Editing Bobby Robson (section)

=== Club playing career ===
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.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/20 20]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/20
 }}</ref> Eventually, this took its toll on Robson and he gave up his trade for full-time professional football.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/21 21]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/21
 }}</ref>

In 1950, Robson made his first-team debut for Fulham, recently promoted to the [[Football League First Division|First Division]], in a match against [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]].<ref name="Robson">{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/24 24]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/24
 }}</ref> He came to regard Fulham as "a nice club, a social club...", but "never... a serious, championship-challenging club".<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/25 25, p28]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/25
 }}</ref> Indeed, he and Fulham were relegated from the top-flight in the [[1951–52 in English football|1951–52]] season,<ref>{{Cite web
| url = http://www.statto.com/football/teams/fulham/1951-1952/table
| title = Fulham 1951-1952 : English Division One (old) Table
| publisher = Statto
| access-date = 17 November 2013
| url-status=dead
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20141015200213/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/fulham/1951-1952/table
| archive-date = 15 October 2014
| df = dmy-all
}}</ref> but he made his return to the First Division, four years later, when he signed for [[Vic Buckingham]]'s [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]] in March 1956.<ref name=espn>{{Cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/manager?id=31 |title=Sir Bobby Robson |publisher=ESPN |access-date=15 May 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002115254/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/manager?id=31 |archive-date=2 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/sir-bobby-robson-esteemed-football-player-and-manager-who-led-england-to-the-world-cup-semifinals-1765916.html |title=Sir Bobby Robson: Esteemed football player and manager who led England to the World Cup semi-finals | first=Ivan | last=Ponting |newspaper=The Independent |date=1 August 2009|access-date=17 November 2013 |location=London}}</ref> The transfer fee of £25,000 was a club record for West Brom at the time.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/29 29]
 | chapter = Tales From The Riverbank
 | year = 2005
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/29
 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
 | last = Matthews
 | first = Tony
 |author2=Mackenzie, Colin
  | title = Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987
 | publisher=Breedon Books
 | year = 1987
 | pages = 294
 | isbn = 0-907969-23-2
}}</ref>

He made his West Brom debut in a 4–0 home defeat to [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] on 10 March 1956.<ref name="WBA Whos Who">{{cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher=Breedon Books | year = 2005 | pages = 202–203 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4}}</ref> In [[1957–58 in English football|1957–58]], he was the club's top league goalscorer; his tally of 24 goals included four in a 5–1 win against [[Burnley F.C.|Burnley]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Matthews | first=Tony | title=West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record | publisher=Breedon Books | year=2007 | pages = 172 & 292 | isbn=978-1-85983-565-4}}</ref><ref>[[Ronnie Allen]] was the club's top scorer overall, with 28 goals.</ref> Often playing as a [[midfielder]], he went on to play 257 matches and score 61 goals for West Brom,<ref name="ODNB"/> and he captained the team for the [[1960–61 in English football|1960–61]] and [[1961–62 in English football|1961–62]] seasons.<ref>{{cite book
| last=McOwan
| first=Gavin
| title=The Essential History of West Bromwich Albion
| publisher=Headline | year=2002 |pages=252–253
| isbn=0-7553-1146-9}}</ref> However, in August 1962, he returned to Fulham after a disagreement with West Brom vice-chairman Jim Gaunt over his salary.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/39 39]
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/39
 }}</ref><ref>Robson states Gaunt was chairman at the time, however he was vice-chairman until 1963.</ref> The ongoing dispute over both minimum and maximum wages in the game, instigated by Robson's teammate [[Jimmy Hill]] and the [[Professional Footballers' Association]], combined with the birth of Robson's second son, prompted Robson to demand a higher salary.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/39 39–40]
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/39
 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/40 40]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/40
 }}</ref> 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.<ref name=nowin>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/43 43]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/43
 }}</ref> Robson himself stated, "In all my time as a footballer, I didn't win a thing."<ref name=nowin/>

Despite press reports of interest from [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]],<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/44 44]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/44
 }}</ref> and the offer of a [[player-manager]] role by [[Southend United F.C.|Southend United]],<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/61 61]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/61
 }}</ref> 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 (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] (NASL) and believed it "was a chance too good to miss".<ref name=espn/><ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/62 62]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/62
 }}</ref> He began scouting and holding tryout camps for the new team in late 1967.<ref>{{cite news
 | last = Jukich
 | first = Roy
 | title = Local Talent Surprises Boss
 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SJZlAAAAIBAJ&pg=7160%2C2830810
 |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun | date = 10 October 1967
 | access-date =28 December 2018
}}</ref> 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,<ref>{{cite news
 | last = Jukich
 | first = Roy
 | title = Puskas Wins Soccer Derby
 | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=pJZlAAAAIBAJ&pg=969,81414 |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun | date = 16 January 1968
 | access-date =12 February 2011
}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{cite book
 | last = Robson
 | title = Farewell but Not Goodbye
 | year = 2005
 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/64 64–65]
 | publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
 | isbn = 0-340-84064-1
 | url = https://archive.org/details/farewellbutnotgo0000robs/page/64
 }}</ref>