Biography

Powerful defender Dave Roberts joined Hull City in February 1975 for a £70,000 fee. In his prime years, Roberts slotted straight into the first team and was a regular pick for fourteen months, quickly becoming club captain and taking John Kaye’s place in the first team following the latter’s elevation to the Hull City manager’s hot seat.
In August 1976 Roberts suffered a back injury that sidelined him for practically the whole season, when he returned to fitness in April 1977 Kaye had introduced youngsters Stuart Croft and Paul Haigh as his centre back pairing. Dave spent the summer of 1977 regaining fitness at North American Soccer League side Chicago Sting, making 13 appearances, and was restored to the City first team at the start of the 1977/78 season. But this was to be a season of turmoil and a merry-go-round of managers – John Kaye, Bobby Collins and Ken Houghton. Roberts’ presence was not sufficient for City to avoid relegation to Division Three come May 1978 and he left the Tigers in the 1978 close season.
David Frazer “Dave” Roberts was born in Southampton to Welsh parents but started his career at Division Two side Fulham, signing professional terms in September 1967. He made his first team debut against Aston Villa in March 1969 as Fulham struggled at the foot of the table, he scored an own goal sixteen minutes into his debut which didn’t help the Cottagers’ cause. While Fulham ended the season being relegated to Division Three, Roberts put in good performances and was retained in the first team. He began the 1969/70 season in the Fulham first team but dropped out of contention by October 1969 after Bury handed the Cottagers a heavy defeat. He made only two further appearances for Fulham over the next seventeen months, taking his tally by January 1971 to 25 senior appearances.
In February 1971 Roberts joined Division Two side Oxford United for a £5,000 fee – Oxford were managed by former Hull City player Gerry Summers. With his barren spell at Fulham ended, Dave went straight into the U’s first team and he was first choice centre back for the remainder of the 1971/72 season. Dave found his feet at the Manor Ground and missed only a dozen league games over the next four years, scoring his first senior goal (for his own side) against Burnley in August 1971. As Oxford scuffed around the middle reaches of the Division Two table, Roberts made his name as an elegant and hard tackling defensive force, attracting the attention of international selectors. In January 1975 Roberts cut an impressive figure in the Oxford defence as Hull City were defeated in a Division Two match, four weeks later the Tigers returned to the banks of the Thames to claim his signature. Four years and one week after signing from Fulham, Roberts was sold to Hull City for a £70,000 fee – he scored eight goals in 176 appearances for Oxford United.
In August 1978 Roberts joined Division Two side Cardiff City, with Hull City recouping their £70,000 fee laid down three years earlier and Roberts returning the second tier. He played regularly during the 1978/79 season but was used infrequently during the subsequent two seasons, by the early weeks of 1981 he was combining occasional first team appearances and coaching duties with the Bluebirds’ youth team – Dave was given a free transfer by Cardiff City in May 1981 after scoring two goals in 46 appearances. In the early weeks of the 1981/82 season Roberts was briefly linked with a player-manager role at Torquay United, then failed a medical when a player-coach role at Swindon Town was mooted. In October 1981 he played three games for Conference National side Kettering town on non-contract terms, then in November 1981 he answered a call from former Tigers teammate Chris Galvin, player-manager at Hong Kong side Tsuen Wan, and joined them to help battle against relegation. In August 1982 Dave returned briefly to the UK and trained with Lincoln City but a glitch in the transfer of his player registration meant he missed out on a move to the Imps and by the end of the year he had returned for a second season in Hong Kong.
In July 1983 Roberts joined Conference National side Bath City, after six months on the fringes of the first team that yielded just 2 appearances he was loaned to Conference National local rivals Trowbridge Town in January 1984, a move that was initially for one month but eventually lasted to the end of the 1983/84 season. Released by Bath City in May 1984, Dave joined Conference National side Yeovil Town in September 1984 but was released two months later and hung up his boots. After football he returned to South Wales and sold newspaper advertising space.
Roberts was selected for the Wales under-23 side twice, in November 1972 against England and against Scotland in March 1973. He made his senior debut two weeks later against Poland and over the next five years won seventeen international caps, eleven of which were earned while playing for Hull City.
Details
Nationality: Wales
Date/Place of Birth: 26 January 1949, Southampton
Hull City First Game: 15 February 1975, Manchester United A (Division Two), 26 years, 20 days old
Hull City Final Game: 29 April 1978, Bristol Rovers H (Division Two), 29 years, 93 days old
Clubs
Fulham (1967-1971), Oxford United (1971-1975), Hull City (1975-1978), Chicago Sting (1977, loan), Cardiff City (1978-1981), Kettering Town (1981), Tsuen Wan (1981-1983), Bath City (1983-1984), Trowbridge Town (1984, loan), Yeovil Town (1984)
Hull City Record
Career: 98 apps, 4 goals
Dave RobertsSeason | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1974/75 | 13 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
1975/76 | 34 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | – | – | 2 (0) | 0 |
1976/77 | 7 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
1977/78 | 32 (0) | 4 | – | – | 3 (0) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 |
Dave Roberts broke his back in the first game of the 1976/77 season away at Hereford United, keeping him out until April.