Bogie Roberts

W. A. Roberts, commonly known as Bogie Roberts, was a footballer who played in nine league matches for Newton Heath in 1899. He signed for the club in April 1897,[1] but had to wait almost two years for his league debut; after scoring at home to Darwen in the first round of the Lancashire Senior Cup on 19 December 1898,[2] he started at outside left away to Loughborough on 18 February 1899.[2] He then scored on his next appearance – away to Small Heath on 25 February.[2] Despite the goal, he was dropped from the side for the next game, a 3–0 defeat away to Grimsby Town on 4 March,[2] but returned two weeks later for a 2–1 home defeat to New Brighton Tower. Nevertheless, he made no further appearances before the end of the season.[2]

Roberts returned to the first-team for the fourth game of the 1899–1900 season, away to Burton Swifts on 23 September 1899,[3] and retained his place for the away game against Sheffield Wednesday the following week,[3] before switching to outside right for the 1–0 win over Lincoln City on 7 October.[3] He then missed the 1–0 away defeat to Small Heath on 14 October,[3] before returning to his outside left position for a 2–1 win at home to New Brighton Tower on 21 October.[3] Roberts' FA Cup debut came the following week, as he played away to South Shore in the first qualifying round on 28 October 1899, but the Heathens lost 3–1.[3] He scored his second goal for Newton Heath in the team's next league match: a 2–0 home win over Woolwich Arsenal on 4 November.[3] However, he only made one more appearance for Newton Heath: a 2–1 away defeat to Chesterfield six weeks later on 23 December 1899.[3]