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The winger from Wearside, a graduate of the Arsenal youth team, made a
start to his Highbury career that was quite at odds with the club's
contemporaneous fortunes. Rostron made his debut against Newcastle
United on 18th March 1975, aged eighteen, and scored as the Londoners
won 3-0. The victory, only the third in the past ten games, went a long
way towards easing the club's relegation worries. Rostron kept his place
for the following game, at Burnley, and scored again in a dramatic 3-3
draw. After a 0-2 defeat at doomed Luton Town, which threatened to drag
Arsenal back into trouble, Wilf was dropped, but came back to make
further appearances against Stoke at home, and Newcastle and West Ham
away. It had been an encouraging introduction and with two goals to his
name many had high hopes of him, particularly as the club's period of
transition perhaps presented more opportunities to the younger players.
However, Wilf failed to 'kick on' in his second season and made only
five appearances, figuring in just one victory, as a substitute in a 5-0
win over Coventry City. His personal disappointment was matched by the
club's as Arsenal achieved their lowest league finish since the days of
Herbert Chapman. After his bright start it seemed as though he was going
nowhere. However, when Terry Neil became the new manager in the summer
of 1976 Rostron felt he had another chance, but things soon became
equally frustrating for him. Despite a run of five appearances in a nine
game spell mid-season Rostron never convinced Neil that he was a better
option than the ageing George Armstrong.
And so, after a career of
seventeen games spread over three seasons, Rostron moved back to his
native Wearside to play for Sunderland and a young Graham Rix, instead
of Wilf, took advantage of Armstrong's close season move to Leicester
City. (David Fensome)
1977–1979 Sunderland 76 (17)
1979–1989 Watford 317 (22)
1989 Sheffield Wednesday 7 (0)
1989–1991 Sheffield United 36 (3)
1991 Brentford 42 (2)
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