Members News: Former Young Sky Blue Forward Hits 37 Today. ‘Happy Birthday’, Robbie!!

Robbie Simpson with the Sky Blues

This morning we have the pleasant duty of wishing on of our younger members ‘Many Happy Returns’! Ex Sky Blue forward Robbie Simpson who was born on the English south coast at Poole on 15th March 1985 is celebrating  his 37th birthday today! Congrats!

Since 2019 Robbie National League South outfit Chelmsford City intitially as player, then caretaker manager and since March 2020 has been their full time ‘gaffer’. He began his professional career, however, in East Anglia in 2002 with both main clubs in Cambridge, firstly City and then United (2006). Robbie clocked up 42 goals in 154 appearances for the former and then 17 in 35 games for the latter.

Robbie wheels away after scoring

This impressive strike rate attracted the Iain Dowie‘s Sky Blue to bring him out of non-league football to try his luck at the higher grade in Championship football. 

He spent a couple of seasons with the Sky Blues from 2007 and, in two full seasons with CCFC (albeit often off the bench), he pulled on the Sky Blue shirt 71 times and netted 7 times.  Robbie hit the ground running scoring five minutes into his Sky Blue debut in a League Cup tie against Notts.County in August 2007 but arguably failed to fully maintain his early promise. On leaving the Ricoh, the fair haired striker found playing berths with seven professional clubs all over England. He initially moved from City in 2009 to Huddersfield Town reputedly for £300k on a three year deal.

Robbie at Chelmsford

Injury restricted his appearances in three seasons with the Terriers to just sixteen netting just the once and he was successively loaned out to Brentford (8 goals in 36 appearances) and then Oldham Athletic in both 2011 and 2012 before joining the ‘Latics full time in January 2012 finishing with thirteen goals in eighty appearances before moving on to Leyton Orient in 2013 for a season for sixteen outings (no goals). Robbie then returned to East Anglia signing again for Cambridge United (now in League Two) and in two seasons there (2014-16) clocked up thirteen goals in 77 appearances.

Travelling to the south west for his next posting with Exeter City saw him score three times in 42 games in two seasons (2016-18) before completing a swansong season in the Football League with MK Dons in 2018-19 scoring two goals in 24 appearances in League Two. His last port of call, as a veteran, has been in the semi-professional National League with Chelmsford City as mentioned earlier and now he is ‘gaffer’ there!

CCFC 2008-09

His career total of more than 500 games scoring, on average, roughly every fifth game has provided a decent return over 21 seasons, fourteen in the Football League. He takes centre stage in the 2008-09 squad photo of Chris Coleman‘s Sky Blues shown above. He is in the centre of the middle row just behind Chris.

Have a great day today Kevin and come back to see us soon!