Glen Robson

Robson was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.[1] He began his football career with local team Murton and spent time as a youngster with Southampton before signing for Third Division club Rochdale in 1996.[1][2] Robson made his debut in the Football League on 25 February 1997, as a late substitute in a 2–1 defeat at home to Hull City. He played in two more league matches that season and seven the next, all coming off the bench, without scoring,[3] and was released. He then played for Spennymoor United[4] and Harrogate Town,[5] with whom he was the Northern Premier League First Division second-highest goalscorer in the 1998–99 season.[6]

Robson signed for a third Northern Premier side, Blyth Spartans, ahead of the 1999–2000 season. His Blyth career was interrupted by an ankle injury sustained in October 1999, later confirmed as a hairline fracture, that forced him to miss the remainder of the season.[6][7][8] Returned to fitness, he scored heavily in his second season,[9] at the end of which he had a trial with Darlington of the Third Division. He chose not to take up their offer, as he would earn more playing semi-professionally for Blyth and working outside football.[10] Again the club's top scorer in 2001–02,[11] he was equally prolific in 2002–03 when available, but was sent off several times and missed large parts of the season through suspension.[12] His Blyth career ended with 86 goals from 126 appearances, and he went on to be inducted into the Blyth Spartans Hall of Fame.[2]

In the 2003 close season, he made another attempt to break back into the Football League. He was reported to have taken a week off work and paid his own expenses to take part in Oldham Athletic's pre-season tour to Ireland,[13][14] and then, after scoring three goals in two pre-season fixtures for Darlington, signed a one-year contract with the club.[15] He played six games in August, which included scoring the matchwinning penalty in the shootout to eliminate First Division club Bradford City from the League Cup,[16] and a place in the starting eleven for Darlington's first match at their new stadium,[17] but was then out until the end of October with a hamstring injury.[18] He made one brief substitute appearance on his return, but was released a few days later by new manager David Hodgson, and signed for Northern League club Durham City.[16]

Given orders to "shoot on sight",[19] Robson scored 24 goals in what remained of the season and helped his team reach the final of the Northern League Cup and finish as runners-up in the league. Despite interest from other clubs, he signed for another season with Durham.[20] In November 2004, he suffered a knee injury[21] that was to keep him out of football for a lengthy period. In May 2009, he was reported to be "keen to resurrect his career at Durham",[22] and he trained with the club at the beginning of the new season,[23] but did not sign.

Robson played for Northern League Morpeth Town in 2009–10,[24] and went on to appear for a variety of clubs in north-eastern non-league football: successively, Consett,[25] Brandon United,[26] Shildon, Stokesley (on loan),[27] Newton Aycliffe,[28] Sunderland RCA,[29] and Bedlington Terriers.[30]

Robson joined Easington Colliery as a coach in 2017 and made one substitute appearance in a 5–5 draw at Heaton Stannington. Robson, along with the rest of the management team, left the club after that game.