Interview ~ Stuart Roberts

Before he rushed off to see his family and go out with the lads for their Christmas Party. I managed to get a few minutes with 'ROBBO'.


WWISC: Robbo, you've been here for a couple of months now, do you feel that you're settling in?

Robbo: Yes! Two months I've been here now and yes it going well and I'm enjoying it

WWISC: Was it much of a wrench for you to come here?

Robbo: Yes it was a wrench because I've been at Swansea since I was nine but I had to move on. I'd reached a time in my career where the club were really struggling and they'd even sacked a couple of players so it was time to move on. I have to say that I've settled in better then I thought I would do.

WWISC: So you're quite happy here at Wycombe Wanderers?

Robbo: I'm delighted; it's a great club. Look where we are in the Second Division, we're flying at the moment and I'm really enjoying it and I've settled in a lot quicker and better than I really though I would.

WWISC: It was a bit of a setback the other week up in Stoke though wasn't it?

Robbo: You can't win them all. No team wins every game in the season, we won today and we lost last week. We've made up for it today against Cambridge so things are looking up. If you were winning all the games you'd be running away with it. Even a team like Millwall, they never managed to win all their games last season and they were the best team in the division. No one has stood out this season; every team is beatable, 

WWISC: Your career so far, you say that you started at Swansea when you were nine years old, that's very young isn't it.

Robbo: I started when I was nine and then I came through with the kids in the school of excellence and then I did a two-year YTS with the club when Alan Curtis was my manager and he then went onto become the assistant manager at Swansea. After that I stepped to have four years as a professional with them and now I've moved on to Wycombe Wanderers.

WWISC: Four years as a professional at Swansea, you must have started very young!

Robbo: Yes I was seventeen and I'm twenty-one now so I was in my forth year this year so I've done three and a half years as a professional.

WWISC: That longer than most players will stay with one club.

Robbo: I was defiantly in my forth year and I was enjoying it. I've had some good time at Swansea, the fans were great there but it was time to move on. 

WWISC: You still have pretty close ties with the people there.

Robbo: Everytime I go back I get a great welcome. I went back for the QPR game and they gave me a superb welcome. I'll go back twice maybe three times a season but I've another club now and I'll give my best to Wycombe Wanderers.

WWISC: It was nice to see your family and friends come down to support you at the Brentford game.

Robbo: That was great, they'll be down hopefully again before the end of the season.
(Interruption from Mark (Ted) Rogers) It's no good interviewing him; nobody can understand a thing he says.)

WWISC: And that's coming from a Canadian!

Robbo: (cont.) That was a great day out, it was the sort of day that I'll remember forever, it was brilliant.

WWISC: It was a shame you didn't manage to get a goal but it was a great assist from you even if the TV commentator thought it was Ruby who crossed it to Dannie Bulman. But we knew it was you.

Robbo: I should have scored, I had an easy chance that came across the box and I still haven't got one yet so that none in twelve but we're winning and that the main thing.

WWISC: perhaps you haven't scored, but as regards assists you must be near the top of the tree.

Robbo: I'm enjoying it and I'm not worried that I'm not scoring as I'm playing as a winger and it’s my job to provide crosses for the men in the middle. At Swansea I was playing as an out and out striker where I scored five goals in thirteen games and here I have played in twelve games and I haven't scored yet, I have to stay positive as I know that I will score.

WWISC: I would have thought that the defences in the second division are a little tighter than what you were playing against in the third.

Robbo: Obviously they are but as I'm playing out wide-left, which I enjoy playing goals are a little harder to get. As long as we win it doesn't matter who scores.

WWISC: Do you prefer playing out on the left as to the right?

Robbo: Actually I don't mind which wing I play on but since I've been at Wycombe Wanderers I've been out on the left a lot more and I've not done too badly. Hopefully I can get another couple of assists and maybe get on the scoresheet at sometime.

WWISC: We see that you've feature in the Wales Under 21 side, what sort of experience was that for you?

Robbo: Yes that's been good experience for me and I've got thirteen caps but I've finished with that as I'm now to old for the Under 21 side. Hopefully I can push on and manage to get into the full Welsh Team in a few years time.

WWISC: It would be wonderful for Wycombe Wanderers to get another full international player in the team, as you know we have Mark Rogers at the moment who is in the Canadian team which both he and we are very proud. But having a full international from one of the 'Home' countries would really put the club on the map.

Robbo: Hopefully I can achieve that.

WWISC: Tell us a little about your background, family etc.

Robbo: My mother is Susan, my father is Kelvin and my brother is Matthew and there is of course my grandfather Daniel. They come up here to watch me as often as possible as its only a three hour run straight up the M4. When I was at Swansea they would be doing five, six and sometimes seven hour journeys so driving to Wycombe is easy for them.

WWISC: On away-days who's you room mate?

Robbo: Well it's varied, so far its been Dannie Bulman, Martin Lee or Stuart Castledine, I haven't got a regular room mate yet. Some of the players have people they always share with but at the moment I haven't. But they're a smashing bunch and I get on with everyone here.

WWISC: You mentioned Dannie Bulman, he has a reputation for being a little crazy.

Robbo: He is 'very' crazy, but he is funny with it. He is good fun to be with, he is without doubt the club clown.

WWISC: I was watching you on the ITV Sport programme 'Football Second' and I noticed that you were in the sprint but you didn't seem to get involved in the penalty competition.

Robbo: No, Dannie Bulman has a hard shot so I left that to the 'tough boys'.

WWISC: since you moved to Wycombe Wanderers, where have you been staying?

Robbo: I'm staying with a family in Flackwell Heath with four dogs, two kids, Roger Johnson and another first year professional. I'm really enjoying it there.

WWISC: I won't delay you any more as I know that you're anxious to get away to see your family and get out on the team Christmas party which I hear has been organized by Jason and Rhino? So you be very careful as you could be in mortal danger.

Robbo: Don't worry I can look after myself. 

Editors Notes:
Over the last couple of months I've spoken to Robbo several times and found him to be a really nice young man. I believe that he WILL become a real star at Wycombe Wanderers and will go on in his career to become one of the most famous players ever to have played at Adams Park.