John Robertson, great Forest winger, Rest in Peace

The Great man himself recalls THE moment his career was transformed....

Robertson was a heavy smoker,and a boozer,in and out of the forest 1st team before Clough and Taylor turned up he was often to be found in a cafe,nearby the city ground,West bridgford, eating his lunch,smoking ciggies, overweight.........That stopped in an instant. There are many many things to be said about Brian Clough,good and bad.....but the way he spotted the true talent and brought out the creative genius of John Robertson is perhaps the most outstanding achievement of his managerial career. No player was more important to Forests success at the time,possibly Peter Shilton...but he cost a world record transfer fee for a goal keeper at the time..Robbo cost nowt.
 
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melrose40yarder said:
I Remember the documentary about Forest,I believe in miracles.
Martin Oneil was told by Clough to give the ball to John because he is better than you.He said you get it pass to John and he will do the rest and the thing is you can imagine Cloughie saying it.Rip John fantastic player.
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It twas often said that Brian Clough wasn't heavy on the tactical side." Just give the ball to Robertson ".I've heard that many a time over the years from ex players..etc

I can remember when either Asa Hartford or Gary Megson joined Forest( both short lived forest career's) in a friendly game the midfielder had a crack at goal from distance. Clough immediately subbed said player off. "Your job isn't to shoot from there....you get the ball and give it to John Robertson!"

Wow betide any player who didn't follow Cloughs orders.
 
Mad Eyed Screamer said:
Don’t forget Ian Bowyer……

Robertson defied logic. He looked hefty, overweight but wow could he get to that byline and deliver a cross to perfection.
I guess City fans can pay their respects on Saturday and I’ll be in front of the TV applauding.

City signed Rick Holden with the same build but it didn’t quite follow suit…..
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I liked Ricky Holden, a left winger who didn't rely on pace,but close control and the ability to cross a ball very well.

Blues laugh at Holden..but he played at City under maybe not the best football coach....and when you take off the blue tinted specs...
And look at the man's career..he was the mainstay of an Oldham Athletic attack which was one of the most dangerous in the country in the top league.....he set up goal after goal slinging in high dangerous crosses from the left dead ball line to the far post......City 1 Oldham4 at Maine Road is an example( altho 2nd div at the time),Roger Palmer feeding off those crosses..Holden did what he did very effectively,and by the time he reached City,perhaps under better management.... perhaps could have achieved more ?
He was consistently good at Oldham for years and years,at a time when they were a better team than us...
 
dennishasdoneit said:
I liked Ricky Holden, a left winger who didn't rely on pace,but close control and the ability to cross a ball very well.

Blues laugh at Holden..but he played at City under maybe not the best football coach....and when you take off the blue tinted specs...
And look at the man's career..he was the mainstay of an Oldham Athletic attack which was one of the most dangerous in the country in the top league.....he set up goal after goal slinging in high dangerous crosses from the left dead ball line to the far post......City 1 Oldham4 at Maine Road is an example( altho 2nd div at the time),Roger Palmer feeding off those crosses..Holden did what he did very effectively,and by the time he reached City,perhaps under better management.... perhaps could have achieved more ?
He was consistently good at Oldham for years and years,at a time when they were a better team than us...
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The worst player ever to wear the shirt in the top flight. Though Sun Jihai runs him close
You need psychiatric assistance if you believe that scruffy shit slow tramp Holden, with his shit clothes and haircut, was anything other than a disaster for this club
Obviously a WUM
 
jimharri said:
You wouldn't take liberties with either of them. Or, indeed, quite a few in that team.
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Which brings me to my next point..Clough the legend was all about playing football the right way.....while Leeds were just dirty.

The truth is Cloughs teams were as hard as nails.

Look at footage of forest away at arsenal when they first came up.Kenny Burns headbutted Richie Powling a young arsenal defender as players jostled in the wall for a free kick.
Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns took no prisoners...( Dave needham only got a game when the other two were injured or suspended)
Peter Withe could handle himself and John Mcgovern was a hard ,but fair tackler in central midfield the block tackle was his favorite and he relished the battle in deep centre midfield.aided and abbeted by the tenacious Archie Gemmil...moving forward you have Roy Keane and Stuart Pearce...both hard men ,who could play football.

I'm not disputing Leeds were dirty..I am saying Cloughs teams,contrary to popular belief....over the years..were no angels..

What made Clough.imo a higher level manager of tough teams
Was that he always instructed his players never to argue with the referee......that's not something that Don Revie would ever say.
 
LongsightM13 said:
The worst player ever to wear the shirt in the top flight. Though Sun Jihai runs him close
You need psychiatric assistance if you believe that scruffy shit slow tramp Holden, with his shit clothes and haircut, was anything other than a disaster for this club
Obviously a WUM
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Ask Oldham fans about Holden.
They were a better team than us for a few years.
And what's a players dress style got to do with anything ffs!
 
LongsightM13 said:
The worst player ever to wear the shirt in the top flight. Though Sun Jihai runs him close
You need psychiatric assistance if you believe that scruffy shit slow tramp Holden, with his shit clothes and haircut, was anything other than a disaster for this club
Obviously a WUM
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Just re- reading your short sighted ( and somewhat rude ..) post.

That's how many a football fan would have viewed the Great Left winger John Robertson before Clough turned up.....

Give your head a wobble....Holden played his part in a City team finishing 5th on the top league,creating quite a few goals for Niall Quinn. It's all about opinions ,but no need to call me a wum pal.
Calm down.
Happy New Year!
 
bennyboy said:
Think it is George Wood ex East Stirlingshire keeper.
Is that Rough behind Asa.
The woman at the end has the same type of gear on as the the other lady next to Asa.
Fairground Attraction were big late 80's.
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Yeah it's George Wood,former Everton FC keeper.
I didn't know played for East Stirlingshire.
 
dennishasdoneit said:
Yeah it's George Wood,former Everton FC keeper.
I didn't know played for East Stirlingshire.
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Yes he played for them for one season before signing for Blackpool.
I was at a game when he scored a goal from his own penalty box.
A great memory for me as i was still in primary school at the time.

George Wood (footballer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
 
bennyboy said:
Yes he played for them for one season before signing for Blackpool.
I was at a game when he scored a goal from his own penalty box.
A great memory for me as i was still in primary school at the time.

George Wood (footballer) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
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Yeah I knew about Blackpool.
Seems as tho he slowly but steadily made his way south from his beloved Scotland.to further his professional career....perhaps reluctantly...
I knew he was a safe pair of hands in a half decent Everton side under Gordon Lee who I think was boss when Big Bob Latchford got 30 odd goals in one season,top scorer in England.
 
cp64 said:
Forest are renaming the Bridgford End after the great man this weekend. Just a pity it has been done after his death.
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I've got a lot of Respect for John Robertson.,who was basically a magician .a wizard ( black sabbath ) with the ball at his feet.
It's ironic, for me ,in any event,that the bridgford end is going to be named after Robbo....that was the terrace where I stood in 1980!,and saw City for the first time ever live.my first ever football match live

I was buzzing. Never forget the thrill of my first football match.
Robbo played.Forest won 4nil and I stood in the ' away ' end as a teenager....having no clue about footy violence or home turf....I was just excited at seeing Big Joe Corrigan ,Ray ranson,Mick doyle etc.in real life. Feb 1980.

Trevor Francis ( RIP ) scored a hate trick that day,very sharp finishing ,sprinting away from a badly drilled city offside trap,time and again.....not a great way to start watching City.
 
I think that 4-0 defeat was my first away game, they battered us in the sunshine from what I can remember. John Robertson didn’t look like a footballer but he was a great player.
 
Chak19 said:
Yeah Clough did it with Derby too, it was much more common in those days to win titles with "small" clubs, his big rival Revie did something similar with Leeds, they were a nothing club before his arrival despite playing in a pretty large area.
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Not sure if Ferguson's got a statue at Aberdeen (and I don't care to look it up), but Clough is the only manager in England to have a statue outside two grounds, in two different cities. Two clubs, furthermore, who on and off consider each other to be rivals (when they're in the same division).
 
Lovebitesandeveryfing said:
Not sure if Ferguson's got a statue at Aberdeen (and I don't care to look it up), but Clough is the only manager in England to have a statue outside two grounds, in two different cities. Two clubs, furthermore, who on and off consider each other to be rivals (when they're in the same division).
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And their games against each other are now known as the Brian Clough derby.
 
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