John Robertson, a star performer for Nottingham Forest and a Scotland legend who was a hugely important part of the great Forest team under Brian Clough, has died at the age of 72. He had been suffering from a long illness and died peacefully at home on Christmas morning, with his family by his side.
Robertson is survived by his wife, Sharyl; daughter Liz; sons Andrew and Mark; and granddaughters Jess and Phoebe.
Robertson, who rose from the second tier of English football to become a star player, went on to win multiple major honours, guiding Nottingham Forest to back-to-back European Cup triumphs.
“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 be forgotten.
“Our thoughts are with John’s family, friends, and all who loved him.
“Rest in peace, Robbo… our greatest,” Forest said in a statement on Thursday.
Robertson played for Nottingham Forest from 1970 to 1983, before joining Derby County from 1983 to 1985, and then returned to Forest once again for the 1985–86 season.
Nicknamed ‘Robbo’, he represented Scotland on 28 occasions, scoring eight goals, including the winning goal against England in 1981 and another against New Zealand at the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
In a statement, Robertson’s family said: “John passed away peacefully on Christmas morning with his wife and family by his side after a long illness. Our only comfort in our grief is that his struggles are now over and he is reunited with his daughter Jessica. ‘Robbo’ was treasured by many as a footballing hero, but to us, he was just John and dad — the family man — kind, loving, witty, fun and loyal. Although our hearts are breaking, we will always be grateful for the years we were privileged to share with him and the amazing memories.”
After ending his playing career, Robertson moved into coaching, acting as an assistant to his former Nottingham Forest teammate Martin O’Neill at Wycombe Wanderers, Norwich City, Leicester City, Celtic and Aston Villa.
(IANS)
