View source for Robbie Middleby

{{Short description|Australian soccer player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Robbie Middleby
| image = Robbie Middleby-2.jpg
| image_size = 120px
| caption = Middleby playing for [[Sydney FC]] in 2008
| fullname = Robert Middleby
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|8|9|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], Australia
| height = 1.73 m<ref>{{cite web |title=FIFA Club World Championship Japan 2005 – Official Rosters |url=http://www.fifa.com/documents/tournaments/cwc/CWC_2005_sl-latest.xls |website=FIFA.com |publisher=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |date=4 December 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051219093824/http://www.fifa.com/documents/tournaments/cwc/CWC_2005_sl-latest.xls |archive-date=19 December 2005 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| currentclub = 
| position = [[Right-back]], [[right midfielder]]
| youthyears1 = 1992–1993
| youthclubs1 = [[Australian Institute of Sport - Football (soccer)|AIS]]
| years1 = 1993–1994
| clubs1 = [[Newcastle Breakers FC|Newcastle Breakers]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| years2 = 1994
| clubs2 = [[Adamstown Rosebud]]
| caps2 = 9
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 1994–1996
| clubs3 = [[Wollongong Wolves]]
| caps3 = 35
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1997–1999
| clubs4 = [[KFC Uerdingen 05]]
| caps4 = 27
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 1999–2000
| clubs5 = [[Auckland Kingz]]
| caps5 = 21
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 2000
| clubs6 = Cringila Lions
| caps6 = 
| goals6 = 
| years7 = 2000–2001
| clubs7 = [[Carlton Soccer Club|Carlton SC]]
| caps7 = 8
| goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2000–2001
| clubs8 = [[Wollongong Wolves]]
| caps8 = 19
| goals8 = 1
| years9 = 2001–2004
| clubs9 = [[Newcastle United Jets]]
| caps9 = 62
| goals9 = 6
| years10 = 2005–2009
| clubs10 = [[Sydney FC]]
| caps10 = 67
| goals10 = 3
| years11 = 2009–2010
| clubs11 = [[North Queensland Fury FC|North Queensland Fury]]
| caps11 = 21
| goals11 = 0
| years12 = 2013–2015
| clubs12 = [[Garden Suburb FC|Green Suburbs]]
| caps12 = 25
| goals12 = 12
| years13 = 2016–2017
| clubs13 = [[Valentine Eleebana FC|Valentine Eleebana]]
| caps13 = 
| goals13 = 
| nationalyears1 = 1994–1995
| nationalteam1 = [[Australia national under-20 soccer team|Australia U-20]]
| nationalcaps1 = 10
| nationalgoals1 = 7
| nationalyears2 = 2002
| nationalteam2 = [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]]
| nationalcaps2 = 5
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|AUS}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[OFC Nations Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[2002 OFC Nations Cup|2002 New Zealand]]|}}
}}

'''Robert Middleby''' (born 9 August 1975) is an Australian former [[Association football|football]] player who as a [[right-back]] or [[right midfielder]]. He was the CEO of the [[Newcastle Jets FC]] until 2015. He played for [[Sydney FC]] after earlier stints at [[Newcastle United Jets]], [[Wollongong Wolves]] (twice), [[Carlton Football Club|Carlton]], [[Football Kingz]] and the [[Newcastle Breakers FC|Newcastle Breakers]]. He won the 2001 [[National Soccer League|NSL]] title with the Wolves and the 2006 A-League title with Sydney FC and also spent time overseas with German outfit [[KFC Uerdingen 05]].

==Career==

===Sydney FC===
Middleby was born in [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], [[New South Wales]], Australia. He saw little game time under coach [[Pierre Littbarski]] in his first season at the club, playing only 212 minutes in 16 appearances despite scoring in Sydney FC's 3–1 victory against [[New Zealand Knights]] early in the campaign. He gained favour, though, under Littbarski's replacement [[Terry Butcher]] and was a regular starter in the [[2006–07 Sydney FC season|2006–07 season]]. Despite missing part of the season with a broken collarbone after a controversial off-the-ball incident involving [[Melbourne Victory FC]] defender [[Adrian Leijer]],<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-09-02/record-crowd-sees-victory-down-10-man-sydney/1253922 | title = Record crowd sees Victory down 10-man Sydney | date = 2 September 2006 | publisher = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC Victoria]] | accessdate = 23 March 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20341750-5000940,00.html|title=Butcher wants justice|date=2 September 2006|work=[[Fox Sports (Australia)|Fox Sports]] | accessdate = 23 March 2012}}</ref> Middleby was voted Sydney FC Players' Player of the Year for the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=7274&pageid=11 |title=Middleby takes top honour |publisher=a-league.com.au |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110306115719/http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay |archivedate=6 March 2011 }}</ref>

Middleby accidentally broke [[David Beckham]]'s rib, when [[Sydney FC]] played the [[Los Angeles Galaxy]] at [[ANZ Stadium]] in November 2007. Middleby also scored in this match.

===North Queensland Fury===
In November 2008, Middleby signed a contract with [[North Queensland Fury FC|North Queensland Fury]]. He has been used in his more preferred role of right back, as well as being used in central midfield under coach [[Ian Ferguson (footballer born 1967)|Ian Ferguson]]. On 11 February 2010, he announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the 2009–10 season<ref>{{cite web | url = http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Sport/2010/02/11/Middleby_moves_on_427586.html | title = Middleby moves on | publisher = bigpondnews.com | access-date = 11 February 2010 | archive-date = 4 January 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200104034603/http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Sport/2010/02/11/Middleby_moves_on_427586.html | url-status = dead }}</ref> Middleby played his last game against [[Gold Coast United FC]], which North Queensland won 2–1.

===Newcastle Jets===
Middleby resigned as CEO for the [[Newcastle Jets FC]] in the [[A-League]] in January 2015. Upon retiring, Middleby said "I will use the next few weeks to support the mid-season review process".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.newcastlejets.com.au/article/robbie-middleby--ray-baartz-step-down/7hevvdlthjjj1vz9vml1122rc|title=Robbie Middleby & Ray Baartz Step Down|publisher=a-league.com.au|access-date=16 January 2015|archive-date=15 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315094408/http://www.newcastlejets.com.au/article/robbie-middleby--ray-baartz-step-down/7hevvdlthjjj1vz9vml1122rc|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Career statistics==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/460/Robbie_Middleby.html|title=Middleby, Robbie|publisher=national-football-teams.com|accessdate=31 October 2020}}</ref>
|-
!National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|[[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]]
|2002||5||0
|-
!colspan="2"|Total!!5!!0
|}

==Honours==
'''Sydney FC'''
* [[List of A-League honours|A-League Championship]]: [[2005–06 A-League|2005–06]]
* [[OFC Men's Champions League|Oceania Club Championship]]: [[2004–05 Oceania Club Championship|2004–05]]

'''Wollongong Wolves'''
* [[List of NSL champions|NSL Championship]]: 2000–2001
* [[OFC Men's Champions League|Oceania Club Championship]]: [[2000–01 Oceania Club Championship|2000–01]]

'''Australia'''
*[[OFC Nations Cup]]: runner-up [[2002 OFC Nations Cup|2002]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/02oc.html|title=Oceania Nations Cup 2002|access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref>

'''Individual:'''
* [[Sydney FC]] Player of the Year: [[2006–07 Sydney FC season|2006–07]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.northqueenslandfc.com.au/default.aspx?s=aleague_profile&pid=237&tid=290 North Queensland Fury profile]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/M/MI.html Oz Football profile]

{{Sydney FC Player of the Year}}
{{Australia Squad 2002 OFC Nations Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Middleby, Robbie}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Newcastle, New South Wales]]
[[Category:Australian men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in England]]
[[Category:Australia men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:Australia men's youth international soccer players]]
[[Category:Australia men's under-20 international soccer players]]
[[Category:2002 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:A-League Men players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players]]
[[Category:Australian Institute of Sport soccer players]]
[[Category:Newcastle Breakers FC players]]
[[Category:Wollongong Wolves FC players]]
[[Category:KFC Uerdingen 05 players]]
[[Category:Football Kingz FC players]]
[[Category:Carlton SC players]]
[[Category:Newcastle Jets FC players]]
[[Category:Sydney FC players]]
[[Category:Northern Fury FC players]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in Germany]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany]]
[[Category:Australian expatriate sportspeople in New Zealand]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's association footballers in New Zealand]]