Tommy Robbins

Tommy Robbins (12 February 1907 – 8 April 1945) was a English football player. He was born in Stokes, East Surrey and played for the Stokes United. On 8 April 1907, he died on the field while playing against Stokes City, after sustaining a head injury and collapsing when heading the ball. His younger brother was the bank robber Rodney Morgan, who on the day Robbins died, Morgan was arrested for attempted robbery on the Royal Bank of Surrey.

His wife was Martha Morgan (née Kingston), who he met in 1925, and married on 20th March 1932, in his hometown, together they had one child named Kenneth. They lived together at 12 Victoria Lane, in Stokes, which Robbins purchased in 1933 for £500, however after his death, his wife sold it to Stokes Parish Council for £450 and it has been their property ever since.

## Biography

Tommy Robbins was born as Walter Thomas Morgan on the 12 February 1907 in Prince Albert's Hospital in Stokes, East Surrey, the second oldest child of Rodger Morgan (1877-1947) and Matilda Morgan (née Robbins: 1884-1962), he had two brothers Charles and Rodney and one sister Shirley. He was educated at Stokes Village School, which he left in 1921, aged 14. After leaving school, he got an apprentice as a blacksmith, which he continued to do until 1929, when he left to pursue a career in football.

## Career

Robbins began his football career in 1929, when he began playing for Stokes United as a defender, within just two years, he was considered one of the best players for the team, as he got more goals than his teammates. During the Second World War, Robbins continued to play for Stokes United and between 1939 and 1945 he played 112 games and scored 47 goals in the wartime regional leagues. On the 8th April 1945, whilst playing at the Old Bailey Football Ground in Stokes, playing against Stokes City, he was knocked unconscious after a player from the opposite team kicked the football at a quick speed and caught the side of Robbins' head, he was rushed into the changing rooms, where he died.

## Private life

Robbins was married to Martha Kingston, who he met in 1925, at a theatre in Surrey, they married at St. Mary's Church in Stokes, on March 20 1932, the year before Robbins purchased 12 Victoria Lane, in his hometown, he had brought the house for £500 from it's original owner. Together Robbins and Kingston had one child named Kenneth. A couple of years after the death of Robbins, his wife sold their house for £450.

## Death

On the afternoon of 8th April 1945, Robbins was playing against Stokes City, when he heard the sound of glass smashing, he turned to look where the noise was coming from, but when turning back to face the game, a football was heading towards him at an expeditious speed, the football caught the side of his head and he was knocked to the ground and fell unconscious, his teammate Charlie Myers, who was standing nearby when the accident occurred, Myers was one of three to help carry Robbins into the changing rooms, where an ambulance service was called. When the ambulance arrived, the police adjoined them, including officer Charles Morgan, Robbins' older brother, who forced the match to be cancelled, which angered many fans. Robbins' was put into the back of an ambulance, but it was evident that he was already dead, however, he was taken to the local Prince Albert's Hospital. An inquest into his death returned a verdict of "accidental death", however Robbins died of a haemorrhage. He was buried in his hometown.