Kenneth Owen Roberts was a professional footballer with Wrexham and Aston Villa who later achieved managerial success with Chester

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

.

Playing career

Roberts made his solitary Football League appearance for Wrexham when aged just 15 in 1951-52

1951-52 in English football

The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...

 during a player availability crisis. At 15 years and 158 days old, he equalled the 1929 record of Bradford Park Avenue

Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.

Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

's Albert Geldard

Albert Geldard

Albert Geldard was an English professional footballer who played as an outside right for Bradford Park Avenue, Everton, Bolton Wanderers and Darwen. At Everton he won the FA Cup Final in 1933. He made four appearances for England during 1933–1937...

; this record stood until beaten by Reuben Noble-Lazarus

Reuben Noble-Lazarus

Reuben Courtney Noble-Lazarus is an English footballer who currently plays for Barnsley.- Career :At 15 years and 45 days old, he became the youngest player ever to feature in a Football League match when he came on as a substitute during Barnsley's 3–0 Championship defeat by Ipswich Town on 30...

 of Barnsley

Barnsley F.C.

Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

 in 2008. Two years later he joined Villa and added 38 league outings and three goals to his tally before retiring due to a knee injury.

Managerial career

Roberts became manager of Chester

Chester City F.C.

Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...

 in March 1968, and remained in charge until September 1976.

His spell in charge included memorably leading the Fourth Division side to the semi-finals of the Football League Cup

Football League Cup

The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

 in 1974-75

1974-75 in English football

The 1974–75 season was the 95th season of competitive football in England.- First Division :Dave Mackay guided Derby County to their second league title in four years having overcome strong competition from Liverpool, Ipswich Town, Everton, Stoke City, Manchester City, Sheffield United and...

, narrowly losing to Roberts' former club Villa. The campaign ended with Chester achieving promotion from the Football League Fourth Division

Football League Fourth Division

The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...

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