It was entirely appropriate that Paul Robinson, an uncompromising defender, would enter the fray for his Hornets’ debut in the firepit of a derby match against Luton Town.
Born a stone’s throw from Vicarage Road Stadium and raised in the town, ‘Robbo’ had already gained a reputation in the youth teams for his passionate performances and wholehearted challenges. He enjoyed a battle, loved a derby and would have felt right at home when, in October 1996, he was called upon by Kenny Jackett in the second minute to replace the injured Dominic Ludden against Watford’s fierce rivals. The left-back got stuck in straight away and was at the heart of the celebrations when Darren Bazeley fired in a last-gasp equaliser against the Hatters. What a way to begin it all.
Robbo would make a name for himself during a golden period for the Hornets. Graham Taylor returned as manager for the 1997/98 campaign and Robbo made 22 appearances as the club took Football League Division Two (third tier) by storm. He scored his first professional goal against Fulham that season, and then, having made his debut in the same fixture the previous campaign, there was no love lost when Robbo netted against Luton Town on Valentine’s Day. On the final day at Fulham, with promotion secured but silverware at stake, Robbo was brought on as a substitute minutes before Jason Lee scored the famous goal that clinched the title.
As it turned out, 1998/99 was just as fruitful for Watford and Robbo’s contributions increased further. He turned out 31 times as the Golden Boys secured a second consecutive promotion and was a constant in the side for the late run into the play-offs. Robbo started every game from the catalytic victory against Tranmere Rovers to the season’s grand finale, with the exception of just one – he missed the second leg of the semi-final against Birmingham City, having been sent off late in the first leg at Vicarage Road.
The defender returned to the starting line-up for the trip to Wembley Stadium, though, starting against Bolton Wanderers as Watford enjoyed one of their most memorable days out. Nick Wright and Allan Smart made the headlines for their stunning goals, yet it was a typical team performance from Taylor’s side.
In 1999/2000, Robbo made 32 Premiership appearances and established himself as more than capable among the country’s best, despite Watford’s eventual relegation. He would later reinforce this, making a further 175 top-flight outings for West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers.
Back in the second tier with the Hornets, though, Robbo still had more golden memories to make; first under GT and then Gianluca Vialli and Ray Lewington. He scored seven more goals, taking his tally to nine for the club, came third in the ‘Player of the Season’ vote in 2001/02, and then helped the Golden Boys reach an unlikely FA Cup semi-final the following campaign. The game against Southampton at Villa Park ranks right up there in his career highlights – even though the 2-1 loss meant no return to Wembley just yet.
It was with great reluctance Watford fans bade farewell to the popular defender in October 2003, as he was sold to West Brom for a bargain £250,000. At The Hawthorns he contributed to another promotion-winning campaign during his first season, before featuring in Albion’s ‘Great Escape’ – securing top-flight survival against all odds in 2004/05.
Robbo did return to Wembley Stadium with the Baggies, by this point under the iconic arch rather than the old twin towers; a symbol of the longevity of his career, which lasted 22 seasons and 762 games. The Championship play-off Final in 2007 and FA Cup semi-final in 2008 both ended in 1-0 defeats, but Robbo and West Brom’s disappointments would have been mitigated somewhat by another promotion – a storming Championship title win in 2007/08.
Robbo then switched to Bolton in 2009, where he was reunited with ex-West Brom manager Gary Megson, before transferring to Birmingham City three years later. He hung up his boots in 2018 after six years playing at St. Andrew’s and spent a further two seasons coaching for Blues before leaving the club in 2020.
One of our own, part of the family, and always a popular figure back at Vicarage Road, Robbo was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2019 as he continues a life-long love affair with his home-town club.
Appearances (goals):
Football League: 203+18 (8) FA Cup: 10+2 Football League Cup: 15+1 (1) Associate Members Cup: 3
Total: 231+21 (9)
Profile written March 2021.
'Join date' refers to first-team debut for former players.
