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Michael Robinson (footballer)

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For other footballers, see Michael Robinson § Sports.

Michael Robinson
Robinson in 2016
Personal information
Full name Michael John Robinson
Date of birth (1958-07-12)12 July 1958[1]
Place of birth Leicester, England
Date of death 28 April 2020(2020-04-28) (aged 61)
Place of death Madrid, Spain[2]
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.82 m)[1]
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1975–1979 Preston North End 48 (15)
1979–1980 Manchester City 30 (8)
1980–1983 Brighton & Hove Albion 113 (37)
1983–1984 Liverpool 30 (6)
1984–1986 Queens Park Rangers 48 (5)
1987–1989 Osasuna 58 (12)
Total 327 (83)
International career
1980–1986 Republic of Ireland 24 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael John Robinson (12 July 1958 – 28 April 2020) was a professional footballer who played as a striker.

He appeared in more than 300 official matches in England for Preston North End, Manchester City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool and Queens Park Rangers and played the last three seasons of his career in Spain with Osasuna. He represented the Republic of Ireland at international level.

Robinson settled in Spain after retiring in 1989 and went on to work as a television pundit in the following decades, hosting El día después from 1991 to 2005.

Playing career

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Robinson was born in Leicester, England. When he was young, his parents moved to Blackpool to run a boarding house,[3] and he started his career with Preston North End in the second division. He 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 First Division experience; he was sold at a loss later that season to Brighton & Hove Albion, and rebuilt his reputation as both a strong and skilful attacking player.[4]

Robinson made an impact in the 1982–83 FA Cup final, feeding the ball to Gordon Smith for his infamous miss in the first game with Manchester United, performing outstandingly in a 2–2 draw but eventually losing in the second match at Wembley (4–0). It was enough, however, for clubs to bid for him and he was keen to leave due to Brighton's relegation.[4]

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. In that first season his new team won three trophies – the league, the league cup (where he was a substitute in the final 0–0 draw against Everton, and did not feature in the replay) and the European Cup (being used as a replacement in the final against AS Roma)[5]– and he played enough games to earn a title medal.[4][6]

Despite showing some ability, Robinson was often on 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 Football League Cup final 3–0 defeat by Oxford United; however, during the run to the decisive match, he earned himself a place in QPR fans' hearts when he scored a 40-yard goal against arch-rivals Chelsea in the quarter-final replay at Stamford Bridge.[7]

Robinson moved to Spain to play for CA Osasuna in January 1987, with ex-Liverpool team-mate Sammy Lee joining in August.[8] He recalled that he assumed that Osasuna was the name of the club's location and proceeded to look for it in a map.[9] Questioned about why would he choose such a destination, he remarked that "financially it was the worst offer [available]. But it was romantic".[10] He retired in summer 1989 at the age of 31 after making 58 La Liga appearances and scoring 12 goals, two of which came in 1987–88 campaign as the Navarrese overachieved for a final fifth place.[11]

Robinson, who won 24 caps for the Republic of Ireland, making his debut on 28 October 1980 in a 2–0 loss in France for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifiers,[12] 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[13] (with Real Madrid from 1999 to 2003), who regarded Robinson as his mentor.[14]

Michael Robinson: International goals
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition[15]
1 19 November 1980 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Cyprus 3–0 6–0 1982 World Cup qualification
2 9 September 1981 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands  Netherlands 1–1 2–2 1982 World Cup qualification
3 14 October 1981 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  France 3–1 3–2 1982 World Cup qualification
4 21 September 1983 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland  Iceland 2–0 3–0 Euro 1984 qualifying

Media career

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After retiring, Robinson began his broadcasting career in Spain as a commentator for Radio Televisión Española, covering the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.[16] He later worked as a commentator and presenter on Cadena SER's El Larguero and then on the subscription channel Canal+,[17] where he hosted the cult television show El día después for 14 years (1991–2005).[18][19] Following the show's demise he continued working with the network, as co-commentator on their live coverage of the Sunday night match as well as on the studio show El día del fútbol, and later by presenting a monthly sports magazine series called Informe Robinson.[20]

Speaking to Simon Hughes, Robinson said "I came over on 7 January 1987. I didn't know if I was going to be here forever. But something strange happened. I enjoyed more or less everything about Spain and the way the Spanish interpreted life. I finished up realising that I had loads in common with the Spaniards. We laughed about the same things, cried about the same things."[3]

In addition, Robinson also worked as a pundit for Setanta Sports, covering Republic of Ireland away internationals[21] and also being the president of the Iberian Superleague, a rugby union league covering the Iberian Peninsula.[22] As a broadcaster he also covered for Canal+ rugby events, including the World Cup and the Six Nations Championship.[23]

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.[24][25]

Illness and death

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On 17 December 2018, while taking part in La Ventana, a radio programme on Cadena SER, Robinson announced that he had a malignant melanoma which had been found at an advanced stage and had metastasized. Doctors had told him it 'had no cure'.[26][27] He died on 28 April 2020 of cancer at his home in Madrid at the age of 61,[2] being survived by his wife Christine (née Sharrock) and children Liam, who worked in television production in Madrid, and Aimée, who worked in public relations in Australia.[28]

Among the tributes was one from Rafael Nadal: "We woke up with the sad news of the death of one of our own. You were the one who always made us happy about sport. We are grateful to you."[29]

Honours and awards

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Player

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Liverpool

Other awards

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Works

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  • Robinson, Michael (1996). Las cosas de Robin [Robin's things] (in Spanish). Madrid: Ediciones El País-Aguilar. p. 248. ISBN 84-03-59722-3.
  • Robinson, Michael (2001). Lo que el ojo no ve [What the eye doesn't see] (in Spanish). Madrid: Ediciones Aguilar. p. 196. ISBN 84-03-09252-0.
  • Robinson, Michael (2015). Acento Robinson: El lado humano del deporte [Robinson accent: The human side of sport] (in Spanish). Aguilar. ISBN 978-8403501126.
  • Es lo que hay...: Mis treinta años en España [It is what it is...: My thirty years in Spain] (in Spanish). Aguilar. 2017. ISBN 978-8403517462.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Michael Robinson". Eurosport. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b Ruiz Mantilla, Jesús (28 April 2020). "Muere Michael Robinson, futbolista y revolucionario de la comunicación" [Death of Michael Robinson, footballer and media revolutionary]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b Hughes, Simon (12 July 2017). "Michael Robinson: A complete chapter from 'Red Machine: Liverpool FC in the '80s: The players' stories'". The Anfield Wrap. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Players – Michael Robinson". LFC History. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  5. ^ Lambea, Alberto (24 April 2018). "Michael Robinson: "Me dejé olvidada la Copa de Europa en el 'duty free'"" [Michael Robinson: "I forgot the European Cup in the duty free"]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Michael Robinson: Ex-Liverpool & Republic of Ireland striker dies aged 61". BBC Sport. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  7. ^ Morrissey, Paul (28 April 2020). "Michael Robinson RIP". Queens Park Rangers F.C. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  8. ^ Díaz, Pablo (30 March 2012). "Sammy Lee, el amigo leyenda de Robinson" [Sammy Lee, Robinson's legendary friend]. Marca (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  9. ^ Vázquez, Iraitz (28 April 2020). "Michael Robinson: "Si fuera rico vendría a vivir a San Sebastián"" [Michael Robinson: "If I was rich I would move to San Sebastián"]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  10. ^ Heredia, Sergio (28 April 2020). "Michael Robinson: "Es curiosa la picaresca latina"" [Michael Robinson: "The latin picaresque is curious"]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  11. ^ Altuna, I.; Iborra, J. (20 February 2018). "La Era Robinson en Osasuna: 58 partidos, 12 goles y un quinto puesto" [The Robinson Age at Osasuna: 58 matches, 12 goals and a fifth place]. Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  12. ^ Malone, Emmet (28 April 2020). "Former Ireland international Michael Robinson dies aged 61". The Irish Times. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  13. ^ "Peter Torry: The Tireless British Ambassador in Madrid". Majorca Daily Bulletin. 1 February 2001. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  14. ^ Viner, Brian (10 May 2002). "From teenage flop at City to Spanish 'Des', the opinionated life of Robinson". The Independent. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Michael Robinson". European Football. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
  16. ^ Sámano, José (29 August 1991). "Canal + contrata a Michael Robinson como comentarista de fútbol" [Canal + hires Michael Robinson as football commentator]. El País (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  17. ^ "'El Larguero': Michael Robinson, el "tapado" de la SER para sustituir a De la Morena" ['El Larguero': Michael Robinson, SER's "underdog" to replace De la Morena] (in Spanish). PR Noticias. 19 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  18. ^ Lowe, Sid (28 April 2020). "Michael Robinson, from European Cup winner to the voice of Spanish TV". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  19. ^ Narval, Dadan (14 March 2007). "Michael Robinson: "La muerte de 'El Día Después' me dolió casi tanto como mi retirada del fútbol"" [Michael Robinson: "The death of El día después hurt me as much as my retirement from football"] (in Spanish). Diarios de Fútbol. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  20. ^ "Movistar+ celebra los 10 años de 'Informe Robinson'" [Movistar+ celebrates 10th anniversary of 'Informe Robinson'] (in Spanish). Europa Press. 26 October 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  21. ^ O'Hara, Aidan (20 August 2008). "Robinson: Trap must adapt to bring success". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  22. ^ "Michael Robinson: "No podíamos aceptar las exigencias de los lusos"" [Michael Robinson: "We could not accept the Portuguese demands"]. El Día de Valladolid (in Spanish). 5 March 2009. Archived from the original on 19 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Canal Plus cumple 20 años retransmitiendo el rugby" [Canal Plus celebrates 20 years of rugby broadcasts]. La Vanguardia (in Spanish). 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  24. ^ Moore, Kevin (31 October 2019). What You Think You Know About Football is Wrong: The Global Game's Greatest ... Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781472955678. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  25. ^ Moore, Kevin (31 October 2019). What You Think You Know About Football is Wrong: The Global Game's Greatest Myths and Untruths. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1472955661. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  26. ^ "Michael Robinson anuncia que sufre cáncer" [Michael Robinson announces he suffers from cancer]. Marca (in Spanish). 17 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  27. ^ "Michael Robinson: Ex-Liverpool player and TV presenter has cancer". BBC Sport. 18 December 2018. Archived from the original on 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  28. ^ "Michael Robinson obituary". Fundación Hispano Británica. 9 June 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  29. ^ "A hug and all possible encouragement to Michael Robinson's family: Rafael Nadal". The Statesman. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  30. ^ "'Informe Robinson' de Canal+, Premio Ondas 2009 al mejor programa de actualidad" [Canal+'s 'Informe Robinson', 2009 Ondas Award to best current affairs programme]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 16 October 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  31. ^ Rodríguez, Javier (14 April 2019). "Alejandro Sanz, el hijo de Cádiz" [Alejandro Sanz, the son of Cádiz] (in Spanish). La Voz Digital. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
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Statistics

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Television programmes

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Personal

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