Gordon the Tramp

Gordon bobby Roberts (born 1928),[1] better known as Gordon the Tramp, is a resident of Bournemouth who is famous for always knowing the correct time even though he does not own a watch.[2]

For other people named Gordon Roberts, see Gordon Roberts (disambiguation).

He is a well known character in Bournemouth with his large beard and Manchester United scarf, which he wears to all the AFC Bournemouth games.[3] Despite his nickname, Roberts is not actually a homeless man as he owns a house in Charminster, Bournemouth.[4]

Roberts became an internet phenomenon when Chris Kimber, a Bournemouth University student, created a Facebook page on his behalf.[5] As of January 2010 he has gathered an appreciative collection of 14,685 friends on this site;[6][7] fans have uploaded pictures of themselves with Roberts and added stories about meeting him.[5][8] The phenomenon has been widely reported in many UK newspapers and has spread as far as the Netherlands and Australia.[9] He has also been a subject on South England's Meridian News which can be viewed on video sharing websites such as YouTube. On 13 January 2010, a Facebook group was set up proclaiming Roberts had died of a heart attack. However, it was soon discovered to be a hoax and shortly afterwards he was found alive and well in Bournemouth town centre.[10] As of July 2011, an online campaign was underway to have Roberts carry the Olympic torch as it passed through Bournemouth.[11] The singer/songwriter Julian Barry who is also from Bournemouth wrote a song titled 'Gordon The Tramp' about Gordon Roberts.

References
  1. "Exclusive interview with living legend... Gordon the Tramp". Bournemouth Daily Echo. 2010. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  2. "Tramp shoots to fame on internet". BBC News. 3 July 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  3. "'Gordon the Tramp' Global Star!". AFC Bournemouth. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  4. "Gordon the Tramp on the news!". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  5. "Gordon the Tramp". Facebook. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  6. "Gordon the Tramp Facebook Group". Facebook. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  7. "Worldwide Fame For Time-Telling Tramp". Sky News. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  8. "Tramp becomes facebook hero". Metro (Associated Metro Limited). Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  9. "Engelse zwerver wordt hit op Facebook". NU.nl. Retrieved 3 July 2007.
  10. "Gordon the Tramp: back from the dead". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 14 January 2010.
  11. "Bid for Bournemouth character to carry Olympic torch" BBC


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