Michael Robinson
Encyclopedia
Michael John Robinson is a former England
-born Irish
international
footballer, who played as a striker.
Having played in more than 300 official games in England
for five different clubs, including Liverpool
, he played the last three seasons of his career in Spain
with Osasuna
. After retiring, he settled in the country of his last team, was awarded its citizenship and went on to work as a television pundit in the following decades.
, England
Robinson started his career with Preston North End
in the second division
, then moved in August 1979 to Malcolm Allison
's Manchester City
, the fee of £750,000 being widely regarded as extravagant for a young player with no topflight experience. He was sold at a loss later that season to Brighton & Hove Albion
, and rebuilt his reputation as both a strong and skillful attacking player.
Robinson made an impact in the 1983 FA Cup final, feeding the ball to Gordon Smith for his infamous miss in the first game against Manchester United
, performing outstandingly in a 2–2 draw, but eventually losing in the second match at Wembley (0–4). It was enough, however, for clubs to bid for Robinson, who was keen to leave due to Brighton's relegation.
Liverpool
came in for Robinson and paid Brighton £250,000 for him and he duly battled with established Kenny Dalglish
and Ian Rush
for a place up front. His first goals for the Reds came on 28 September 1983 at Anfield
, when he scored twice in a 5-0 win over Danish
champions Odense
in the European Cup first round second leg. He was on the scoresheet again a week later as Liverpool began their defence of the League Cup with a 4-1 win at Brentford
, and on 15 October he opened his league account for the Reds in style with a hat-trick in a 3-1 away win over West Ham United
.
In that first season, Liverpool won three trophies - the league
, the league cup
(where he was a used substitute in the final
0–0 draw against Everton
, with Robinson not being picked for the replay) and the European Cup
(being a used replacement in the final
against A.S. Roma
) - and Robinson played enough games to earn a title medal.
Despite showing some ability, Robinson was often in the substitutes bench, and so moved on to Queens Park Rangers
at the end of 1984. There, he was an unlucky loser at Wembley again, in the 1986 League Cup final, against Oxford United
(0–3). However, during the run to the final, Robinson earned himself a place in QPR fans' hearts, when he scored a 40-yard goal against arch-rivals Chelsea
in the quarterfinal replay at Stamford Bridge
.
In January 1987, he moved to Spain
to play for CA Osasuna
, with ex-Liverpool team-mate Sammy Lee
joining in August. He retired in 1989 at the age of 30, after making 59 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals, two of which came in 1987–88, as the Navarre
se overachieved for a final fifth place.
Robinson, who won 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland
, stayed in Spain after retiring, having settled very well in the country and learned the language to fluency, a trait that was later picked up on by Steve McManaman
(with Real Madrid
from 1999–2003), who regarded Robinson as his mentor.
covering the 1990 FIFA World Cup
in Italy
. He later worked as a commentator and presenter on Cadena SER
's El Larguero
and then on the subscription channel Canal+
, where he hosted the cult television show El día después
for 14 years (1991–2005), Following the show's demise, he continued working with the network, as co-commentator on their live coverage of the Sunday football match on El día del fútbol, as well as presenting a monthly sports magazine series called Informe Robinson
.
In addition, Robinson also worked as a pundit for Setanta Sports
, covering Ireland
away internationals, also being the president of the Iberian Superleague
, a rugby union
league covering the Iberian peninsula
. As a broadcaster, he also covered for Canal+ rugby events, including the World Cup and the Six Nations tournament.
In addition to his television career, Robinson also did voice-over
work on television adverts, as well as feature films - voicing the ugly sister
in the dubbed Spanish versions of the Shrek films by DreamWorks Animation
.
Statistics
Television programmes
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...
-born Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
international
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
footballer, who played as a striker.
Having played in more than 300 official games in England
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...
for five different clubs, including Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, he played the last three seasons of his career in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
. After retiring, he settled in the country of his last team, was awarded its citizenship and went on to work as a television pundit in the following decades.
Playing career
Born in LeicesterLeicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
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...
Robinson started his career with Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
in the second division
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, then moved in August 1979 to Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Allison
Malcolm Alexander Allison was an English football player and manager. Nicknamed "Big Mal", he was one of English football's most flamboyant and intriguing characters because of his panache, fedora and cigar, controversies off the pitch and outspoken nature.Allison's managerial potential become...
's Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, the fee of £750,000 being widely regarded as extravagant for a young player with no topflight experience. He was sold at a loss later that season to 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....
, and rebuilt his reputation as both a strong and skillful attacking player.
Robinson made an impact in the 1983 FA Cup final, feeding the ball to Gordon Smith for his infamous miss in the first game against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, performing outstandingly in a 2–2 draw, but eventually losing in the second match at Wembley (0–4). It was enough, however, for clubs to bid for Robinson, who was keen to leave due to Brighton's relegation.
Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
came in for Robinson and paid Brighton £250,000 for him and he duly battled with established Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
and Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
for a place up front. His first goals for the Reds came on 28 September 1983 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, when he scored twice in a 5-0 win over Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
champions Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
in the European Cup first round second leg. He was on the scoresheet again a week later as Liverpool began their defence of the League Cup with a 4-1 win at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, and on 15 October he opened his league account for the Reds in style with a hat-trick in a 3-1 away win over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
In that first season, Liverpool won three trophies - the league
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, the 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...
(where he was a used substitute in the final
1984 Football League Cup Final
The 1984 Milk Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool and Everton. Liverpool were extremely fortunate to make it to the final of the competition after knocking out a Walsall side from the 4th Division who most neutrals and pundits would agree were the superior team at Anfield...
0–0 draw against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, with Robinson not being picked for the replay) and the European Cup
European Cup 1983-84
The season 1983–84 of the European Cup football club tournament was won by for a fourth time by Liverpool in a penalty shootout in the final against Roma. The game had finished 1–1. Phil Neal had scored for Liverpool and Roberto Pruzzo for Roma...
(being a used replacement in the final
1984 European Cup Final
The 1984 European Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool of England and Roma of Italy on 30 May 1984 at the Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy. It was the final match of the 1983–84 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA Champions League. Liverpool were appearing in...
against A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
) - and Robinson played enough games to earn a title medal.
Despite showing some ability, Robinson was often in the substitutes bench, and so moved on to Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
at the end of 1984. There, he was an unlucky loser at Wembley again, in the 1986 League Cup final, against Oxford United
Oxford United F.C.
Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The...
(0–3). However, during the run to the final, Robinson earned himself a place in QPR fans' hearts, when he scored a 40-yard goal against arch-rivals 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...
in the quarterfinal replay at Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
.
In January 1987, he moved to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
to play for CA Osasuna
CA Osasuna
Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,553-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra...
, with ex-Liverpool team-mate Sammy Lee
Sammy Lee (footballer)
Samuel "Sammy" Lee is an English football coach and former player. He played most of his career for hometown club Liverpool during the 1970s and 1980s as a midfielder, and also represented England fourteen times....
joining in August. He retired in 1989 at the age of 30, after making 59 appearances for the club, scoring 12 goals, two of which came in 1987–88, as the Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
se overachieved for a final fifth place.
Robinson, who won 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
, stayed in Spain after retiring, having settled very well in the country and learned the language to fluency, a trait that was later picked up on by Steve McManaman
Steve McManaman
Steven McManaman is a retired English footballer who played as a midfielder, winger and playmaker. Having spent his playing career at two of European football's most successful clubs of the 20th century, Liverpool and Real Madrid, as well as a spell at Manchester City, McManaman is the most...
(with Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
from 1999–2003), who regarded Robinson as his mentor.
Media career
After retiring, Robinson began his broadcasting career in Spain as a commentator for Radio Televisión EspañolaRTVE
The Corporación de Radio y Televisión Española, S.A. or Corporación Radiotelevisión Española is the state-owned public corporation that assumed the indirect management of the Spanish public radio and television service from Ente Público Radiotelevisión Española in 2007...
covering the 1990 FIFA World Cup
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He later worked as a commentator and presenter on Cadena SER
Cadena SER
La Cadena SER is Spain's premier radio network in terms of both seniority and audience share...
's El Larguero
El Larguero
El Larguero is a Spanish radio sports program, that spends most of its time discussing football. The program began its broadcasts on Cadena SER in the year 1989. It is broadcast daily from 0:00 to 1:30 am. El Larguero is the most listened program in Spanish sports radio at night...
and then on the subscription channel Canal+
Canal+ Spain
Canal+ 1, formerly known simply as Canal+ is a Spanish commercial television channel, launched in September 1990 on terrestrial television frequencies. The channel is operated by Sogecable. The main staples of Canal+ 1 are Spanish football, bullfighting and recent movies.In 1997 new channels using...
, where he hosted the cult television show El día después
El día después
El día después is a Spanish football show shown on Canal+. The show celebrates the "culture, passion and madness of Spanish football".It is currently hosted by former Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Cañizares and the journalist José Antonio Ponseti....
for 14 years (1991–2005), Following the show's demise, he continued working with the network, as co-commentator on their live coverage of the Sunday football match on El día del fútbol, as well as presenting a monthly sports magazine series called Informe Robinson
Informe Robinson
Informe Robinson is a monthly Spanish sports magazine programme broadcast on Canal+. It is hosted by former Republic of Ireland international football player Michael Robinson....
.
In addition, Robinson also worked as a pundit for Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
, covering Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
away internationals, also being the president of the Iberian Superleague
Superibérica de Rugby
The Superibérica de Rugby is the highest tier of national rugby union competition in Spain. The first Superliga season was in 2009 with six Spanish teams, with the hope of expanding to include Portuguese teams and a team from Gibraltar in the future....
, a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
league covering the Iberian peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
. As a broadcaster, he also covered for Canal+ rugby events, including the World Cup and the Six Nations tournament.
In addition to his television career, Robinson also did voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
work on television adverts, as well as feature films - voicing the ugly sister
Ugly sisters
The ugly sisters are characters in the fairy tale and pantomime, Cinderella. They are the daughters of Cinderella's cruel stepmother, who treat her poorly...
in the dubbed Spanish versions of the Shrek films by DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television program and online virtual worlds...
.
Club
- LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
:- English LeagueFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
: 1983–84 - League CupFootball League CupThe 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...
: 1983–841984 Football League Cup FinalThe 1984 Milk Cup Final was an association football match between Liverpool and Everton. Liverpool were extremely fortunate to make it to the final of the competition after knocking out a Walsall side from the 4th Division who most neutrals and pundits would agree were the superior team at Anfield... - European CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1983–84
- English League
External links
Statistics
Television programmes
- El día después; at Canal Plus
- Informe Robinson; at Canal Plus