John Robertson, the Nottingham Forest and Scotland legend, has died at the age of 72. Robertson was a hugely important part of the great Forest team that under Brian Clough rose from the second tier of English football to win multiple major honours, most famously back-to-back European Cups.
Robertson assisted the decisive goal in the first triumph and scored the decisive goal in the second, contributions that mark him out as one of the most remarkable players in British football history. For his country he earned 28 caps, most notably scoring the winning goal in a Home Championship victory over England at Wembley in May 1981.
Forest said in a statement: “We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Nottingham Forest legend and dear friend, John Robertson. A true great of our club and a double European Cup winner, John’s unrivalled talent, humility and unwavering devotion to Nottingham Forest will never ever be forgotten. Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends and all who loved him. Rest in peace, Robbo … Our greatest.”
Born in Uddingston, Lanarkshire in January 1953, Robertson played for Drumchapel Amateur FC prior to joining Forest in May 1970. A winger, he initially struggled to make an impact at the City Ground, mainly due to a lack of professionalism characterised by a love of drinking, smoking and eating fried food. His career appear to be going nowhere until a showdown meeting with Clough’s assistant, Peter Taylor, in the summer of 1976. Taylor told Robertson in the starkest of terms that he either changed his ways or he would be kicked out of the club immediately.
Robertson knuckled down and while he didn’t entirely clean up his off-the-pitch habits, he did so enough to allow his talents to shine. Two-footed, skilful, imaginative and hard-working, he became a fundamental part of the Forest team that went on a truly incredibly journey under a truly incredibly manager.
Under Clough, Forest won the First Division title in 1978, a year after being promoted to the top tier. In that same season they also won the League Cup, a trophy they retained the following season when they also won the first of their two European Cups, beating Malmo at the Olympic Stadium in Munich thanks to a Trevor Francis header that resulted from Robertson’s driving run and cross from the left wing.
It was from the same flank that Robertson made the telling contribution in the following year’s final, drifting in from the left before hitting a low, skidding shot from the edge of the area that sealed Forest’s win over Hamburg at the Bernabéuin the process making them the first, and still only, British team to retain European football’s most glittering prize.
Robertson made 386 appearances for Forest, scoring 61 goals, with his most telling including the penalty against Liverpool that sealed the ‘78 League Cup. He joined Derby in 1983 before returning to Forest two years later when he remained for 12 months before a move down the divisions and, eventually, retiring. There then came a hugely successful spell in coaching, including five years as assistant to former Forest teammate Martin O’Neill at Celtic during which time the Glasgow giants won three league titles and reached the final of the Uefa Cup.
For Scotland, Robertson appeared at two World Cups, scoring in a 5-2 victory over New Zealand at the 1982 finals in Spain. It will, however, be for his first spell at Forest that he is best remembered.
Clough was not always nice about a player who, by his own admission, was not the most striking of athletes, describing him as “scruffy and unfit” and “a very unattractive young man”, but he was also in no doubt of his importance to his team. Asked on 27 May 1980, prior to the following day’s European Cup final, how Forest would deal with Hamburg’s Manny Kaltz, then considered to be one of the best right-backs in the world, Clough replied: “We have got a little fat guy who will turn him inside out.” He was proven right.
