John Robertson (footballer, born 1953)

Last updated

John Robertson
John Robertson (1980).jpg
Robertson in 1980
Personal information
Full name John Neilson Robertson [1]
Date of birth (1953-01-20) 20 January 1953 (age 71) [1]
Place of birth Viewpark, [2] Lanarkshire, Scotland
Position(s) Left winger
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1970–1983 Nottingham Forest 386 (61)
1983–1985 Derby County 72 (3)
1985–1986 Nottingham Forest 11 (0)
Total469(64)
International career
1978–1983 Scotland 28 (8)
Managerial career
1990–1995 Wycombe Wanderers (assistant)
1995 Norwich City (assistant)
1995–2000 Leicester City (assistant)
2000–2005 Celtic (assistant)
2006–2010 Aston Villa (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

John Neilson Robertson (born 20 January 1953) is a Scottish former professional footballer. He provided the assisting cross for Trevor Francis to score the only goal when Nottingham Forest won the 1979 European Cup Final. A year later he scored when Forest retained the trophy 1-0 this time against Hamburger SV. At Forest he also won promotion from the 1976–77 Football League Second Division, the 1977–78 Football League First Division, the UEFA Super Cup, two Football League Cups, the 1978 FA Charity Shield and the Anglo-Scottish Cup.

Contents

He also played for the full Scotland national football team, scoring the winning goal against England in 1981 and against New Zealand in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

He has since moved into coaching, acting as assistant to his former Nottingham Forest teammate Martin O'Neill. Robertson's last role was assistant manager at Aston Villa between 2006 and 2010.

Playing career

Nottingham Forest (first spell)

Robertson had played for Scotland at Schoolboy and Youth levels and for Drumchapel Amateurs before joining Forest in May 1970, making his debut for the team in October 1970. Although he was an infrequent member of the first team as a midfielder up to 1975, and was on the transfer list when Clough became manager, Robertson became a key player as a left winger under Clough and appeared in 243 consecutive games between December 1976 and December 1980. He scored the winning goal, a penalty, for Forest in the 1978 Football League Cup Final replay against Liverpool. He also scored the winner in the 1980 European Cup Final against Hamburg and provided the cross for the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup Final, scored by Trevor Francis, against Malmö FF.

Brian Clough, Robertson's manager at Nottingham Forest, was quoted as saying "John Robertson was a very unattractive young man. If one day, I felt a bit off colour, I would sit next to him. I was bloody Errol Flynn in comparison. But give him a ball and a yard of grass, and he was an artist, the Picasso of our game." [3] In his autobiography Clough noted that "Rarely could there have been a more unlikely looking professional athlete... [He was a] scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time...but something told me he was worth persevering with." but that "[He] became one of the finest deliverers of a football I have ever seen – in Britain or anywhere else in the world – as fine as the Brazilians or the supremely gifted Italians." [4] Robertson's captain at Forest, John McGovern, later said that "John Robertson was like Ryan Giggs but with two good feet, not one. He had more ability than Ryan Giggs, his ratio of creating goals was better and overall he was the superior footballer", whilst Forest coach Jimmy Gordon rated Robertson as a better player than Tom Finney and Stanley Matthews, saying that he "had something extra on top". [5]

Later playing career

Robertson was sold to Derby County in June 1983 on a contested transfer (the fee was set by a tribunal) that soured the relationship between Clough and his former assistant Peter Taylor, but was injured soon after joining the team and failed to reproduce the form he had shown when he played for Forest. Although he rejoined Forest on a free transfer in August 1985, he remained well below his former best and moved to non-league Corby Town at the end of the 1985/86 season. He also had stints with Stamford and Grantham Town.

Coaching career

After retiring from playing, Robertson has been variously chief scout and assistant manager to former Nottingham Forest teammate Martin O'Neill at Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.

Legacy

Robertson was voted into first place in a 2015 poll by the Nottingham Post of favourite all-time Nottingham Forest players. [6]

Personal life

Robertson's daughter, Jessica, was born in 1983 with cerebral palsy, which left her quadriplegic and unable to speak or control her movements. She had a short life expectancy. In 1994, Robertson and his former wife Sally challenged the hospital where Jessica was born for damages, claiming that they had caused her brain damage by a 12-hour delay to carry out a Caesarean section. However, they lost their High Court case.[ citation needed ]

Robertson's other daughter Liz appeared on the first ever episode of BBC's quiz show TNL: Who Dares Wins in 2007.

Robertson released his autobiography Supertramp in September 2012. He supported Rangers as a boy, but describes his time at Celtic as assistant to Martin O'Neill as the best years of his life in football. [7]

Robertson suffered a suspected heart attack while playing tennis with former Forest teammate Liam O'Kane on 23 August 2013. Fans of Celtic, Derby County, Leicester City and Nottingham Forest took to social network sites to wish him well. [8]

Career statistics

Club

Club [9] SeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupEuropeOther [A] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Nottingham Forest 1970–71 First Division 200000——20
1971–72 First Division1300000——130
1972–73 Second Division 3243000——354
1973–74 Second Division502000——50
1974–75 Second Division2004110——251
1975–76 Second Division3952040——455
1976–77 Second Division4165320—925711
1977–78 First Division42126383——5618
1978–79 First Division429308492116316
1979–80 First Division42112110493206519
1980–81 First Division38662412020529
1981–82 First Division3621051——423
1982–83 First Division3461053——409
Total386613510471620514350295
Derby County 1983–84 Second Division3124020——372
1984–85 Third Division 4111041—20482
Total7235061—20854
Nottingham Forest 1985–86 First Division1101000——120
Career total469644110531720516359999
A.  ^ The "Other" column constitutes appearances and goals in the FA Charity Shield, Anglo-Scottish Cup, Football League Trophy, European Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup.

International

Scotland national team [10]
YearAppsGoals
197840
197952
198030
198174
198271
198321
Total288

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.7 June 1979 Ullevaal Stadion, OsloFlag of Norway.svg  Norway 3–04–0 ECQG2
2.19 December 1979 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 1–31–3 ECQG2
3.28 April 1981 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Israel.svg  Israel 1–03–1 WCQG6
4.2–0
5.23 May 1981 Wembley Stadium, LondonFlag of England.svg  England 1–01–0 BHC
6.9 September 1981 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2–02–0 WCQG6
7.15 June 1982 Estadio La Rosaleda, Málaga Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 4–25–2 WCG6
8.21 September 1983 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay 1–02–0 Friendly

Honours

Nottingham Forest [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Forest F.C.</span> Association football club in Nottingham, England

Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Clough</span> English football player and manager (1935–2004)

Brian Howard Clough was an English football player and manager, primarily known for his successes as a manager with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. He is one of four managers to have won the English league with two different clubs. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest managers of all time. Charismatic, outspoken and often controversial, his achievements with Derby and Forest, two clubs with little prior history of success, are rated among the greatest in football history. His teams were also noted for playing attractive football and for their good sportsmanship. Despite applying several times and being a popular choice for the job, he was never appointed England manager and has been dubbed the "greatest manager England never had".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trevor Francis</span> English footballer and manager (1954–2023)

Trevor John Francis was an English footballer who played as a forward for a number of clubs in England, the United States, Italy, Scotland and Australia. In 1979 he became Britain's first £1 million player following his transfer from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest. He scored the winning goal for Forest in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmö. He won the European Cup again with the club the following year. At international level, he played for England 52 times between 1976 and 1986, scoring 12 goals, and played at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Keane</span> Irish footballer (born 1971)

Roy Maurice Keane is an Irish football pundit, former coach, and former professional player. He is the joint most decorated Irish footballer of all time alongside Denis Irwin and Ronnie Whelan, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during his time at English club Manchester United. Regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Withe</span> English footballer (1951)

Peter Withe is an English former football manager and striker who played between 1971 and 1990. At Nottingham Forest he won the Anglo-Scottish Cup and Second Division promotion in 1976–77, First Division and the Football League Cup in 1977–78, and the 1978 FA Charity Shield. After a spell at Newcastle it was back to more success at Aston Villa with whom he won the First Division 1980–81, going on to score the only goal in the 1982 European Cup final and also win the 1982 European Super Cup. He played for England 11 times, scoring once, and was a squad member at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Laurence Valentine Lloyd was an English professional football player and coach.

The 1977–78 season was the 98th season of competitive football in England.

Archibald Gemmill is a Scottish former footballer. During his career, he won the European Cup and three English league titles, and captained his national side.

Garry Birtles is an English retired professional footballer who played as a forward in the Football League between the 1970s and 1990s. He is best known for his time at Nottingham Forest, during which he won the 1979 and 1980 European Cup Finals. He was also capped three times by England.

Peter Thomas Taylor was an English football player and manager. A goalkeeper with a modest playing career, he went on to work in management alongside Brian Clough at Derby County and Nottingham Forest, winning the Football League with both clubs and the European Cup twice with Nottingham Forest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John McGovern (footballer)</span> Scottish footballer and manager

John Prescott McGovern is a Scottish former association football midfielder and manager. McGovern is most famous for captaining the Nottingham Forest side that won the European Cup twice under the management of Brian Clough, whom he played under at four clubs, and Peter Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Gemmell</span> Scottish footballer and manager

Thomas Gemmell was a Scottish football player and manager. Although right-footed, he excelled as a left-sided fullback and had powerful shooting ability. Gemmell is best known as one of the Celtic side who won the 1966–67 European Cup; he scored the first Celtic goal in the final. Gemmell played 18 times for Scotland, and also played for Nottingham Forest, Miami Toros and Dundee. After retiring as a player in 1977, Gemmell managed Dundee and Albion Rovers.

Kenneth Burns is a former Scotland international footballer. The peak of his playing career was Nottingham Forest, with whom he won the 1977–78 Football League title and the FWA Player of the Year award. He also won two European Cups and two Football League Cups.

John O'Hare is a Scottish former footballer. O'Hare's clubs included Sunderland, Derby County, Leeds United and also Nottingham Forest and was part of their European Cup victory in 1980, coming on as a substitute in the final. O'Hare also won thirteen caps for the Scotland national team, scoring five goals.

The history of Nottingham Forest Football Club covers the complete history of the club since its formation in 1865. Forest have won 11 major honours during their history: one league title, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one FA Charity Shield, two European Cups and one UEFA Super Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 European Cup final</span> Football match

The 1979 European Cup final was a football match held at the Olympiastadion, Munich, on 30 May 1979. Trevor Francis scored the only goal of the match, as Nottingham Forest of England defeated Malmö FF of Sweden 1–0 to become European champions for the first time in club history. The win represented a third successive victory for an English side in the European Cup, after Liverpool's victories in 1977 and 1978.

David Alexander Provan is a Scottish former footballer, who played for Kilmarnock, Celtic and Scotland. While playing for Celtic, Provan won four Premier Division medals, two Scottish Cups and one League Cup.

Football matches held between Derby County F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C. are often referred to as an 'East Midlands Derby' and are the focus of a lengthy and intense rivalry. According to an unofficial survey on 'football rivalries' the 'East Midlands Derby' is the sixth fiercest rivalry in English football, with 9 out of 10 fans from the two clubs naming the other as their "fiercest rival".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin O'Neill</span> Northern Irish football manager and player

Martin Hugh Michael O'Neill, is a Northern Irish professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. After a brief early career in the Irish League, O'Neill moved to England where he spent most of his playing career with Nottingham Forest. He won the First Division title in 1977–78 and the European Cup twice, in 1979 and 1980. He was capped 64 times for the Northern Ireland national football team, also captaining the side at the 1982 World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 FA Charity Shield</span> 1978 football match in London, England

The 1978 FA Charity Shield was the 56th FA Charity Shield, an annual football match played between the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match took place on 12 August 1978 at Wembley Stadium and was played between 1977–78 Football League champions Nottingham Forest and FA Cup winners Ipswich Town. Watched by a crowd of 68,000, the match ended in a 5–0 victory for Nottingham Forest.

References

  1. 1 2 "John Robertson". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. ↑ Robertson, John (2011). John Robertson: Supertramp – My Autobiography. Mainstream Publishing Company (EDINBURGH) LTD. ISBN   9781780572345.
  3. ↑ "They said it: Brian Clough". FIFA. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 11 May 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2009. John Robertson was a very unattractive young man. If one day I was feeling a bit off colour, I would sit next to him. I was bloody Errol Flynn compared to him. But give him a yard of grass and he was an artist. The Picasso of our game.
  4. ↑ pp, 152, 155, Clough, Brian (1994), Clough: The Autobiography, Partridge Press
  5. ↑ McRae, Donald (19 October 2015). "John Robertson: 'It took Clough and Taylor for me to realise my talent'". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  6. ↑ "Nottingham Forest top 5 players of all-time: John Robertson simply the best". Nottinghamshire Post. Local World. 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Mark Guidi (11 November 2011). "John Robertson: If Martin O'Neill calls up I'll be back in football in a minute". Daily Record. Media Scotland. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
  8. ↑ This is Derbyshire
  9. ↑ John Robertson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  10. ↑ John Robertson profile National Football Teams
  11. ↑ "Honours". Nottingham Forest FC. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.