The end was nigh for the season 1977-78. Forest had secured their first (and only) English League championship and there were just two matches remaining. Forest's penultimate two games were both away to tough opposition: West Brom, who had knocked us out of the Cup 6th round a couple of months earlier, and had held us to a 0-0 draw at home - and in-form Liverpool, the previous league champions looking for revenge after their League Cup final defeat.
Forest would score their last goals of the season at the Hawthorns so I want to pay particular attention to the scorer of the last of those goals - John Robertson. He was a very understated and under-rated player at the time but it's good to see that more accolades have come his way since those days. I must admit I myself had not realised some of the amazing stats that back up Robbo's undoubted brilliance.
The game spun on four goals in twenty first half minutes. Ian "Bomber" Bowyer scored first, capitalising on a goalkeeping error from Tony Godden. Albion bounced back twelve minutes later with a rocket-like shot from Tony "Bomber" Brown. Seven minutes after that Cyrille Regis hit the bar with a header and it bounced down for young striker Wayne Hughes (not yet a "Bomber") to score.
But within a minute the referee decided that Brendon Batson had fouled Colin Barrett in the box and so the scene was set for Forest to equalise with another John Robertson penalty.
This they did and the game settled after that to a less hectic second half. Forest ended up clinging on for a draw.
So, the last goal of the season was scored by Robbo. The first hadn't been, but the second, at Goodison Park, back in August, had.
In fact, after this goal, he became our joint top scorer in the league this season, alongside Peter Withe.
One day off and then... off to Anfield, the on-form, current league champions, European Cup holders and current finalists. It could not really have been a tougher end to the season.
Forest would score their last goals of the season at the Hawthorns so I want to pay particular attention to the scorer of the last of those goals - John Robertson. He was a very understated and under-rated player at the time but it's good to see that more accolades have come his way since those days. I must admit I myself had not realised some of the amazing stats that back up Robbo's undoubted brilliance.
Penultimate match
There were just nine games to play in the first division after the last full league programme of the season, when Forest had drawn at home to Birmingham City. Liverpool had already played Manchester City - and ominously beaten them 4-0 before this game, played the same night as three other games. After this, there were just five more to go, including Forest's trip to Anfield.
The Teams
Larry Lloyd returned to the center of defence in place of the injured David Needham and Ian Bowyer replaced the injured Tony Woodcock.
There were no changes for Albion as they closed out their season.
West Bromwich Albion
1 Paul Goddard, 2 Brendon Batson, 3 Derek Statham, 4 Tony Brown, 5 John Wile, 6 Alistair Robertson, 7 Len Cantello, 8 Bryan Robson, 9 Cyril Regis, 10 Wayne Hughes, 11 Laurie Cunningham.
Goals: Tony Brown 28m , Wayne Hughes 35 m.
Nottingham Forest
1 Peter Shilton, 2 Viv Anderson, 3 Colin Barrett, 4 John McGovern, 5 Larry Lloyd, 6 Kenny Burns, 7 Martin O'Neill, 8 Archie Gemmill, 9 Peter Withe, 10 Ian Bowyer, 11 John Robertson.
Goals : Ian Bowyer 16m , John Robertson (36 m pen.).
1 Paul Goddard, 2 Brendon Batson, 3 Derek Statham, 4 Tony Brown, 5 John Wile, 6 Alistair Robertson, 7 Len Cantello, 8 Bryan Robson, 9 Cyril Regis, 10 Wayne Hughes, 11 Laurie Cunningham.
Goals: Tony Brown 28m , Wayne Hughes 35 m.
Nottingham Forest
1 Peter Shilton, 2 Viv Anderson, 3 Colin Barrett, 4 John McGovern, 5 Larry Lloyd, 6 Kenny Burns, 7 Martin O'Neill, 8 Archie Gemmill, 9 Peter Withe, 10 Ian Bowyer, 11 John Robertson.
Goals : Ian Bowyer 16m , John Robertson (36 m pen.).
Attendance: 23,612
The Game
The game was watched by a poor crowd, by Albion's standards that season. Although the weather was bad, Baggies fans might have expected better turnout for their last game of the season, even at the worst of times. The fact they were playing the league champions must have led to the expectation of an above average attendance. Instead, it was below average.
Still, I can't talk, because I missed it too. I can only suggest it was football fatigue or just that I was a bit cash strapped at the time. No excuse, really. If I could go back in time, I would definitely tell my younger self to not be silly, and go!
 |
| Forest game was watched by a below-average crowd at the Hawthorns. |
The game spun on four goals in twenty first half minutes. Ian "Bomber" Bowyer scored first, capitalising on a goalkeeping error from Tony Godden. Albion bounced back twelve minutes later with a rocket-like shot from Tony "Bomber" Brown. Seven minutes after that Cyrille Regis hit the bar with a header and it bounced down for young striker Wayne Hughes (not yet a "Bomber") to score.
But within a minute the referee decided that Brendon Batson had fouled Colin Barrett in the box and so the scene was set for Forest to equalise with another John Robertson penalty.
This they did and the game settled after that to a less hectic second half. Forest ended up clinging on for a draw.
So, the last goal of the season was scored by Robbo. The first hadn't been, but the second, at Goodison Park, back in August, had.
In fact, after this goal, he became our joint top scorer in the league this season, alongside Peter Withe.
But to focus on Robbo's dozen league goals (including his seven penalties) or his 18 in all competitions (including his ten penalties) would not do him justice. Robertson, most of all was a creator of chances. If ever there was a player who could "assist" a team to score goals, it was Robbo.
The stats for the campaign are very impressive. More than half of the 104 goals that Forest scored that season were made, at least in part, by John Robertson. 17% were scored by him personally and 24% were direct assists - mainly from crosses. A further 11% resulted from moves that involved him to a significant extent.
John Robertson was the only ever present in the squad. He played in all of Forest's 56 games.
For the Aston Villa away tie (when Tony Woodcock got a late winner) I gave attention to Tony's impressive run of 83 consecutive games for Forest - a run that ended the very next game, on 84, after Tony got some nasty treatment at Maine Road by the Manchester City defence.
Well at the Hawthorns, 40 years ago, John Robertson was getting close to equaling that run as tonight was his 83rd consecutive game. It's a spoiler, I know, but Robbo would get his 84th consecutive appearance next, against Liverpool, completing the season as an ever-present.
Last time Robbo missed a game was the second division tie against Plymouth Argyle at home on 18th December 1976 (Forest drew 1-1.) The first match in of his run of consecutive appearances was Bolton Wanderers away on 27 December 1976. (Forest drew 1-1) So, he played in 23 consecutive league games and 5 cup games before this season, 28 in total. 56 games this season would put him on 84.
I must admit I was impressed with that already, having been unaware of what was to follow. Somehow I had it in my mind that Robbo, like Tony Woodcock, must have missed one or two games here and there. But the truth is - the run was really only just starting.
Next season, Robbo was an ever present yet again. That's another 42 league matches, 3 more F.A. Cup ties and 8 more League Cup ties, making 53 more games, taking his tally to 137. Let's not forget nine more games in Europe which would take the run to 146. The season after that, 1979-80, would you believe it, Robbo was an ever-present for the third season running. So, yet another 42 League games, another 10 in the League Cup, another 2 in the F.A. Cup (54 domestic) plus another nine in Europe making 63 more in total. My maths (dodgy as it is) tells me that would make his run at the time stand at 209. If you count The "Super Cup" (a competition between the European Cup holders and the Cup Winners Cup holders), it would add two more and if you count the Charity Shield as a competitive match, one more. Both would take the total to 212.
So, into 1980-81 and Robertson started the season again as an ever present. He made 20 starts in the League including the match at Coventry City on 29th November 1980, when he had to get taken off injured, and was replaced by Trevor Francis. So, finally, Robbo missed the next game against Crystal Palace and the three after that. Despite this set back, only Peter Shilton and Frank Gray played in more games than Robertson that season. But still, Robbo had added another 20 more consecutive league games, 4 more in the League Cup and 2 more in Europe. If you include the Super Cup again, that's one more too, making 27 more, making his final run of matches 239 in all, according to my calculations. It's interesting to note that for the Super Cup home leg (v Valencia) Robertson played and we won 2-1, but he was injured for the away leg, which we lost 1-0 (and hence the tie on away goals.)
Incidentally, Forest elected not to play in the intercontinental cup final (winners of the European Cup against South American Copa Libertadores winners) in 1979-80 - so Malmo happily took our place there to play Olimpia Asuncion of Paraguay. But we did play in the next one - against Nacional of Uruguay, but this was after the end of Robbo's run.
Now I hate to suggest that some sources might be wrong, especially if it reduces Robbo's total, but the Football museum says his total run of consecutive matches was 243. I can't see how that figure has been arrived at unless I missed something again. If anyone can spot my error please let me know.
It is a bit of a problem deciding which matches are to be included and which aren't. I've had to change this total three times already. I hope it's correct now.
I must say I have been amazed by all this - and embarrassed that I didn't know anything about it before delving into this research. I can't remember there being any fuss about this consecutive run at the time but it's probably just my ignorance. Anyway, it leads me on to another question - how many of these 239 games did I see?
A quick query of my Microsoft Access database (still the best database product out there) revealed the answer. (It also revealed some problems, such as me forgetting the Super Cup and Charity Shield which some would include as a competitive match, so I have added them after first posting this blog.)
172 (114 at home, 52 away and 6 on neutral grounds)
That's about 72% of the games. Not bad, I'd say.
Here are the games I watched on Robbo's run....
If you're unfamiliar with the name of Uddingston, here's a map. It's near Glasgow, in Scotland. It's probably best "known" to millions as it signposted to motorists that drive through it on the way to Glasgow on the A74 but it does have a few notable features, as I read in Robbo's book (see later).
John made 12 full first team appearances and that one substitution I saw that season.
Robertson made 28 full league and 3 F.A. Cup appearances in 1972-73. Robertson's first goal for the reds was at home to Swindon Town on 21st October 1972, still not quite 20 years old. Fittingly, Forest's other goal scorer that day was Martin O'Neill. The manager of Swindon at the time was Dave Mackay but just a couple of weeks later he was at Forest having replaced the sacked Matt Gillies.
Robertson shone under Dave Mackay who gave him a lot of confidence including, for example, the responsibility of taking penalties. Robbo's first penalty scored for Forest was on 20th January 1973 against Carlisle United. He got a second a few weeks later. He scored 4 goals altogether that season. I didn't see any of them as I didn't see Forest once that season. Robertson was a regular under Mackay and his career seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Unfortunately for Robbo, he got a nasty injury in a close season tour of Portugal Mackay had organised, tearing a cartilage in his knee. So Robbo would be out for the start of the next season.
1973-74, was the season I became a true Forest fan. It was Duncan McKenzie's performance at home to Manchester City in January that caused me to "Judas" on Mansfield but Robbo was still out of picture by then. He was also out of favour with boss new Allan Brown, who had been appointed to replace Mackay when he went to Derby at the end of October, after Clough and Taylor's infamous resignation. Robbo's first game that season was at home to Notts County on March 3rd - so this was actually the first time I had ever seen John Robertson make a start in the team, over three years after his debut.
Embarrassingly, I marked his name down in the programme as "Richo"! This is bad enough for me but apparently Allan Brown got his name wrong too when they first met, calling him "Jimmy!"
Despite Brown's misgivings, Roberston did enough in the Notts County game to earrn him a place in Forest's biggest game in years - six days later, in the famous epic F.A. Cup tie at St James' Park, the one Forest lost 3-4 after the Geordies invaded the pitch. I was there too. Robbo played in the center of midfield as No 6.
In his book Robbo tells the story that on the way back from the match Allan Brown told him that he thought the reason they'd lost was the inexperience of himself and Martin O'Neill.
He also played in the match that was ordered to be replayed at Goodison Park, the one that Forest drew 0-0. But he missed the next game, the one they lost. Robertson made only 5 league appearances and those two in the F.A. Cup.
John Robertson started the 1974-75 season in the first team in the opening match against Bristol City but he soon fell out of favour again, replaced by Ian Bowyer and, by his own admission, he became somewhat depressed and disillusioned about his ambitions to be a professional footballer. The one bright spot at the time was that Don Revie had named him in his squad of young players for consideration to play for England! Robbo laughed at the the thought (always a true Scot) but it gave him a bit of a lift to think someone like Don Revie rated him.
It wasn't until February of 1975, that Robbo was given a chance to show himself and he finished the season with 14 consecutive league (and 4 F.A. Cup - all against Fulham) appearances. What had changed? - the manager, of course. Brian Clough was in charge now.
By the start of the 1975-76 season, I had still not seen John Robertson score a goal. He'd scored 5 by now but I'd missed them all. Then, finally, on 13th September 1975, Forest played Hull City at home and I was there to see Robbo score. He also missed two penalties that match, embarassingly in front of his family who had made the long trip from Uddingston to see him play. To make matters worse, Forest lost 2-1. I saw the same thing happen 11 days later (a 2-1 home defeat with Robbo scoring, not the penalty misses, Robbo was taken off penalty duty for a while) this time to Charlton Athletic.
Towards the end of the season, Cloughie's inspired Forest side began to show signs that they were heading in the right direction. It is no coincidence that for the last 29 of those games was an ever present John Robertson. From January 17th, with No 11 on his back - the last 17 ties. Robbo made 37 league appearances (and 2 subs) for the Reds that season, joint 5th behind the only ever-present Frank Clark, John McGovern (on 41), Ian Bowyer (on 40) and John O'Hare (on 39). Sammy Chapman also made 37 appearances but was never a sub (of course!).
Things were starting to happen but the final ingredient in the Robbo revival might well have been the reunion of Peter Taylor with Brian Clough in July 1976. The squad was on a pre-season tour of Bavaria when Taylor came to watch them.
"You're a disgrace and should be sent home" were apparently almost the first words Taylor said to John Robertson. Later, during a joint team talk with Cloughie and the players, Taylor singled Robbo out (rather cruelly, it has to be said), pointed to him, and said "You get back to the hotel. I'll see you there about half-twelve." John was understandably shaken and asked what he'd done. "It's what you haven't done" replied Taylor, adding "... and it might save time if you start packing for home."
Those were were taken from Peter Taylor's autobiography. Robbo's are slightly different. This is John Robertson's account...
"My only dealings with Peter before had been a polite 'hello' on the journey over to Germany but he suddenly hit me with a non-stop verbal barrage that shocked me. As we all sat down, waiting to hear what he had to say, he pointed at me and said simply, "You, fuck off." I muttered the word 'Sorry' hoping I'd heard him wrongly.
He raised his voice a few decibels and repeated, "You fuck off back to the hotel and I'll see you later."
So much for the "Good cop, bad cop" theory. Later, Taylor chatted with Robbo by the pool at their hotel and basically told him to go on a diet and do extra training if he was serious about being a "pro".
It grieves me to suggest it but, it seems that the "being a right bastard" tactics might have had an effect.
Robbo says so himself: "Tactically, the assault he had made on me worked... and very quickly. I immediately took on board the points that he had raised and although it was not an overnight transformation I rapidly came to the conclusion that I had to start doing something with my life otherwise I would end up as another meaningless statistic on football's scrapheap."
You didn't end up as a meaningless statistic, John, but some of the very best!
So, to last season (1976-77), where it all started to happen. As Forest won promotion, John Robertson figured ever more prominently in the side. In this season Robbo played in all but one game (Plymouth at home) and scored 6 league goals (3 penalties). Only Frank Clark played in all the league games and Ian Bowyer also only missed one. This was the start of his current run.
More on this phase later - watch this space.
At the end of the 1982-83 season, John Robertson was persuaded by Peter Taylor, then back with Derby County, to leave Cloughie and Nottingham. Roberston had two years with The Rams before returning, briefly, to the City Ground for his last hurrah - ten more league appearances.
Robbo's last appearance in a Forest shirt (as sub) was against Spurs at White Hart Lane on January 11th 1986. Forest won 3-0. His last full appearance was at home to Coventry on New Year's Day. Forest had won that too, by 5-2. Robbo was almost 33 years old and it was 15 years and three months since his debut.
Many commentators have praised the player over the years.
Cloughie, typically, said "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." 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."
"[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."
John McGovern 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 coach Jimmy Gordon rated Robertson as a better player than Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, claiming that he "had something extra on top."
Looking back, I don't think it's any coincidence that Forest were at their most successful when John Robertson was at his peak playing those 239 consecutive games. When Robbo started to lose his edge, so did Forest. Obviously Cloughie (and Taylor) were massively important in pulling Forest up from second division mediocrity to being champions of Europe but perhaps we have all been missing the elephant in the room here. Maybe it is to John Robertson that most credit should go for Forest's amazing success.
Here's a great video tribute to him...
It is shocking that he only won 28 caps for Scotland, but at least he'll be pleased to have this memory in a Scotland shirt...
Here's another tribute to the man from The Guardian - here.
And another tribute here.
Let's too, not forget his success in management with Martin O'Neill.
Just as Peter Taylor often got overlooked even though he was clearly an important partner of Brian Clough, so too, it seems, was John Robertson to Martin O'Neill.
He followed Martin and shared his success at Wycombe Wanderers, then briefly at Norwich, and Leicester City. In this spell, the pair went from non-League to the fourth tier, third tier, second, first and Europe in successive season and took their teams to Wembley most years as they did so. I do not think any other management team can say that.
After bringing success to Leicester the two went north to Celtic where they had a record that came close, or even bettered, that of Jock Stein before returning to England to manage Aston Villa. They didn't win any silverware but I bet Villa fans dream of the days where regularly finishing 6th in the top division was seen as frustrating.
Anyway, all of this is much better described by the man himself in his autobiography, "Supertramp".
You can buy it here with a couple of clicks of the mouse.
John Robertson didn't get the credit he deserved at the time. He was never voted PFA player of the Year, nor football writer's player of the year, ever.
He was only capped 28 times for Scotland. Now, that's a disgrace, Mr Taylor!
Robbo wasn't even in the top two for the Forest player of the year award that 1977-78 season but Forest fans soon realised his worth and voted him the best ever player for Forest in 2005 and again in 2015.
We love you, John!
Thanks for the memories, Robbo!
The stats for the campaign are very impressive. More than half of the 104 goals that Forest scored that season were made, at least in part, by John Robertson. 17% were scored by him personally and 24% were direct assists - mainly from crosses. A further 11% resulted from moves that involved him to a significant extent.
John Robertson was the only ever present in the squad. He played in all of Forest's 56 games.
For the Aston Villa away tie (when Tony Woodcock got a late winner) I gave attention to Tony's impressive run of 83 consecutive games for Forest - a run that ended the very next game, on 84, after Tony got some nasty treatment at Maine Road by the Manchester City defence.
Well at the Hawthorns, 40 years ago, John Robertson was getting close to equaling that run as tonight was his 83rd consecutive game. It's a spoiler, I know, but Robbo would get his 84th consecutive appearance next, against Liverpool, completing the season as an ever-present.
Last time Robbo missed a game was the second division tie against Plymouth Argyle at home on 18th December 1976 (Forest drew 1-1.) The first match in of his run of consecutive appearances was Bolton Wanderers away on 27 December 1976. (Forest drew 1-1) So, he played in 23 consecutive league games and 5 cup games before this season, 28 in total. 56 games this season would put him on 84.
I must admit I was impressed with that already, having been unaware of what was to follow. Somehow I had it in my mind that Robbo, like Tony Woodcock, must have missed one or two games here and there. But the truth is - the run was really only just starting.
Next season, Robbo was an ever present yet again. That's another 42 league matches, 3 more F.A. Cup ties and 8 more League Cup ties, making 53 more games, taking his tally to 137. Let's not forget nine more games in Europe which would take the run to 146. The season after that, 1979-80, would you believe it, Robbo was an ever-present for the third season running. So, yet another 42 League games, another 10 in the League Cup, another 2 in the F.A. Cup (54 domestic) plus another nine in Europe making 63 more in total. My maths (dodgy as it is) tells me that would make his run at the time stand at 209. If you count The "Super Cup" (a competition between the European Cup holders and the Cup Winners Cup holders), it would add two more and if you count the Charity Shield as a competitive match, one more. Both would take the total to 212.
So, into 1980-81 and Robertson started the season again as an ever present. He made 20 starts in the League including the match at Coventry City on 29th November 1980, when he had to get taken off injured, and was replaced by Trevor Francis. So, finally, Robbo missed the next game against Crystal Palace and the three after that. Despite this set back, only Peter Shilton and Frank Gray played in more games than Robertson that season. But still, Robbo had added another 20 more consecutive league games, 4 more in the League Cup and 2 more in Europe. If you include the Super Cup again, that's one more too, making 27 more, making his final run of matches 239 in all, according to my calculations. It's interesting to note that for the Super Cup home leg (v Valencia) Robertson played and we won 2-1, but he was injured for the away leg, which we lost 1-0 (and hence the tie on away goals.)
Incidentally, Forest elected not to play in the intercontinental cup final (winners of the European Cup against South American Copa Libertadores winners) in 1979-80 - so Malmo happily took our place there to play Olimpia Asuncion of Paraguay. But we did play in the next one - against Nacional of Uruguay, but this was after the end of Robbo's run.
It is a bit of a problem deciding which matches are to be included and which aren't. I've had to change this total three times already. I hope it's correct now.
I must say I have been amazed by all this - and embarrassed that I didn't know anything about it before delving into this research. I can't remember there being any fuss about this consecutive run at the time but it's probably just my ignorance. Anyway, it leads me on to another question - how many of these 239 games did I see?
A quick query of my Microsoft Access database (still the best database product out there) revealed the answer. (It also revealed some problems, such as me forgetting the Super Cup and Charity Shield which some would include as a competitive match, so I have added them after first posting this blog.)
172 (114 at home, 52 away and 6 on neutral grounds)
That's about 72% of the games. Not bad, I'd say.
Here are the games I watched on Robbo's run....
 |
| I watched 172 of Robbo's consecutive game run |
So here's a big hats off to John Robertson!
John Robertson
John Neilson Robertson was born on January 20th 1953 in Uddingston. Neilson is apparently his mother's maiden name. It was a tradition to use that as your second name in parts of Scotland at the time.If you're unfamiliar with the name of Uddingston, here's a map. It's near Glasgow, in Scotland. It's probably best "known" to millions as it signposted to motorists that drive through it on the way to Glasgow on the A74 but it does have a few notable features, as I read in Robbo's book (see later).
 |
| Where is Uddingston? |
As my kids would tell you, the best tea cakes in the world are Tunnock's Tea Cakes and they're made ... in Uddingston, just two miles from where John Robertson used to live!
I understand some people prefer their Caramel Wafer...
Another famous son of Uddingston is Jimmy Johnstone the Celtic legend that was part of Jock Stein's famous European Cup winning side ("The Lisbon Lions") of 1967.
Anyway, Robbo was mad about football and played as much as he could as a kid and developed his skills on the local parks and playing fields like millions of other boys. Unlike most of us, though, John had real talent and he was soon noticed in his school. He played for Scotland at schoolboy and youth levels as well as for Drumchapel Amateurs, near Clydebank, before coming south to Nottingham to sign as an apprentice in 1968, aged just 15.
John Robertson made his Forest debut at home to Blackpool on Saturday, 10th October 1970, aged 17 years and eight months. He came on as sub for Paul Richardson. He must have done OK because two weeks later, John was given his first team debut, at Leeds Road, then home of Huddersfield Town, in the First Division. But that was his lot for that season. This was under the management of Matt Gillies, someone who obviously noticed something in the lad.
I first saw him (although to be honest I have no memory of it) in October 1971, next season, when he came on as a substitute against Liverpool for Tommy Jackson. Forest lost 2-3 in front of 20,945 that day and in his autobiography, Robertson describes how he set up Forest's consolation goal at the end - for the great Ian Storey-Moore.
 |
| Robbo might have had a few Tea Cakes in his time |
Another famous son of Uddingston is Jimmy Johnstone the Celtic legend that was part of Jock Stein's famous European Cup winning side ("The Lisbon Lions") of 1967.
 |
| 'Jinky' Johnstone |
John Robertson made his Forest debut at home to Blackpool on Saturday, 10th October 1970, aged 17 years and eight months. He came on as sub for Paul Richardson. He must have done OK because two weeks later, John was given his first team debut, at Leeds Road, then home of Huddersfield Town, in the First Division. But that was his lot for that season. This was under the management of Matt Gillies, someone who obviously noticed something in the lad.
 |
| Robbo's pen picture in the Forest Handbook in 191 |
 |
| First match I saw Robbo |
John made 12 full first team appearances and that one substitution I saw that season.
Robertson made 28 full league and 3 F.A. Cup appearances in 1972-73. Robertson's first goal for the reds was at home to Swindon Town on 21st October 1972, still not quite 20 years old. Fittingly, Forest's other goal scorer that day was Martin O'Neill. The manager of Swindon at the time was Dave Mackay but just a couple of weeks later he was at Forest having replaced the sacked Matt Gillies.
Robertson shone under Dave Mackay who gave him a lot of confidence including, for example, the responsibility of taking penalties. Robbo's first penalty scored for Forest was on 20th January 1973 against Carlisle United. He got a second a few weeks later. He scored 4 goals altogether that season. I didn't see any of them as I didn't see Forest once that season. Robertson was a regular under Mackay and his career seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Unfortunately for Robbo, he got a nasty injury in a close season tour of Portugal Mackay had organised, tearing a cartilage in his knee. So Robbo would be out for the start of the next season.
1973-74, was the season I became a true Forest fan. It was Duncan McKenzie's performance at home to Manchester City in January that caused me to "Judas" on Mansfield but Robbo was still out of picture by then. He was also out of favour with boss new Allan Brown, who had been appointed to replace Mackay when he went to Derby at the end of October, after Clough and Taylor's infamous resignation. Robbo's first game that season was at home to Notts County on March 3rd - so this was actually the first time I had ever seen John Robertson make a start in the team, over three years after his debut.
 |
| First full appearance I saw Robbo |
Despite Brown's misgivings, Roberston did enough in the Notts County game to earrn him a place in Forest's biggest game in years - six days later, in the famous epic F.A. Cup tie at St James' Park, the one Forest lost 3-4 after the Geordies invaded the pitch. I was there too. Robbo played in the center of midfield as No 6.
In his book Robbo tells the story that on the way back from the match Allan Brown told him that he thought the reason they'd lost was the inexperience of himself and Martin O'Neill.
He also played in the match that was ordered to be replayed at Goodison Park, the one that Forest drew 0-0. But he missed the next game, the one they lost. Robertson made only 5 league appearances and those two in the F.A. Cup.
John Robertson started the 1974-75 season in the first team in the opening match against Bristol City but he soon fell out of favour again, replaced by Ian Bowyer and, by his own admission, he became somewhat depressed and disillusioned about his ambitions to be a professional footballer. The one bright spot at the time was that Don Revie had named him in his squad of young players for consideration to play for England! Robbo laughed at the the thought (always a true Scot) but it gave him a bit of a lift to think someone like Don Revie rated him.
It wasn't until February of 1975, that Robbo was given a chance to show himself and he finished the season with 14 consecutive league (and 4 F.A. Cup - all against Fulham) appearances. What had changed? - the manager, of course. Brian Clough was in charge now.
By the start of the 1975-76 season, I had still not seen John Robertson score a goal. He'd scored 5 by now but I'd missed them all. Then, finally, on 13th September 1975, Forest played Hull City at home and I was there to see Robbo score. He also missed two penalties that match, embarassingly in front of his family who had made the long trip from Uddingston to see him play. To make matters worse, Forest lost 2-1. I saw the same thing happen 11 days later (a 2-1 home defeat with Robbo scoring, not the penalty misses, Robbo was taken off penalty duty for a while) this time to Charlton Athletic.
Towards the end of the season, Cloughie's inspired Forest side began to show signs that they were heading in the right direction. It is no coincidence that for the last 29 of those games was an ever present John Robertson. From January 17th, with No 11 on his back - the last 17 ties. Robbo made 37 league appearances (and 2 subs) for the Reds that season, joint 5th behind the only ever-present Frank Clark, John McGovern (on 41), Ian Bowyer (on 40) and John O'Hare (on 39). Sammy Chapman also made 37 appearances but was never a sub (of course!).
 |
| John Robertson's full appearance (& goals) record for Nottingham Forest |
Things were starting to happen but the final ingredient in the Robbo revival might well have been the reunion of Peter Taylor with Brian Clough in July 1976. The squad was on a pre-season tour of Bavaria when Taylor came to watch them.
"You're a disgrace and should be sent home" were apparently almost the first words Taylor said to John Robertson. Later, during a joint team talk with Cloughie and the players, Taylor singled Robbo out (rather cruelly, it has to be said), pointed to him, and said "You get back to the hotel. I'll see you there about half-twelve." John was understandably shaken and asked what he'd done. "It's what you haven't done" replied Taylor, adding "... and it might save time if you start packing for home."
Those were were taken from Peter Taylor's autobiography. Robbo's are slightly different. This is John Robertson's account...
"My only dealings with Peter before had been a polite 'hello' on the journey over to Germany but he suddenly hit me with a non-stop verbal barrage that shocked me. As we all sat down, waiting to hear what he had to say, he pointed at me and said simply, "You, fuck off." I muttered the word 'Sorry' hoping I'd heard him wrongly.
He raised his voice a few decibels and repeated, "You fuck off back to the hotel and I'll see you later."
So much for the "Good cop, bad cop" theory. Later, Taylor chatted with Robbo by the pool at their hotel and basically told him to go on a diet and do extra training if he was serious about being a "pro".
It grieves me to suggest it but, it seems that the "being a right bastard" tactics might have had an effect.
Robbo says so himself: "Tactically, the assault he had made on me worked... and very quickly. I immediately took on board the points that he had raised and although it was not an overnight transformation I rapidly came to the conclusion that I had to start doing something with my life otherwise I would end up as another meaningless statistic on football's scrapheap."
You didn't end up as a meaningless statistic, John, but some of the very best!
So, to last season (1976-77), where it all started to happen. As Forest won promotion, John Robertson figured ever more prominently in the side. In this season Robbo played in all but one game (Plymouth at home) and scored 6 league goals (3 penalties). Only Frank Clark played in all the league games and Ian Bowyer also only missed one. This was the start of his current run.
More on this phase later - watch this space.
 |
| Robbo - at his peak? Or maybe the year after |
Robbo's last appearance in a Forest shirt (as sub) was against Spurs at White Hart Lane on January 11th 1986. Forest won 3-0. His last full appearance was at home to Coventry on New Year's Day. Forest had won that too, by 5-2. Robbo was almost 33 years old and it was 15 years and three months since his debut.
Many commentators have praised the player over the years.
Cloughie, typically, said "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." 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."
"[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."
John McGovern 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 coach Jimmy Gordon rated Robertson as a better player than Tom Finney, Stanley Matthews, claiming that he "had something extra on top."
Looking back, I don't think it's any coincidence that Forest were at their most successful when John Robertson was at his peak playing those 239 consecutive games. When Robbo started to lose his edge, so did Forest. Obviously Cloughie (and Taylor) were massively important in pulling Forest up from second division mediocrity to being champions of Europe but perhaps we have all been missing the elephant in the room here. Maybe it is to John Robertson that most credit should go for Forest's amazing success.
Here's a great video tribute to him...
It is shocking that he only won 28 caps for Scotland, but at least he'll be pleased to have this memory in a Scotland shirt...
Here's another tribute to the man from The Guardian - here.
And another tribute here.
Let's too, not forget his success in management with Martin O'Neill.
Just as Peter Taylor often got overlooked even though he was clearly an important partner of Brian Clough, so too, it seems, was John Robertson to Martin O'Neill.
 |
| John Robertson joins Martin O'Neill at Wycombe Wanderers |
After bringing success to Leicester the two went north to Celtic where they had a record that came close, or even bettered, that of Jock Stein before returning to England to manage Aston Villa. They didn't win any silverware but I bet Villa fans dream of the days where regularly finishing 6th in the top division was seen as frustrating.
 |
| Robbo at his last football position at Villa. |
 |
| The John Robertson Journey |
Anyway, all of this is much better described by the man himself in his autobiography, "Supertramp".
You can buy it here with a couple of clicks of the mouse.
John Robertson didn't get the credit he deserved at the time. He was never voted PFA player of the Year, nor football writer's player of the year, ever.
He was only capped 28 times for Scotland. Now, that's a disgrace, Mr Taylor!
 |
| 78 Scots have been capped more than Robbo |
We love you, John!
Thanks for the memories, Robbo!
Unbeaten League Run Continues
Forest's draw, let's not forget, kept their unbeaten league run going. Now it stood at 25.
Other Games
Liverpool's 4-0 win against Manchester City the night before had moved them up to second place in the league for the first time since September.
Meanwhile, at the bottom, Wolves' amazing turnaround in form saw them beat previously in-form Villa at home 3-1 in front of over 30,000 fans to secure their first division status and send West Ham United down to the second division.
 |
| And like West Ham, they fade and die... |
 |
| Liverpool - top of the current form league just in time to play Forest at Anfield. |
One day off and then... off to Anfield, the on-form, current league champions, European Cup holders and current finalists. It could not really have been a tougher end to the season.
The Programme
Comments
Post a Comment