| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John Edgar Roberts[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 15 March 1910[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Anfield, Liverpool, England[1] | ||
| Date of death | 1 June 1985 (aged 75)[1] | ||
| Place of death | Cape Town, South Africa[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Marine | |||
| Orrell | |||
| Blundellsands | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| Northern Nomads | |||
| 1931–1933 | Southport | 18 | (8) |
| 1933–1934 | Liverpool | 1 | (0) |
| 1934–1935 | Wigan Athletic | 57 | (54) |
| 1935–1940 | Port Vale | 93 | (56) |
| International career | |||
| England amateurs | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
John Edgar Roberts (15 March 1910 – 1 June 1985) was an English footballer and international baseball player. He had the nickname of "Nipper" Roberts.[3]
A forward, he played amateur football for Marine, Orrell, Blundellsands, and the Northern Nomads. He represented England amateurs before entering the Football League with Southport. He joined Liverpool in May 1933 but left the club the following June after playing just one league game. He spent 18 months with Cheshire League champions Wigan Athletic, scoring 54 goals in 59 league appearances. He returned to the Football League with Port Vale in December 1935. He twice finished as the club's top-scorer and no Football League player scored more league goals than Roberts in the 1937–38 season. He retired as a professional player to serve in the Irish Guards in World War II. He was captured by enemy forces but escaped from captivity to walk 400 miles (640 km) back to Allied territory in 1944.
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