William Roberts
Personal information
Full name William Roberts
Date of birth 1863
Place of birth Rhyl, Wales
Date of death Not known
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1880–1885 Rhyl
1885–1891 Manchester Welsh
International career
1883 Wales 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

William Roberts (born 1863) was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward in the 1880s and made one appearance for Wales.

Football career

Roberts was born in Rhyl in north-east Wales and started his football career at his local club.[1] At Rhyl, he was a "good dribbler and very tricky" who "combined well with his colleagues". He was an opportunistic player who excelled at "individual runs".[1] As team captain, he helped Rhyl reach the final of the Northern Welsh F.A. in 1883.[1]

His solitary international appearance came at the Kennington Oval against England on 3 February 1883 when he was a late replacement for Thomas Britten, thus becoming the first international player from Rhyl.[1] His international appearance was not a success as the match finished 5–0 in favour of the home country[2] with three goals from Clement Mitchell.[3] Roberts' performance was criticised for his lack of experience: "He may play fairly well for his own club but cannot be said to have been a success against England".[1]

Later career

A butcher by trade, Roberts moved to Manchester in 1885, where he turned out for the local Welsh expatriate side.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 182. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.
  2. ↑ "England 5 Wales 0". Welsh Football Data Archive. 3 February 1883. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  3. ↑ "England 5 Wales 0". www.englandstats.com. 3 February 1883. Retrieved 7 November 2011.


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