Robinson lost some of his best years to the Second World War during which time he continued to play for Sheffield Wednesday in the regional wartime leagues making 109 appearances and scoring 91 goals, although these matches are not recognised in official records.
In 1934, Sheffield Wednesday manager Billy Walker came to watch a wing half who was marking Robinson in a match against West Wylam.
[1] Robinson joined a very successful Sheffield Wednesday team, which in the 1934–35 season finished third in Division one and won the FA Cup.
Five days later Robinson was a non-playing member of the Wednesday squad which beat West Bromwich 4–2 in the FA Cup final.
He became a regular in the team the following season and his good form led to a call up for an England international trial at Burnley on 17 March 1937.
Robinson's form remained good throughout that season and he was selected for the England's sides three match tour of continental Europe in May 1938.
The reason cited for the transfer was that Robinson was training at Newcastle United on weekdays and just travelling to Sheffield for matches and the board found this unacceptable for the club captain.
By the summer of 1949, Robinson was 32 years old and Sunderland had just signed a classy inside forward in Ivor Broadis from Carlisle United.
After football Jackie Robinson became a landlord of a public house, running "The Ship" in Gateshead very successfully for a few years in the 1950s.