Born in Morpeth, Northumberland, Robinson began his career at Third Division North side Hartlepools United.
After He made his Football League debut for them on 17 January 1948, in a 1–1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium, replacing Jock Wallace for the second half of the 1947–48 season.
He kept four successive clean sheets in the club's FA Cup run that season, which took them to the final at Wembley, where they lost 2–4 to Manchester United.
He had made a total of 25 League appearances for Blackpool, and was succeeded in the Seasiders' goal by George Farm.
In January 2010, Robinson's FA Cup runners-up medal was stolen in a burglary from his son, Keith's house in Lower Withington, Cheshire.