Newcastle United’s FA Cup hero George Robledo will be commemorated on the centenary of his birth as this year’s competition reaches its final stages at Wembley.
Robledo, born in Chile, was the first overseas star of English football and the first to score in its showpiece final when he headed Newcastle’s winning goal against Arsenal in 1952.
His daughter Elizabeth has been invited to Wembley Stadium on Saturday, where the FA chair Debbie Hewitt will make a presentation before the semi-final between Manchester City and Southampton to mark her father’s achievements.
‘For dad, England and Britain never went away,’ said Elizabeth Robledo. ‘It was always in his heart. He was so happy in Chile, definitely, but a bit of him never really left England.’
Robledo was born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile where his mother worked for a British company in the nitrates industry before moving to South Yorkshire at the age of six with her three sons.
He worked in the coal mines before breaking into football at Barnsley along with his brother Ted.
George Robledo at Wembley in Newcastle’s 2-0 FA Cup final win against Blackpool in 1951
Newcastle signed the pair for £26,500 and George became the first South American to appear in the FA Cup final in 1951. Both brothers started in the final a year later when George scored the only goal in the 86th minute after a season when he scored 33 goals in Division One.
‘Even though he was born in Chile and played international football for Chile, my father was so proud of the fact that he grew up in Yorkshire and started his career with Barnsley,’ added Elizabeth.
‘He always said his happiest years were those spent playing for Newcastle. That’s why I’m so grateful the Football Association has decided to acknowledge my beloved father’s achievements in England on the centenary of his birth.’
Robledo returned to Chile towards the end of his career with Colo-Colo and lived there until his death in 1989 at the age of 62.
His story is told in full in the book Postcards From Santiago by Spencer Vignes.
Last year Mohamed Salah looked like he may break Robledo’s English top-flight record of 33 league goals scored by an overseas player, but fell four short.
Elizabeth plans to visit Barnsley and Newcastle before attending the FA Cup final in May as a guest of the FA.
