The Man who would be king (of league 1 anyway)
Robbo doing what he does best - terrorisng opposing full backs
The first of the footy articles is dedicated to a player who is an absolute genius on his day. Robbo's desire and passion is such that he can occasionally winned up opposing fans. when he's on top of his game he is a player who can change a game in an instant wiv his superb vision, passing ability and close ball control. Another reason why I choose him is he also plays for my favourite team Tranmere and he is currently my favourite player.
Gentlemen I give you the one and only Andy Robinson
Robbo's rise to football supremacy came late for a league footballer, he started out at his local non league team Cammell Lairds but in 2002-03 season he got the call from Tranmere but he never made an appearance due to the fact he never made the grade at his home town team and on
01 December 2002 he was released amid rumours of him not turning up for training after drinking sessions and him not being fit enough to be a professional footballer. He got a trail at swansea initially for 3 months but he was offered a permanent deal which probably was the saving point in his career. While at Swansea Robbo teamed up with two other local lads Michael Howard a left back who was once at tranmere and the equally talismatic Lee trundle whom had been banging in the goals in the non league and then later at Wrexham before Trundle and Robbo went on to form an extremely prolific partnership at Swansea
While in south Wales Robbo went on to play for the swans 142 times scoring 43 goals along way making him a fans favourite alongside Trundle. During his time there Swansea lost a play off final but won promotion twice, he also won the football league trophy. Robbo was part of the Swansea
team that won promotion to the championship under former Swansea player Roberto Martinez. Robbo made possibly one of his worst footballing decisions in the 2007-08 season although Swansea had already won promotion to the championship he turned down their contract offer and signed for league rivals LUFC who where in the league one play off final but in a cruel twist of fate Leeds lost the final to Yorkshire rivals
leaving Robbo to play another season in League 1.
Robbo's career at Leeds started well with him scoring his 1st goal for them in the league cup against Chester City in only his second start and during the 2008 - 09 season Robinson was reunited with former Swansea team mate who himself had made a career mistake by joining Bristol City in a million pound transfer where he just couldn't recapture the form that earned him the move and Trundle struggled at leeds too. Robinson struggled all season with injuries plus culminating in Robbo only scoring 6 goals that season in 41 games in all competitions.
2009 - 10 season started like the previous season with Robbo with injuries meaning he struggled to make the bench at times plus the arrival of
Max Gradel & Hogan Ephraim pushing him further down the pecking order and after several months in the cold he was sent to Dubai with the youth team to play in a tournament rubbing further salt in the wound by Leeds boss Simon Grayson.
When he returned 25 March 2010 he was immediately sent back out on loan to Tranmere Rovers for the remainder of the season, this was paid for by fund raising from the supporters trust billed as Les Aid to which the cheeky birkenheader has erected a plaque in his conservatory at home saying“this was paid for by Les aid“
Robbo made his debut for the relegation threatened Merseysiders away at Brighton in which his side lost the game 3-0 and Robbo was sent off
earning himself a 3 game ban for serious foul play, his biggest contribution came on the 1st May 10 when he scored a superb long range effort and Kissed the Rovers badge in front of the Kop to seal a 2-0 win against Milwall and Promoting his parent club back to the Championship and ensuring TRFC had a realistic chance of survival going into the final game away at bottom team Stockport.
On his return to Leeds although helping the go up he was informed by Graysoon that it would be in his best interests to find a new club on the 14 May 2010. 2010 - 11 season Robbo never played a single game for the yorkshire men and on the 01 December 10 his nightmare was finally ended by
being released from his alleged expensive contract. He wasn't out of work long and on 27th 2011 he returned to Tranmere for a third coming in deal only made possible by the departure of fans favourite and previous mangers son Ian Thomas Moore who linked up with his farther at League 2 side Rotherham United. Some people think it was excellent business by the then Rovers manager come physio Les Parry to get rid of the want away Moore and replace him with Robbo, I for 1 agree with this statement and at the end of the season he was rewarded with a contract for the 2011-12 season.
Like so many seasons for Robbo the season has been indifferent after a fantastic start the team had slipped down the table at an alarming rate and like so many previous seasons Robbo has struggled with niggly injuries, in this time long serving chairman Peter Johnston has removed Parry and replaced him with former manger Ronnie Moore and the impact was almost immediate with Rovers drawing 2
and winning 4 with just one defeat in the 1st month of his reign helping the team ease away from the relegation zone for the time being with 6 games to go Tranmere's fate is not as glum as it was a month ago.
What does the future hold for Robbo the answer is unclear probably the only person who can answer that is Robbo himself, his contract at Rovers is reportedly up and whether or not rovers have the financial clout to persuade a player who probably still has the ability to play at a higher level
although of his advancing years to remain is a mystery, one thing is for certain Andy Robbo is a Tranmere Legend maybe not as successful as Muir or Aldridge but he certainly wouldn't look out of place next to them in the Rovers hall of fame.
Robbo's stats to date
Swansea - 192 games - 43 goals
Leeds - 38 games - 2 goals
Tranmere - 76 games - 17 goals
UPDATE
TRANMERE RELEASED ROBBO IN APRIL 2014
Gentlemen I give you the one and only Andy Robinson
Robbo's rise to football supremacy came late for a league footballer, he started out at his local non league team Cammell Lairds but in 2002-03 season he got the call from Tranmere but he never made an appearance due to the fact he never made the grade at his home town team and on
01 December 2002 he was released amid rumours of him not turning up for training after drinking sessions and him not being fit enough to be a professional footballer. He got a trail at swansea initially for 3 months but he was offered a permanent deal which probably was the saving point in his career. While at Swansea Robbo teamed up with two other local lads Michael Howard a left back who was once at tranmere and the equally talismatic Lee trundle whom had been banging in the goals in the non league and then later at Wrexham before Trundle and Robbo went on to form an extremely prolific partnership at Swansea
While in south Wales Robbo went on to play for the swans 142 times scoring 43 goals along way making him a fans favourite alongside Trundle. During his time there Swansea lost a play off final but won promotion twice, he also won the football league trophy. Robbo was part of the Swansea
team that won promotion to the championship under former Swansea player Roberto Martinez. Robbo made possibly one of his worst footballing decisions in the 2007-08 season although Swansea had already won promotion to the championship he turned down their contract offer and signed for league rivals LUFC who where in the league one play off final but in a cruel twist of fate Leeds lost the final to Yorkshire rivals
leaving Robbo to play another season in League 1.
Robbo's career at Leeds started well with him scoring his 1st goal for them in the league cup against Chester City in only his second start and during the 2008 - 09 season Robinson was reunited with former Swansea team mate who himself had made a career mistake by joining Bristol City in a million pound transfer where he just couldn't recapture the form that earned him the move and Trundle struggled at leeds too. Robinson struggled all season with injuries plus culminating in Robbo only scoring 6 goals that season in 41 games in all competitions.
2009 - 10 season started like the previous season with Robbo with injuries meaning he struggled to make the bench at times plus the arrival of
Max Gradel & Hogan Ephraim pushing him further down the pecking order and after several months in the cold he was sent to Dubai with the youth team to play in a tournament rubbing further salt in the wound by Leeds boss Simon Grayson.
When he returned 25 March 2010 he was immediately sent back out on loan to Tranmere Rovers for the remainder of the season, this was paid for by fund raising from the supporters trust billed as Les Aid to which the cheeky birkenheader has erected a plaque in his conservatory at home saying“this was paid for by Les aid“
Robbo made his debut for the relegation threatened Merseysiders away at Brighton in which his side lost the game 3-0 and Robbo was sent off
earning himself a 3 game ban for serious foul play, his biggest contribution came on the 1st May 10 when he scored a superb long range effort and Kissed the Rovers badge in front of the Kop to seal a 2-0 win against Milwall and Promoting his parent club back to the Championship and ensuring TRFC had a realistic chance of survival going into the final game away at bottom team Stockport.
On his return to Leeds although helping the go up he was informed by Graysoon that it would be in his best interests to find a new club on the 14 May 2010. 2010 - 11 season Robbo never played a single game for the yorkshire men and on the 01 December 10 his nightmare was finally ended by
being released from his alleged expensive contract. He wasn't out of work long and on 27th 2011 he returned to Tranmere for a third coming in deal only made possible by the departure of fans favourite and previous mangers son Ian Thomas Moore who linked up with his farther at League 2 side Rotherham United. Some people think it was excellent business by the then Rovers manager come physio Les Parry to get rid of the want away Moore and replace him with Robbo, I for 1 agree with this statement and at the end of the season he was rewarded with a contract for the 2011-12 season.
Like so many seasons for Robbo the season has been indifferent after a fantastic start the team had slipped down the table at an alarming rate and like so many previous seasons Robbo has struggled with niggly injuries, in this time long serving chairman Peter Johnston has removed Parry and replaced him with former manger Ronnie Moore and the impact was almost immediate with Rovers drawing 2
and winning 4 with just one defeat in the 1st month of his reign helping the team ease away from the relegation zone for the time being with 6 games to go Tranmere's fate is not as glum as it was a month ago.
What does the future hold for Robbo the answer is unclear probably the only person who can answer that is Robbo himself, his contract at Rovers is reportedly up and whether or not rovers have the financial clout to persuade a player who probably still has the ability to play at a higher level
although of his advancing years to remain is a mystery, one thing is for certain Andy Robbo is a Tranmere Legend maybe not as successful as Muir or Aldridge but he certainly wouldn't look out of place next to them in the Rovers hall of fame.
Robbo's stats to date
Swansea - 192 games - 43 goals
Leeds - 38 games - 2 goals
Tranmere - 76 games - 17 goals
UPDATE
TRANMERE RELEASED ROBBO IN APRIL 2014