Members News: Captain ‘Robbo’ Is 60 Today – ‘Many Happy Returns’ Stewart!!

Stewart in the Sky Blue

Three years last July we welcomed former England U21 and nineties Sky Blue midfielder Stewart Robson as the Association’s latest signing. Now we report another cause for celebration. Born in Billericay on 6 November 1964 our recent recruit is celebrating his 60th birthday today! Congratulations Stewart!

Relatively rarely in recent years the high profile midfielder only played for three professional clubs in his career and his time with the Sky Blues proved to be his swansong before moving into the world of the media and football punditry.   Stewart came up through the Arsenal youth system from a schoolboy in 1978. His youthful talent was soon recognised with a first team debut for the Gunners in 1981 and he became a fixture for the north London side under the management of both Terry Neill and Don Howe renowned for his versatility, competitiveness and enthusiasm.

Stewart sporting his CCFPA tie

However, successive injuries and a new manager George Graham, saw Stewart’s time at Highbury draw to an end and he left the club in a £700k deal with another London side, West Ham United in January 1987 having contributed 21 goals in his 186 games for the Gunners.  At the Boleyn injury problems persisted limiting his opportunities. However he debuted against the Sky Blues in a 3-1 Highfield Road win for the Hammers in January 1987! Just as at Arsenal Stewart’s quality and commitment earned a ‘Player of the Season’ accolade in 1988. He had also picked up eight England U21 Caps between 1981-88. Becoming increasingly injury prone Stewart played his last Hammers game in January 1991 having only featured eight times in their first team in his last two seasons there but totalling six goals in 84 appearances.

Stewart Robson in Sky Blue action

In March 1991, new Sky Blue ‘gaffer’ Terry Butcher (who had taken over from (the late) John Sillett the previous November) took a punt on Stewart’s fitness signing him on a free.  He made his Sky Blue debut from the bench in a 2-0 defeat at Leeds United on 9th March 1991. Though he only played four times for the Sky Blues in his first season Stewart helped us stay in the top flight in both 1990-91 and 1991-92 therefore navigating us through to becoming Premier League founder members in 1992-93. Former Gunners ‘gaffer’ Don Howe took over at Highfield Road from Terry Butcher in January 1992 and, despite futher injuries, Stewart turned out forty times netting three times ensuring the Sky Blues finished just above the drop zone that season.

Sky Blue Stewart Robson

Perhaps predictably, injury ended Stewart’s career whilst with the Sky Blues. Only making fifteen appearances in 1992-93 under Bobby Gould‘s management at CCFC he suffered such a bad knee injury playing his old club Arsenal in the 1993-94 season’s opener that, the following summer (1995), he announced his retirement having not played since City’s brilliant 3-0 City win at Highbury. His Sky Blues career saw Stewart play sixty times netting just three times. A little known fact is that Stewart, for a time, also played cricket for Coventry & North Warwicks cricket club!

After hanging up his boots Stewart did some coaching up the the end of 2001 at Wimbledon from youth level to first team and for a couple of months from March 2003 was first team coach (and then caretaker manager) at Southend United. He also joined Rushden & Diamonds in 2004 as technical director of football for a while. Mainly however Stewart developed a media profile being a pundit for the likes of Arsenal TV, TalkSport, ESPN and more recently has commentated on Italian soccer for BT Sport and is lead commentator for EASports.

Have a great day today Stewart and we hope to see you at the CBS at a Sky Blues game or CCFPA event  during this season.

Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.