John Robson became United manager in 1914 after relatively successful spells with, amongst others, Crystal Palace, Boro and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Robson was the first to be given the title of 'Manager', all previous incumbents were known as secretary-manager.

During his seven year stay with United, Robson saw the club through the period of the First World War and four years of Regional League football.

After the war the League resumed but the team Robson was left with was not the same as pre-war and signings such as Joe Spence, Jack Mew and Clarence Hilditch could not help United finish higher than 12th and 13th in the following two seasons.

In October 1921 Robson resigned as manager due to health problems and in 1922 a cold led to pneumonia and he did on January 11th 1922.

The Manchester Evening Chronicle wrote of Robson: "John Robson was a kindly man of great football experience, whose chief characteristic was probably loyalty to his employer. In his long experience of well over thirty years in the official life of the Football League, he won a reputation as one of the really shrewd judges, he believed in making his players comfortable and on the one hand he expected respect from them."