Ben Roberts (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Ben James Roberts is a former English
footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently goalkeeper coach at Charlton Athletic
.
Roberts began his career with Middlesbrough
, making 16 league appearances in seven seasons, including the 1997 FA Cup final
at Wembley Stadium
, where they lost 2–0 to Chelsea
and the League Cup Final Replay against Leicester at Hillsborough. Whilst at Boro he had loan spells with Hartlepool United
, Wycombe Wanderers
, Bradford City
and Millwall
before transferring to Charlton Athletic
. Whilst with Charlton he had further loan spells at Reading
, Luton Town
and Brighton & Hove Albion
before a permanent move to Brighton in 2003.
After helping Brighton to promotion in the 2004 League One Play-Off Final at the Millennium Stadium, a recurrent back injury forced him to retire in 2005 at the age of 29. He then graduated from Roehampton University with a First Class Honors Degree in Sports Science and Coaching and won the Adidas 'Pursuit of Excellence' award for his dissertation entitled ‘A Biomechanical Analysis of a Football Goalkeepers Jumping Technique’.
In June 2009 he was appointed as goalkeeper coach and chief scout at Yeovil Town
. He made his Yeovil Town debut in the 3 - 3 draw with Swindon on 30 October 2010, replacing Stephen Henderson at half time who suffered a head injury.
On 29 December, he left Yeovil Town for League One rivals Charlton Athletic.
He was also capped for England at under-21 level.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is currently goalkeeper coach at Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
Roberts began his career with Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
, making 16 league appearances in seven seasons, including the 1997 FA Cup final
FA Cup Final 1997
The 1997 FA Cup Final took place on 17 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium and was won by Chelsea with a 2–0 victory over Middlesbrough.Chelsea were attempting to win their first FA Cup final for 27 years, while Middlesbrough were contesting their first ever final...
at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
, where they lost 2–0 to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and the League Cup Final Replay against Leicester at Hillsborough. Whilst at Boro he had loan spells with Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
, Wycombe Wanderers
Wycombe Wanderers F.C.
Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football team from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, which has been promoted to Football League One after finishing third in Football League Two in the season 2010–11. The club's nicknames are "The Chairboys" and "The Blues", and they play...
, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
before transferring to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. Whilst with Charlton he had further loan spells at Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
, Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
before a permanent move to Brighton in 2003.
After helping Brighton to promotion in the 2004 League One Play-Off Final at the Millennium Stadium, a recurrent back injury forced him to retire in 2005 at the age of 29. He then graduated from Roehampton University with a First Class Honors Degree in Sports Science and Coaching and won the Adidas 'Pursuit of Excellence' award for his dissertation entitled ‘A Biomechanical Analysis of a Football Goalkeepers Jumping Technique’.
In June 2009 he was appointed as goalkeeper coach and chief scout at Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town may refer to:* Yeovil Town F.C., an English football team based in Yeovil, Somerset.* Yeovil Town L.F.C., an English women's football team affiliated with Yeovil Town F.C.....
. He made his Yeovil Town debut in the 3 - 3 draw with Swindon on 30 October 2010, replacing Stephen Henderson at half time who suffered a head injury.
On 29 December, he left Yeovil Town for League One rivals Charlton Athletic.
He was also capped for England at under-21 level.