William Roberts (footballer born 1863)
Encyclopedia
William Roberts was a Welsh footballer who played as a forward in the 1880s and made one appearance for Wales
.
in north-east Wales and started his football career at his local club. 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". As team captain, he helped Rhyl reach the final of the Northern Welsh F.A. in 1883.
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. His international appearance was not a success as the match finished 5–0 in favour of the home country with three goals from Clement Mitchell
. 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".
by trade, Roberts moved to Manchester
in 1885, where he turned out for the local Welsh expatriate side.
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
.
Football career
Roberts was born in RhylRhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
in north-east Wales and started his football career at his local club. 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". As team captain, he helped Rhyl reach the final of the Northern Welsh F.A. in 1883.
His solitary international appearance came at the Kennington Oval against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on 3 February 1883 when he was a late replacement for Thomas Britten, thus becoming the first international player from Rhyl. His international appearance was not a success as the match finished 5–0 in favour of the home country with three goals from Clement Mitchell
Clement Mitchell
Clement Mitchell was an English sportsman who represented the England national football team and played first-class cricket with Kent....
. 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".
Later career
A butcherButcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
by trade, Roberts moved to Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1885, where he turned out for the local Welsh expatriate side.