Robbie Earle

2.1. Port Vale

Earle made his professional debut for Port Vale on 28 August 1982, under manager John McGrath, in a 1-0 defeat against Swindon Town at the County Ground. He scored his first goal in his very next appearance, contributing to a 4-1 victory over Aldershot at the Recreation Ground. In his debut season, 1982-83, he made nine appearances, scoring one goal, as the "Valiants" secured promotion from the Fourth Division. The following season, 1983-84, he made 13 appearances. Although John Rudge replaced McGrath as manager in December, the club was relegated straight back to the Fourth Division.

Earle secured a regular first-team position in August 1984. During the 1984-85 season, he netted 19 goals in 56 games, including a hat-trick against Hereford United at Vale Park on 2 February. His partnership with Alistair Brown yielded a combined total of 40 goals for the club. He was an ever-present player in the 1985-86 Fourth Division promotion squad, scoring 17 goals in 58 appearances, while his strike partnership with Andy Jones contributed 35 goals. Earle maintained an impressive run of 142 consecutive appearances between September 1984 and January 1987, a streak that ended due to a groin strain, which necessitated a hernia operation in the autumn of 1987. He returned to first-team action in January 1988, scoring seven goals in 35 games in 1986-87 and four goals in 11 games in 1987-88. That season, he was part of the Port Vale team that caused an FA Cup upset by knocking out Tottenham Hotspur.

He was a regular feature in the 1988-89 season, and manager John Rudge hailed his midfield partnership with Ray Walker as one of the best in Port Vale's history. Earle scored both goals against Bristol Rovers in the two-legged 1989 play-off final that propelled Port Vale into the Second Division. Following the match, Earle was overcome with emotion, reportedly weeping in the tunnel after leading his local team to victory. He scored 19 goals in 57 appearances throughout the 1988-89 campaign.

In the 1989-90 season, he scored 12 goals in 52 games, including one in a 1-1 draw against Stoke City at the Victoria Ground. He remained a vital player in the 1990-91 season, finding the net 11 times in 37 appearances. Affectionately known as 'The Black Pearl', Earle made 357 appearances for the "Valiants" and scored 90 goals. He is widely regarded as a cult hero and one of the best midfielders to have ever played for the club. In July 1991, he was transferred to Wimbledon for a fee of 775.00 K GBP, with Port Vale also securing 30% of any future transfer fee exceeding that amount. It was reported that Wimbledon chairman Sam Hammam had controversially locked Earle in a room during negotiations, only releasing him after he agreed to sign.

2.2. Wimbledon

Earle played a crucial role in Wimbledon's success throughout the 1990s, particularly embodying the club's 'Crazy Gang' mentality, which was known for fostering strong team spirit and intimidating opponents. He played alongside notable figures such as Aidan Newhouse, John Fashanu, Vinnie Jones, Lawrie Sanchez, Jason Euell, Dean Holdsworth, Marcus Gayle, Andy Clarke and Efan Ekoku. He was recognized for his characteristic late runs into the box, his clinical finishing ability, and his agility in heading the ball.

His first season at Wimbledon, 1991-92, was turbulent due to multiple managerial changes, with Ray Harford being replaced by Peter Withe, who was then succeeded by Joe Kinnear. Despite the instability, Earle scored 14 league goals, helping the "Dons" maintain their top-flight status. In the newly formed Premier League, he scored seven goals in the 1992-93 season, including two in a 3-2 win over Liverpool at Anfield. He followed this with nine goals in the 1993-94 season, a campaign that saw Wimbledon achieve their highest-ever league finish of sixth.

An injury limited him to just nine goalless appearances in the 1994-95 season, though Wimbledon still finished ninth. He regained his fitness for the 1995-96 season and was appointed club captain. His 11 goals that season significantly contributed to Wimbledon's survival in 15th place, with goals against prominent teams like Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, and Bolton Wanderers. Under his captaincy in 1996-97, the Selhurst Park-based side reached the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and League Cup, where they were defeated by eventual winners Chelsea and Leicester City, respectively. In February 1997, he was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month award.

The club managed to survive again in the 1997-98 season, despite a drop from fourth place in December to 15th by the season's end. Earle scored seven goals across all competitions in 1998-99 as Wimbledon once more reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. However, they finished just two places and six points above the Premier League relegation zone. The "Dons" then struggled under new manager Egil Olsen and were ultimately relegated on the final day of the 1999-2000 season after a 2-0 loss to Southampton at The Dell.

During a reserve team game for Wimbledon in 2000, Earle suffered a severe blow to the stomach, resulting in a serious ruptured pancreas. This devastating injury forced him to retire from playing in November 2000, at the age of 35. His retirement coincided with the dissolution of the 'Crazy Gang' era. In his nine years as a Wimbledon player, he made 244 league appearances for the South London club, scoring 59 goals. Towards the end of his time at the club, he also began coaching the reserve team. Reflecting on the injury, Earle stated: "One afternoon in hospital I was told that I had picked up an infection again. By this time I had lost 56 lb ^{(56 lb)}. My breathing was irregular, I was in agony. If somebody had told me that death was the best choice, I'd have accepted it - anything to take away the pain."

5.1. Media and Journalism

Following his retirement in 2000, Earle embarked on a career in sports journalism. He has worked extensively across various media platforms, including Capital Radio, Radio 5 Live, BBC, ESPN, ITV, Sky Sports, and OnDigital. He was a regular pundit on ITV's football coverage and also contributed to World Football Daily and occasionally ESPN PressPass. In addition to his broadcast work, Earle has written columns for the London Evening Standard and the Stoke-on-Trent Evening Sentinel.

Beyond traditional football commentary, Earle also participated in BBC's Strictly African Dancing in 2005 as part of the Africa Lives season, where he scored 33 points and won the competition. In 2007, he also appeared on MasterChef. In 2013, he became one of the lead studio analysts for NBC Sports' coverage of the Premier League and serves as a co-commentator on their Match of the Day and Premier League Download programs.

5.2. FIFA World Cup Ticket Controversy

In June 2010, Robert Earle's 150.00 K GBP annual contract with ITV was terminated following an incident involving World Cup tickets. He had received 400 free tickets for the tournament from ITV, including 40 for the final, with an approximate retail value of 70.00 K GBP. These tickets were intended for his family and friends, as he was not permitted to sell them. However, he passed tickets for the Netherlands versus Denmark match to a friend, who then sold them to Bavaria Brewery. The brewery subsequently orchestrated an ambush marketing event during the match, a clear breach of FIFA rules.

The incident led to his dismissal from ITV and also resulted in him losing his role as an ambassador for England's 2018 World Cup bid. Earle described his actions as "naive" and maintained that he had "not profited in any way" from the situation, unaware that a "close friend" would sell a significant number of tickets to the Dutch company.

5.3. Other Activities and Recognition

In March 2011, Earle took on a new role as a broadcasting analyst for the US Major League Soccer team Portland Timbers. He has also been involved in social initiatives, being inducted into the Hall of Fame of Show Racism the Red Card in 2004, a campaign against racism in football. Additionally, he has appeared in television commercials promoting blood donation, showcasing his commitment to public service campaigns.

8.1. Club

8.2. International

Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Earle goal.