In memoriam: Dudley Roberts

Scunthorpe United is saddened to learn of the passing of former player Dudley Roberts at the age of 78.

He began his career with Coventry City, signing professional in November 1963, two years into his time at the club after first becoming a junior.

He would be transferred to Mansfield Town in March 1968 for £5,000, and it was with the Stags where he would find his fame, scoring 73 goals in 229 games between 1968 and 1974, evidently remembered as one of the side's greatest ever players.

One of this standout moments came through the club's monumental FA Cup run to the quarter-finals in 1968-69, and he did give the team the lead at West Ham United in the fifth round - against a line-up which featured three World Cup winners.

He had a brief spell at Doncaster Rovers on loan, where he made seven appearances, before Scunthorpe United became his last professional club, joining in February 1974. He made a further 64 career appearances for the Iron, scoring 17 goals, before moving on to Burton Albion.

While with the Iron, he did manage to net a treble, scoring the first hat-trick for the club in nine years. He scored three second half goals in the home win over Newport County with 1,529 in attendance at the Old Show Ground.

His retirement would be looming, and would eventually be forced through a knee injury in May 1976.