CHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB - HOME OF THE SEAGULLS

HALL OF FAME - Roberts, Alfred

Alfred Roberts

Alfred Jabez Roberts was born in Queen Street Norwood on 7 April 1863 and attended Norwood Grammar School. He moved to Melbourne with his parents in 1877 where he attended Wesley College and in 1880, returned to Adelaide.
 
Alf Roberts played for the Kensington Football Club in 1880 and 1881 and South Park in 1882 before joining Norwood in 1883.
 
Popular and well respected, he had an outstanding first year with Norwood playing in his first premiership and the club’s sixth. 

He became an important contributor to Norwood's success in the 1880's. Ever reliable and hard-working, he was one of the State's best followers.

Alf captained the team in 1886, becoming Norwood’s third captain, after Joe Osborn and Topsy Waldron, and the first South Australian born player to lead the club. 

After handing the captaincy back to Waldron, Alf won three more flags in 1887, 1888, and 1889. 

In 1888 he was a member of the Norwood team that claimed the Champions of Australia title after defeating South Melbourne three games to nil at the Kensington Oval. He missed the last match due to injury.

Alf served on Norwood's committee from 1887 to 1889 and in 1909 was awarded life membership of the club.
 
Alf Roberts also had a distinguished career outside of football. He was a State tennis player, President of the South Australian Lawn Tennis Association and in 1914 went to England as honorary manager of the Davis Cup team. He was also a noted long-distance runner and walker.

Alf Roberts founded the Glenelg Bowling Club, was President of the Glenelg Golf Club, and in 1897 sponsored a tour of Australian baseball players to the United States.
 
Alfred Roberts served as Mayor of Glenelg from 1901 to 1903 and 1916 to 1917.

A highly regarded member of the Stock Exchange for 40 years, he was associated with many leading firms in South Australia.
 
During World War I he played a significant part in enlistment and other patriotic campaigns and subsequently received the Order of the British Empire for his services.

Alfred Roberts died at Glenelg on 3 July 1939.

In 2024 Alfred Roberts became Norwood’s 68th Hall of Fame inductee.

 

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