{"id":1648,"date":"2013-04-17T09:22:54","date_gmt":"2013-04-17T08:22:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=1648"},"modified":"2013-04-17T09:22:54","modified_gmt":"2013-04-17T08:22:54","slug":"a-tribute-to-fred-roberts-glentoran-legend-by-bobby-cosgrove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.longkeshinsideout.co.uk\/?p=1648","title":{"rendered":"A Tribute to Fred Roberts: Glentoran Legend by Bobby Cosgrove."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Toe Heel or Head –Pass It to Fred.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n

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Early Career<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Born in Ballymacarrett prior to the First World War Fredrick Roberts was to become the greatest goal scoring machine in the history of Irish Football.\u00a0 He stood 6ft 2ins tall, but on the 4th<\/sup> of May 1931 he stood 10ft tall as he broke Joe Bambrick\u2019s goal scoring record.\u00a0 Fred Roberts was signed from Broadway United– a junior club –in the close season of 1928.\u00a0 He had previously made a name for himself while playing with Newington Rangers and then in the Irish league with Queens Island. He scored goals with ease and the experience that he gained with these clubs led to the Glens signing him, and what a signing it proved to be, he could kick with either foot and was a great header of the ball. As he lined up with players like John Geary, Willie Crooks, and Tommy Mc Keague the confidence seemed to flow from him and in his first season he scored 66 goals in 44 matches. In this season he scored 5 hat tricks, he also hit four goals in three games, and hit five goals in two other games. A Glen man all his life, to be signed by them and to play for them was a dream come true.\u00a0 Fred scored on his debut against Newry Town and as well as his 66 goals in the league & cup he also scored 4 in friendly matches giving him a total of 70 goals in his opening season. Even after scoring all these goals at the end of the season he did not have a medal to show for it as the Glens did not win a trophy that season.<\/p>\n

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1929-30 Season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This season was by Fred\u2019s standards a quiet one as he only managed to score 57 league and cup goals and a further 4 in friendly games giving him a total of 61 goals in 44 games. Once again Fred\u2019s efforts did not win him a medal, but this season belonged to our cross town rivals Linfield and their centre forward the great Joe Bambrick. \u00a0In the 1929-30 season Joe Bambrick broke the Irish goal scoring record when he found the net 94 times during the season, a wonderful feat of goal scoring.<\/p>\n

1930-31 Season<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This was to be Fred Roberts\u2019s season in response to the record set by Joe Bambrick.\u00a0 He began this phenomenal scoring spree \u00a0in August with a brace against Coleraine, and did not stop scoring until the end of the season. \u00a0In December of 1930 Fred hit 19 goals in 5 games including three hat tricks and 4 goals in another two games.\u00a0 In February he scored six against Larne to bring his total to ten in the two league with Larne.<\/p>\n

With only one game to play Bambrick had scored 94 goals to equal Joe\u2019s record and went across the town to play Distillery in the first round of the Belfast Charity Cup.\u00a0\u00a0 Fred and indeed Glentoran had only one target in sight and that was to achieve the record for Fred.<\/p>\n

They had to wait until half an hour into the game and a pass from J Geary found Callaghan on the right –he centered and Fred nodded in goal number 95 and broke Bambrick\u2019s \u00a0record.\u00a0 The press at the time reported that the roar was heard on the Newtownards Road. \u00a0Fred added a second as the Glens were beaten 3-2 but no one seemed to care— Fred had at last given them something to cheer about.\u00a0 At the full time whistle the Glentoran supporters invaded the pitch and along with the team carried Fred on their shoulders as a tribute to his wonderful scoring prowess. During the season Fred had hit 8 hat tricks, four fours, one five, and a double hat trick once, and at last he was rewarded with both an Irish League and County Antrim Shield medal.<\/p>\n

The total number of goals that Fred scored for the Glens that year was 105 as he scored a further 9 in friendly games— A remarkable record\u201d.<\/p>\n

1931-32\u00a0\u00a0 Season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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In 43 games Fred scored 64 goals in League and Cup for the season and \u00a0a further 5 in pre season games, while helping Glentoran\u00a0 \u00a0to an Irish Cup win. \u00a0He scored 6 hat tricks, two five and a six once against Larne.\u00a0 This season saw him win an International Cap against Scotland. \u00a0The Linfield supporters often taunted the Glentoran fans with a rhyme,— \u201cHead heel or toe —Give it to Joe\u201d– The Glen men were now able to reply with \u2013\u201cToe, heel, or head pass it to Fred\u201d.<\/p>\n

1932-33 Season.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This season saw the wee Glens retain the Irish Cup and finish runners up in the City Cup; it was also another season when Fred found the net 50 times in 46 games. \u00a0He hit six against Ards and scored 4 hat tricks but it was also the season that the Glentoran Board decided to give Fred Roberts a free transfer.\u00a0 This caused shock waves among the supporters and the players, as he was still scoring goals on a regular basis. Fred Roberts accepted the decision and moved on, but he never lost his love of Glentoran and could be seen at all the games up until his death, when he was in his eighties.\u00a0 A true gentleman both on and off the park, and a Glentoran icon, his record for the 5yrs was as follows\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n

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Played\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Scored\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Singles Doubles\u00a0\u00a0 Hat Tricks Fours\u00a0\u00a0 Fives Sixes<\/strong><\/p>\n

230\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 352\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 67\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a060\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The record that he set in the 1930-31season of 105 goals in total will most likely never be beaten, but the season after he was given his free transfer —1933-34— Glentorans total goals for the season was 105, and no silverware came to the Oval that season. I think that answers the questions that were asked about the transfer of Fred Roberts by the supporters, and players alike.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI would ask the question was he Glentoran\u2019s best ever centre forward\u201d?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0Bobby Cosgrove<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

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