation from their traditional 4–4–2 to incorporate a sweeper, with some sources suggesting this was due to player revolt after the 1–1 draw in the first match with the Republic of Ireland.^[73] Robson denies this claim:^[74]

This was followed by victories over Belgium and Cameroon in the knock-out stages, to set up a semi-final with West Germany.^[72] England lost the match on a penalty shoot-out, after the score had been tied at 1–1 following extra time.^[75] Robson said afterwards that "not a day goes by when [he] does not think about the semi-final and other choices [he] might have made".^[9]

Continental management[link]

Before the 1990 World Cup, the FA told Robson that they would not renew his contract as England manager, so he moved on to the Netherlands to coach PSV of Eindhoven,^[9] who sought a manager capable of instilling discipline into a fractious squad.^[76] Robson described the move as "a culture shock" but felt "...a sense of adventure."^[77] The Dutch penchant for tactical debate surprised Robson. In an interview with Voetbal International he lamented: "An English pro accepts the manager's decision. After every match here, the substitutes come and visit me."^[78] Another of his challenges at PSV was handling the Brazilian international Romário. Robson became frustrated with the Brazilian's work ethic, although admitted "...in some matches he would be scintillating."^[79] Robson arranged showdown talks with Romário, with Frank Arnesen, Robson's assistant, acting as a translator. The talks proved unsuccessful, with Romário unwilling to change his lifestyle.^[80] Despite this, PSV won the Dutch league in both the 1990–91 and 1991–92 seasons. However, the team did not make the progress expected by the board in European competitions and Robson was informed that he would be leaving the club at the end of the 1991–92 season.^[81]

Robson moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal in July 1992, where his Portuguese interpreter was a young José Mourinho, future Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale and Real Madrid C.F. manager. Robson guided the club to a third place finish in his first season in charge while admitting the club was in "...a terrible state". He described the club's president as a "loose cannon", who frequently signed players without Robson's consent.^[82] Robson was sacked in December 1993 with the club sitting at the top of the league table. The club President, Sousa Cintra, cited the club's early exit from the UEFA Cup at the hands of Casino Salzburg as the reason for his dismissal.^[83]

League finishes for clubs managed by Robson (* indicates Robson left the club before the end of the season)

Sporting's rivals, F.C. Porto, quickly hired Robson, with Mourinho appointed as his assistant manager. Living in the same apartment block at the time was another future Porto and Chelsea manager, the young André Villas-Boas, who, aged 16, introduced himself to Robson. Robson subsequently appointed Villas-Boas to work in the Porto observation department and helped him gain his UEFA 'C' coaching badge in Scotland, despite him technically being ineligible as he was aged 17.^[84][85] Porto were in a poor state when Robson arrived and the average attendance had dwindled to 10,000.^[86] The club promptly went on to beat Robson's former club, Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup final,^[9] following that achievement with successive League titles in the 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.^[87]

Such was the impact of Robson at Porto, he became known to the locals as "Bobby Five-O" in honour of the number of matches Porto won 5–0,^[88] and he signed a new contract with the club in 1995.^[88] Suffering from malignant melanoma and missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season, Robson still successfully led Porto in defence of their league title.^[89]

A phone call during the summer of 1996 from Barcelona's vice-president Joan Gaspart to discuss Luís Figo resulted in an offer of employment with the Spanish club.^[90] Robson took over in July 1996, where once again his assistant was Mourinho; Robson had made Mourinho's move with him to the Camp Nou a condition of his employment.^[89] One of the key decisions Robson made during his brief tenure at Barcelona was the US$19.5 million signing of Ronaldo,^[91] who was influential in a season when Barcelona won the Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup.^[92] Robson himself was voted European Manager of the Year for 1996–97, while Ronaldo stated, "as a trainer without doubt [Robson] is one of the greatest in the world".^[93]

The 1997–98 season saw Robson moved "upstairs" to the position of General Manager by Barcelona, with Louis van Gaal taking over the managerial reins,^[9] but he stayed in this position for only one season before returning to manage PSV on a short-term deal for the 1998–99 season.^[94] PSV missed out on the league title, finishing third behind Feyenoord and Willem II,^[95] but Robson still led the club to qualification for the Champions League on the last day of the season.^[96]

Return to England[link]

After Robson's contract expired, he returned to England to take up a position in the Football Association's technical department,^[97] but following the resignation of Ruud Gullit at Newcastle United, Robson moved to St James' Park in September 1999.^[98] Robson was disappointed with the club's opening salary offer, stating "...it was miles below the going rate", but negotiated a one year, £1 million deal.^[99]

In his first home match in charge, Newcastle (at the bottom of the league) faced second bottom Sheffield Wednesday, thrashing them 8–0. In his first season in charge, 1999–2000, Robson led the club to an 11th place finish, with 14 wins from his 32 games in charge.^[99][100] In late 2000, following the resignation of Kevin Keegan as England manager, the Football Association asked Newcastle Chairman Freddy Shepherd to permit Robson to take over in a part-time caretaker capacity but the request was refused.^[101] Robson guided Newcastle from bottom of the Premier League to a fourth-place finish in the 2001–02 season.^[102] The following season, Newcastle finished third, ensuring qualification for the Champions League for the second consecutive year.^[103] Despite the qualification of third place however, Robson was unable to guide Newcastle through the Champions League qualifying rounds and the club was pushed back into the UEFA Cup for the 2003–04 season.^[104] At the end of the 2003–04 season, Newcastle United finished fifth in the table, five points short of the Champions League qualifying fourth place but reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup before losing to Marseille.^[105]

He held the Newcastle post until 30 August 2004, when he was dismissed by Freddy Shepherd, after a poor start to the Premier League season and alleged discontent in the dressing room.^[106] Robson's dismissal followed publication of his off the record observation of his disappointment that only 5,000 fans stayed to see the traditional lap of honour made by the players at St James' Park at the end of the previous season.^[107] However, he remains held in the highest esteem by the fans;^[108] he was granted the Freedom of the City of Newcastle upon Tyne on 2 March 2005.^[109]

His autobiography, entitled Bobby Robson: Farewell but not Goodbye was released in 2005.^[110] The title is based on one of his quotes upon leaving the England job in 1990: "I'm here to say goodbye—maybe not goodbye but farewell".^[111] In the book, Robson was critical of Shepherd, claiming that while manager he was denied information regarding the players' contracts and transfer negotiations. He also criticised Shepherd and the club's deputy chairman Douglas Hall, for their focus on the first team and St James' Park, causing them to neglect less glamorous issues, such as the training ground, youth development and talent scouts.^[112] The club's training ground was later blamed by Graeme Souness, Robson's successor, for a series of injuries to first team players.^[113]

Football consultant[link]

On 7 June 2005 he declined the invitation to become Director of Football of Heart of Midlothian because he wanted to stay in the Newcastle area.^[114] On 13 January 2006, Steve Staunton was appointed manager of the Republic of Ireland national team, with Robson named in a support role as International Football Consultant.^[115] Robson stepped down from his role of consultant on 17 November 2007, after the Republic's final match in their unsuccessful qualifying campaign for Euro 2008.^[116] Robson was a former Vice President of the League Managers Association, a non-executive role.^[117]

Life outside football[link]

Personal life[link]

Robson was married to Elsie from June 1955 until his death;^[118] they have three sons: Andrew, Paul and Mark, all of whom survived him.^[3][119] Since 1991, Robson was repeatedly diagnosed as suffering from cancer. He had several operations and, in 2006, was operated on for on a brain tumour.^[120] This, on occasion, impacted on his work; while at Porto for example, Robson suffered from malignant melanoma, which resulted in him missing the first few months of the 1995–96 season.^[121][122] Following the brain surgery, Sky Sports News reported that Robson had had an adverse reaction that had caused slight swelling of the brain, which had in turn caused the loss of feeling in his left side.

On 17 October 2006, it was revealed that Robson had been given the all-clear and was set to see out his contract as consultant to the Irish team.^[123] Robson revealed on 6 May 2007 that he had been diagnosed with cancer for the fifth time.^[124] On Saturday 17 May 2008, Sir Bobby was the guest of honour at the FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium when Portsmouth beat Cardiff City 1–0. He presented the trophy to the victorious captain, Sol Campbell.

Other activities[link]

Robson made a number of product endorsements, including an appearance in Carlsberg's "Best Pub Side" television commercial.^[125] He also acted as a pundit for ITV during the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 European Championship.^[126][127] In 2004, following the death of Brian Clough, Robson briefly stood in for Clough as a columnist at FourFourTwo magazine, and from 2004 onwards wrote a weekly column for The Mail on Sunday.^[128]

Bobby Robson Foundation[link]

Robson defeated bowel cancer in 1992, a malignant melanoma in 1995, and a tumour in his right lung and a brain tumour, both in 2006. Treatment of these conditions had left him partially paralysed due to a stroke caused by the brain tumour, and also with a partially prosthetic upper jaw after the melanoma was surgically removed. His fifth diagnosis of cancer in 2007, consisting of cancerous nodules in both lungs, was diagnosed as terminal in February 2007, and as of December 2008 was being controlled through bouts of chemotherapy.^[129] After these experiences, and following his fifth diagnosis with cancer, Robson devoted the remaining years of his life to helping fight the disease. On 25 March 2008, he launched the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation. By November 2008, the Foundation had raised £1 million.^[130] The money raised by the Foundation funded equipment for the Sir Bobby Robson Cancer Trials Research Centre, in the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne, and would go on to fund other cancer projects in the North East of England.^[131]

In aid of the Foundation, Robson's 1990 World Cup semi-final 4–3 loss after penalties against West Germany, was replayed on 26 July 2009 as the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match at St James' Park, featuring players from the original 1990 World Cup squads and other special guests.^{[132][133][134]} Robson was given a guard of honour before the game, which finished 3–2 to the England side.^[135]

At the time of his death, the Foundation had raised £1.6 million.^[136] Donations totalling £156,000 were received by the Foundation in the 18 days following his death,^[137] and on 15 October 2009, it was announced that the Foundation had raised over £2 million, and that at the request of Robson's family, Alan Shearer would take over Robson's role as the Foundation's patron.^[138] It passed the £2.5 million mark in September 2010.^[139] Three other patrons were added in 2010, Steve Gibson, Mick Mills and Niall Quinn.^{[140][141][142]}

Death[link]

On 31 July 2009, Robson died of lung cancer at his home in County Durham,^[143] aged 76, after a long battle with the disease.^[1] After the news of his death, leading figures from the world of football and politics paid tribute to him. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson called him a "great friend, a wonderful individual and tremendous football man." UEFA president Michel Platini said: "He will be remembered not only for his playing career and his outstanding managerial career at both club and international level, but also because he was a truly warm and passionate human being." Gary Lineker said: "It is a sad day and a great loss. He was a wonderful man and will be deeply missed by everybody in the country. I never played for a more enthusiastic man. He gave so much to the game."^[144] Former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair, described Sir Bobby as a "real Geordie gentleman."^[145] According to the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Robson "epitomised everything that is great about football in this country."^[145] His friend, the broadcaster Michael Parkinson, said: "Robson will be remembered long after the present lot are old bones. By his decency, his humour, his love of the game's traditions and origins and confusion at what it had become, he made present day football look what it is – shabby by comparison. I can think of no more fitting epitaph."^[146]

Robson's funeral, a private family ceremony, took place on 5 August 2009. The location remained undisclosed at the request of his family until the funeral had taken place. It was later revealed to be Esh, County Durham.^[147] A thanksgiving service for Robson was held on 21 September 2009 at Durham Cathedral. One thousand invited guests attended the service, which was also broadcast live on national television, and to Newcastle United's St James' Park, Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground, and Fulham's Craven Cottage.^[148]

Honours[link]

Bobby Robson was awarded a number of honours for his contributions to football. In 1990, at the end of his eight-year reign as England manager, he was awarded a CBE and in 2002, he was knighted; both awards were for services to football.^[149][150]

In 2002 (during his time as Newcastle manager), the 69-year-old Robson was awarded the freedom of Newcastle upon Tyne and the UEFA President's Award for 'services to football'.^[11][20] He was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003 in recognition of his impact as a manager.^[151] Following his time as Newcastle United manager in 2005, Robson was made an Honorary Freeman of Newcastle,^[109] which, in his autobiography, he described as being "the proudest moment of my life".^[152] Robson also won the 1992 Football Writers' Association Tribute Award for an outstanding contribution to the national game,^[153] and the 2001 British Sports Writers' Association Pat Besford Trophy for Outstanding Achievement.^[150] In 2005 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Sports Coach UK Awards,^[154] and was also awarded the Eircom International Personality of the Year in 2006.^[149] On 9 December 2007, Robson was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year show in recognition of "his contribution as both player and manager in a career spanning more than half a century".^[155]

On 5 May 2008, during the 30th anniversary celebrations of Ipswich Town's 1978 FA Cup win, Robson was granted the Freedom of Ipswich by the Lady Mayor.^[156] On 8 December 2008, he earned another such accolade when he was given the Freedom of the City of Durham.^[157] In March 2009, UEFA awarded Robson the Emerald UEFA Order of Merit award, awarded to "individuals who have dedicated their talents to the good of the game".^[158] The award was presented to Sir Bobby at St James' Park on 26 July 2009, prior to the Sir Bobby Robson Trophy match, and just five days before his death.^[135]

Posthumous honours[link]

In December 2009, Robson was posthumously awarded the FIFA Fair Play Award, for the "gentlemanly qualities he showed throughout his career as a player and coach".^[159]

The Football League gave Newcastle United and Ipswich Town special dispensation to wear special commemorative kits for their Championship match on 26 September 2009 at Portman Road, in aid of Sir Bobby's Foundation. At half-time during this match, the North Stand of Portman Road was renamed the Sir Bobby Robson Stand.^{[160][161][162][163]}

The first anniversary of Robson's death on 31 July 2010 was marked with a ceremony and pre-season friendly match at Newcastle's St James' Park, between two of his former clubs Newcastle United and PSV Eindhoven, involving Robson's PSV captain Stan Valckx presenting a PSV shirt to the club.^[164]

In July 2010, plans were unveiled for a memorial garden to Robson to be built in Newcastle. It was to be created by the city council in partnership with the regeneration company NE1Ltd, and located on Gallowgate street close to the Newcastle United stadium St James' Park. Work began on the site in November 2010, with an expected completion of Spring 2011. The garden is to cover 400 square meters, and feature a tiered seating area and sculpted stone plinths reflecting aspects of his life and work. The area is also to host a 400 square metre memorial garden to Sir Bobby Robson, with work beginning in November 2010, to be opened in Spring 2011.^[165][166]

With a keen interest in cricket as well as football, Robson was to have replaced Mike Gatting as President of the Lord's Taverners charity and cricket club in 2007, but this was prevented by his ill-health. After his death, the club held a dinner in his honour, as the "The best President we never had".^[167]

In March 2011, the East Coast train operating company named one of its Class 91 electric locomotives Sir Bobby Robson, unveiled at Newcastle Central Station by his widow Elsie and Alan Shearer.^[168][169] Similarly, in December 2011, the Port of Tyne Authority named its new work boat the Sir Bobby Robson.^[170]

On 6 May 2012, a statue of Robson created by sculptor Tom Maley was unveiled at St James' Park.^[171]

Managerial statistics[link]

Performance by club[link]

Team	Nat	From	To	Record
G	W	D	L	Win %
Fulham		January 1968	November 1968	&1000000000000003600000036	&100000000000000060000006	&100000000000000090000009	&1000000000000002100000021	&1000000000000001667000016.67
Ipswich Town[172]		January 1969	August 1982	&10000000000000709000000709	&10000000000000316000000316	&10000000000000173000000173	&10000000000000220000000220	&1000000000000004457000044.57
England[173]		July 1982	July 1990	&1000000000000009500000095	&1000000000000004700000047	&1000000000000003000000030	&1000000000000001800000018	&1000000000000004946999949.47
PSV Eindhoven		July 1990	June 1992	&1000000000000007600000076	&1000000000000005200000052	&1000000000000001700000017	&100000000000000070000007	&1000000000000006842000068.42
Sporting Lisbon		July 1992	December 1993	&1000000000000005900000059	&1000000000000003400000034	&1000000000000001300000013	&1000000000000001200000012	&1000000000000005763000057.63
Porto		January 1994	July 1996	&10000000000000120000000120	&1000000000000008600000086	&1000000000000002300000023	&1000000000000001100000011	&1000000000000007167000071.67
Barcelona		May 1996	June 1997	&1000000000000005800000058	&1000000000000003800000038	&1000000000000001200000012	&100000000000000080000008	&1000000000000006551999965.52
PSV Eindhoven		July 1998	June 1999	&1000000000000003800000038	&1000000000000002000000020	&1000000000000001000000010	&100000000000000080000008	&1000000000000005263000052.63
Newcastle United		September 1999	August 2004	&10000000000000255000000255	&10000000000000119000000119	&1000000000000006400000064	&1000000000000007200000072	&1000000000000004667000046.67
Total				&100000000000014460000001,446	&10000000000000718000000718	&10000000000000351000000351	&10000000000000377000000377	&1000000000000004964999949.65

Managerial honours[link]

Further reading[link]

References[link]

• Career statistics: Robson, Bobby. National Football Teams. http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=20526. Retrieved 11 February 2011