Robson came through Hartlepool's youth development programme, following in the footsteps of Antony Sweeney, Jim Provett and Adam Boyd. While playing for the youth team, Robson gained the reputation of being a quick and pacey winger with a keen eye for set pieces. He won Hartlepool's Young Player of the Year Award for 2002–03. For the 2003–04 season, manager Neale Cooper promoted him to the first team in order to fill the team's "problem position" of left back. Robson scored on his debut in Hartlepool's first match of the 2003–04 Second Division campaign, in a 4-3 win against Peterborough United. During that season he went on to make 26 league and cup appearances. The following season saw him make even more appearances, participating in 34 league and cup matches and scoring 3 goals. These appearances included the televised League One play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday, which Hartlepool lost. Hartlepool were relegated from League One in the following season but won promotion back to League One at the first time of asking, with Robson making 20 league appearances and scoring twice. He later lost his place in the side to Andy Monkhouse and only made 17 league appearances in the 2007–08 season, 11 of which were as a substitute.
Robson signed for fellow League One club Carlisle United at the end of the 2008–09 season, after rejecting a new contract from Hartlepool. He played at Wembley in his first season for the Cumbrians in the 2010 Football League Trophy Final only to lose 4-1 to Southampton F.C.. However, Carlisle, with Robson featuring in defence, were successful at Wembley the next season winning the 2011 Football League Trophy Final 1-0 against Brentford F.C.. Due to a formation change from manager Greg Abbott, Robson struggled to hold down a 1st team place throughout the 2010–2011 season, after his strong performances in the 2009–10 season. A firm fans' favourite, Robson won Carlisle's 2012–13 player of the year award and signed a new contract to keep him with the club until 2015. In 2013–14, he made 39 appearances in all competitions as Carlisle were relegated to League Two. He missed two months of the season, from February to April 2014, with a back injury. On 4 May 2015, Robson was released by Carlisle after he'd been on loan at Gateshead. Robson signed for Northern League side Shildon following his release from Carlisle.
