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26 Dec 25
10:12
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Date Joined:
06 Dec 03
Sad to see that he has died. Over time you can start to forget how good some players were in the past. He was one of the very best in that category.
After offering some odds on the football matches today I went onto the BBC i-player site to pass some time. I was intending trying to find something in their currently available music archive to play which I often do. However, it was here that I found a series about past iconic footballers. I just had to watch the one about John Robertson which I have thoroughly enjoyed watching. I had never seen it before so it was very good that I had found it and was able to watch it.
If you've not seen it before you might enjoy watching it. If you had seen it before it might be worth another look. It has to be much better than a lot of the absolute dross put out on TV over this festive period.
After offering some odds on the football matches today I went onto the BBC i-player site to pass some time. I was intending trying to find something in their currently available music archive to play which I often do. However, it was here that I found a series about past iconic footballers. I just had to watch the one about John Robertson which I have thoroughly enjoyed watching. I had never seen it before so it was very good that I had found it and was able to watch it.
If you've not seen it before you might enjoy watching it. If you had seen it before it might be worth another look. It has to be much better than a lot of the absolute dross put out on TV over this festive period.
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Yep, a terrific tribute to the man, made a few years ago in a series of six by BBC Scotland. Others were Joe Jordan, John Greig and Willie Miller.
I remember in Argentina 78 John went but didn't get selected until the second game v Iran.
Fair to say Ally McCleod didn't have much of a clue as to how to deploy him.
I seem to recall a few long balls fired in his direction which flew into touch.
Speed was not really him tho his burst of foot-speed over the first couple of yards was what he was all about.
And that was it..
The great Robbo world cup experiment of 1978 was over. Ally went with a fluid 5 man midfield for the Dutch game, which outside of Northern Ireland's adventure in Spain is probably the greatest world cup performance by any British side, outside the British Isles.
Robbo was the sort of player you could build a team around. Just pick him and tell everyone else to give him the ball.
A mercurial talent.
British football has a long history of ignoring such players. International managers preferring the more reliable water carriers.
Jack Grealish springs to mind.
Fair to say Ally McCleod didn't have much of a clue as to how to deploy him.
I seem to recall a few long balls fired in his direction which flew into touch.
Speed was not really him tho his burst of foot-speed over the first couple of yards was what he was all about.
And that was it..
The great Robbo world cup experiment of 1978 was over. Ally went with a fluid 5 man midfield for the Dutch game, which outside of Northern Ireland's adventure in Spain is probably the greatest world cup performance by any British side, outside the British Isles.
Robbo was the sort of player you could build a team around. Just pick him and tell everyone else to give him the ball.
A mercurial talent.
British football has a long history of ignoring such players. International managers preferring the more reliable water carriers.
Jack Grealish springs to mind.
Ally made several questionable selections for the ‘78 Fnals. Firstly he took an unfit Gordon McQueen, for reasons he never divulged, who never kicked a ball at all. He had Rioch as captain in game 1, Gemmill in game 2 and Rioch again in game 3? He didn’t play Souness at all until game 3 and didn’t play Scotland’s top scorer of the season, Derek Johnstone, at all. Instead, when he took Dalglish off against Iran he brought n Joe Haroer who didn’t get a touch. And, sadly, he chose Don Masson to take the penalties. 
. His research on the opposition was non-existent. And, as you rightly pointed out, he only played Robertson once.
I never ever got to the bottom of it but the home international match at Hampden against England ( lost 0-1 ) was late to kick off and saw Hartford enter the pitch with a freshly bandaged wrist. Rumours circulated that he and Derek Johnstone had a fight in the dressing room pre-match where Hartford had been injured - cut wrist. Nothing was ever confirmed.
. His research on the opposition was non-existent. And, as you rightly pointed out, he only played Robertson once.I never ever got to the bottom of it but the home international match at Hampden against England ( lost 0-1 ) was late to kick off and saw Hartford enter the pitch with a freshly bandaged wrist. Rumours circulated that he and Derek Johnstone had a fight in the dressing room pre-match where Hartford had been injured - cut wrist. Nothing was ever confirmed.
What struck me was the pitches and comparing it to Old Trafford today. One game in Europe featured, was played in three inches of snow 
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