View source for Graham Roberts

{{Short description|English footballer and manager}}
{{For|the English actor|Graham Roberts (actor)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{BLP sources|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Graham Roberts
| image = Grahamroberts.jpg
| fullname = Graham Paul Roberts
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1959|7|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Southampton]], England
| height = 5 ft 10 in<ref>{{cite book |title=Rothmans Football Yearbook 1987–88 |editor-first=Peter |editor-last=Dunk |publisher=Queen Anne Press |location=London |date=1987 |page=368 |isbn=978-0-356-14354-5}}</ref>
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| youthyears1 = 1973–1977
| youthclubs1 = [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]]
| youthyears2 = 1977–1978
| youthclubs2 = [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]
| years1 = 1978–1979
| clubs1 = [[Dorchester Town F.C.|Dorchester Town]]
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1979–1980
| clubs2 = [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]]
| caps2 = 29
| goals2 = 6
| years3 = 1980–1986
| clubs3 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]
| caps3 = 209
| goals3 = 23
| years4 = 1986–1988
| clubs4 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
| caps4 = 55
| goals4 = 3
| years5 = 1988–1990
| clubs5 = [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]]
| caps5 = 70
| goals5 = 18
| years6 = 1990–1992
| clubs6 = [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]
| caps6 = 39
| goals6 = 6
| years7 = 1994–1995
| clubs7 = [[Stevenage F.C.|Stevenage Borough]]
| caps7 = 11
| goals7 = 1
| years8 = 1995–1998
| clubs8 = [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]]
| caps8 = 6
| goals8 = 1
| years9 = 1998
| clubs9 = [[Chesham United F.C.|Chesham United]]
| caps9 = 
| goals9 = 
| years10 = 1998–1999
| clubs10 = [[Slough Town F.C.|Slough Town]]
| caps10 = 10
| goals10 = 0
| totalcaps = 429
| totalgoals = 58
| nationalyears1 = 1984
| nationalteam1 = [[England B national football team|England B]]
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1983–1984
| nationalteam2 = [[England national football team|England]]
| nationalcaps2 = 6
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1992–1994
| managerclubs1 = [[Enfield F.C.|Enfield]]
| manageryears2 = 1995–1998
| managerclubs2 = [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]]
| manageryears3 = 1998–1999
| managerclubs3 = [[Chesham United F.C.|Chesham United]]
| manageryears4 = 2000–2001
| managerclubs4 = [[Hertford Town F.C.|Hertford Town]]
| managerclubs5 = [[Boreham Wood F.C.|Boreham Wood]]
| manageryears5 = 2001
| managerclubs6 = [[Carshalton Athletic F.C.|Carshalton Athletic]]
| manageryears6 = 2001–2003
| manageryears7 = 2004
| managerclubs7 = [[Braintree Town F.C.|Braintree Town]]
| manageryears8 = 2005–2006
| managerclubs8 = [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]]
| manageryears9 = 2010
| managerclubs9 = [[Pakistan national football team|Pakistan]] (coaching consultant)
| manageryears10 = 2011–2012
| managerclubs10 = [[Nepal national football team|Nepal]]
}}

'''Graham Paul Roberts''' (born 3 July 1959) is an English retired [[association football|footballer]] and manager who played as a [[Defender (football)|defender]] for numerous clubs including [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] (where he won the [[FA Cup]] and the [[UEFA Cup]]), [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] (where he won the [[Scottish Football League First Division|Scottish League]] and [[Scottish League Cup]]), [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] (where he won the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]]) and [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]]. He was also [[Cap (football)|capped]] six times by [[England national football team|England]]. He subsequently served as the head coach of the [[Pakistan national football team|Pakistan national team]] and [[Nepal national football team|Nepal national team]].

==Playing career==
[[File:Blod, svette – og 1 tann mindre” (Blood, sweat – and one tooth short).jpg|left|thumb|English FA cup final, 1981. Here is Tottenham's Graham Roberts who lost three teeth, but who nonetheless refused to leave the field.]]

===Early career ===
Roberts was born in [[Southampton]], and joined his local club, [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton F.C]], as an associate schoolboy in October 1973, but failed to make the grade and was released, joining [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]] in March 1977.<ref>{{cite book| title=In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC |last= Holley |first= Duncan |author2=Chalk, Gary | publisher=Hagiology Publishing | year=2003 | isbn=0-9534474-3-X|page=614}}</ref> He was sold to [[Dorchester Town F.C.|Dorchester Town]] where he impressed before joining local rivals [[Weymouth F.C.|Weymouth]]. From there he was sold to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] in May 1980 for £35,000.

===Tottenham Hotspur ===
Roberts was a member of the successful [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] side of the early 1980s, winning the FA Cup in [[1980–81 FA Cup|1981]] and [[1981–82 FA Cup|1982]]. With [[Steve Perryman]] suspended, Roberts captained the side as Tottenham won the [[1983–84 UEFA Cup|1984 UEFA Cup]], scoring in the second leg of the [[1984 UEFA Cup Final|final]] against [[Anderlecht]].

===Rangers===
He moved to [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] in 1986 for [[GBP|£]]450,000 and won the [[Scottish Premier Division]] in his first season and the [[Scottish League Cup]] a year later. Whilst at Rangers he was involved in a controversial [[Old Firm derby]] at [[Ibrox Park]] on 17 October 1987. During [[Rangers F.C. 2–2 Celtic F.C. (1987)|a very bad-tempered match three players were sent off]] and in the aftermath Roberts, his team-mates [[Terry Butcher]] and [[Chris Woods]] and [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] player [[Frank McAvennie]] were all charged with conduct likely to provoke a breach of the peace. McAvennie was found not guilty, while Roberts was found [[not proven]], although Butcher and Woods were both convicted and fined.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/13077491.From_the_archive__the_Old_Firm_shame_game_of_1987/ |title=From the archive: the Old Firm shame game of 1987 (From Herald Scotland) |website=Heraldscotland.com |date=1987-10-17 |access-date=2015-12-28}}</ref> During the match Roberts, who had [[List of outfield association footballers who played in goal|taken over as goalkeeper]] after Woods was sent off, was involved in a second controversy when he "conducted" Rangers supporters in a rendition of "[[The Sash]]", although Roberts would subsequently claim that he did not realise they were singing that song, a traditional [[Ulster loyalist]] anthem, when he made the gesture.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wsc.co.uk/reviews/64-Players/3401-hard-as-nails |title=When Saturday Comes - Hard As Nails |website=Wsc.co.uk |date=2012-07-09 |access-date=2015-12-28}}</ref>

===Chelsea ===
He joined [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in August 1988 for £475,000 and helped the side emphatically win the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] championship in [[1988–89 in English football|1988–89]].

===West  Bromwich Albion===
He later moved to [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]], where he played out the remainder of his professional career.

===International career ===
Roberts won six [[Cap (football)|caps]] for [[England national football team|England]].<ref>{{Englandstats|ref=y|access-date=26 August 2010}}</ref>

==Coaching career==
Roberts was manager of [[Enfield F.C.|Enfield]] from 1992 until 1994, and went on to manage [[Yeovil Town F.C.|Yeovil Town]] between 1995 and 1998. He was later manager of [[Chesham United F.C.|Chesham United]] during the 1998–99 season.<ref>[http://www.non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk/index.php/clubs/chesham-united-1 Chesham United] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180108013320/http://www.non-leagueclubdirectory.co.uk/index.php/clubs/chesham-united-1 |date=8 January 2018 }} Non-League Club Directory</ref> He was appointed manager to [[Hertford Town F.C.|Hertford Town]] in 2000, but left in February 2001 when he became manager of [[Isthmian League]] club [[Boreham Wood F.C.|Boreham Wood]].<ref>[http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/5772281.Hard_man_Robbos_the_spur_for_Wood/ Hard man Robbos the spur for Wood] Watford Observer, 7 February 2001</ref> Despite leading the club to Division One title, he resigned from the post in July.<ref>[http://www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk/news/150174.charlton_slams_unethical_pursuit/ Borehamwood Boss In Quit Shock] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171212031933/http://www.tewkesburyadmag.co.uk/news/150174.charlton_slams_unethical_pursuit/ |date=12 December 2017 }} Tewkesbury Admag, 26 July 2001</ref> He was then appointed manager of [[Carshalton Athletic F.C.|Carshalton Athletic]], who he guided to the Isthmian League Division One South title in 2002–03 before leaving the club.<ref>[http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/carshaltonathletic/226143/History/view/34557 History]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=Nzd |fix-attempted=yes }} Carshalton Athletic</ref> Roberts briefly managed [[Braintree Town F.C.|Braintree Town]] at the end of the [[2003–04 Isthmian League|2003–04 season]].<ref>[http://www.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/sport/14495783.Manager_search_is_not_untried_territory_for_Braintree_Town_s_Board/ Manager search is not untried territory for Braintree Town's Board] Braintree and Witham Times, 16 May 2016</ref>

In June 2005, Roberts was appointed manager of [[Clyde F.C.|Clyde]]. He only had three players under contract, and held open trials in an attempt to get new players. Roberts gave the supporters their greatest day in years, when his Clyde side defeated [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]] in the [[Scottish Cup]] in January 2006.<ref name = "clyde"/> Earlier in the season, Clyde took [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] to extra time at [[Ibrox Stadium]] in the [[Scottish League Cup]]. Roberts was sacked by Clyde in August 2006 after allegations he made racist remarks.<ref name = "clyde"/> An employment tribunal found that the allegations were "either highly exaggerated or possibly not true" and awarded Roberts £32,000 compensation for unfair dismissal.<ref name = "clyde">{{cite news |title=Ex-Clyde boss wins dismissal case |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6254866.stm |work=BBC News |date=29 June 2007 |access-date=8 October 2010}}</ref>

In September 2010, he was hired as a consultant to the [[Pakistan national football team]] to assist the coaching staff for the 2010 Asian Games. Roberts was appointed as a coaching consultant under head coach Akhtar Mohiuddin. Eventually Roberts parted ways and Akhtar was fired by the Pakistan Football Federation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahsan |first=Ali |date=2018-01-05 |title=The decade-long decline of Pakistani football after a rare high |url=https://thesefootballtimes.co/2018/01/05/the-decade-long-decline-of-pakistani-football-after-a-rare-high/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=These Football Times |language=en-GB}}</ref>

He then joined the [[Nepal national football team]] in January 2011. In March 2012, he stepped down as coach after a 3–0 defeat to [[Turkmenistan national football team|Turkmenistan]] in the [[2012 AFC Challenge Cup]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/men-a-youth/afc-challenge-cup/38311-npl-v-tkm-reaction|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204005150/http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/men-a-youth/afc-challenge-cup/38311-npl-v-tkm-reaction|title=Roberts steps down as Nepal coach|access-date=12 March 2012|archive-date=4 February 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Honours==

===As a player===
'''Tottenham Hotspur'''
* [[FA Cup]]: [[1981 FA Cup Final|1980–81]], [[1982 FA Cup Final|1981–82]]
* [[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1981 FA Charity Shield|1981]] (shared)<ref>{{cite web|title=1981/82 Charity Shield|url=http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1981-82CharityShield.htm|publisher=footballsite.co.uk|access-date=4 November 2019}}</ref> 
* [[UEFA Cup]]: [[1984 UEFA Cup Final|1983–84]]

'''Rangers'''
*[[Scottish Football League Premier Division]]: [[1986–87 in Scottish football|1986–87]]
*[[Scottish League Cup]]: [[1987 Scottish League Cup Final|1987–88]]

'''Chelsea'''
* [[Football League Second Division]]: [[1988–89 in English football|1988–89]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Chelsea Player of the Year]]: 1989
*[[PFA Team of the Year]]: [[1988–89 Football League#Second Division|1988–89 Second Division]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Lynch |title=The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes |page=147}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Navboxes
|bg    = gold
|fg    = navy
|title = Awards
|list1 =
{{1988–89 Football League Second Division PFA Team of the Year}}
{{Chelsea F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{West Bromwich Albion F.C. Player of the Year}}
{{Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Hall of Fame}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Graham Roberts managerial positions
|list1 =
{{Yeovil Town F.C. managers}}
{{Boreham Wood F.C. managers}}
{{Clyde F.C. managers}}
{{Pakistan national football team managers}}
{{Nepal national football team managers}}
}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Graham}}
[[Category:1959 births]]
[[Category:Footballers from Southampton]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Chelsea F.C. players]]
[[Category:Dorchester Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Portsmouth F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Slough Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Southampton F.C. players]]
[[Category:Stevenage F.C. players]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players]]
[[Category:Chesham United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Weymouth F.C. players]]
[[Category:Yeovil Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:National League (English football) players]]
[[Category:England men's international footballers]]
[[Category:England men's B international footballers]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate football managers]]
[[Category:Enfield F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Chesham United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Yeovil Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Hertford Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Boreham Wood F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Carshalton Athletic F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Braintree Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Clyde F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Pakistan national football team managers]]
[[Category:Expatriate football managers in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Nepal national football team managers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League managers]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players]]
[[Category:English expatriate sportspeople in Nepal]]