“Rarely could there have been a more unlikely looking professional athlete,” Clough wrote in his autobiography of his first impression of Robertson. “A scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time.”
But, wrote Clough, “something told me he was worth persevering with”.
Clough put Robertson on the left wing, where he thrived as the club gained promotion to the English top flight in 1977, immediately won the league and then two European Cups.
Robertson, said Clough, turned into “one of the finest deliverers of a football I have ever seen, as fine as the Brazilians or the Italians”.
“Give him a ball and a yard of grass, and he was an artist, the Picasso of our game.”
Robertson was also an assistant manager with Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.
In a statement, Robertson’s family said, “It is with immense pain and sadness that we announce the passing of our wonderful husband, dad and grandad.
“John passed away peacefully on Christmas morning with his wife and family by his side, after a long illness. Our only comfort in grief is that his struggles are now over, and he is reunited with daughter Jessica.”
The Premier League club described Robertson as “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 be forgotten.
“Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends, and all who loved him.
“Rest in peace, Robbo... our greatest.”
Additional reporting from AFP.
Nathan Limm has been a journalist with Newstalk ZB and the NZ Herald since 2020. He covered the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, hosts The Big League Podcast and commentates rugby and netball for Gold Sport.
