The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
RIP Tommy Robson, a legend, an entertainer
Posh manager Darren Ferguson dedicated his side’s derby victory at NorthamptonTown last weekend to the late, great Tommy Robson, writes Alan
Robson, who made more than550appearancesforPosh after starting his professional career with Northampton, passed away 48 hours before the League One fixture at Sixfields.
Theclubspaidanemotional tribute to Robson (76) before the game with a minute’s silence and the placing of two shirts, one Posh and one Northampton, bearing the left winger’s name and the number 11, at opposite ends of the ground.
Poshwonthegame2-0and Ferguson opened his postmatch press conference with some more heartfelt words about a ‘lovely, man’ he had grownto knowwellduringhis own three managerial spells at London Road.
“Winning the derby was a great way to end a difficult week for the club,” Ferguson said. “We dedicate the win to Tommy and the fans who couldn’t be here today.
“ThetributetoTommywas very well organised by Northampton and we’ll look to do something similar for our home game next week.
“It’s absolutelyfittingwedo that as Tommy was a legend, a really good player and a lovely man.
“We spoke about winning the three points for Tommy and we are delighted we achieved it. He was one of the nicest people you could ever meet.”
Robson was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in September, 2019.
It was devastating news for an active man who prided himself on his fitness, but he initially boreit withpositivity, determination and with typical good humour.
“The news set me back a bit,” Robson stated. “There is no cure, but my attitude was like when I was playing and the managercomingupto me andsaying: ‘You’ll never score another goal.’ But you think, well, I will!
“As soon as the consultant told me the bad news I thought: ‘Yeah, we’ll see about that.’ I wasn’t going to give up, I’ve hadillnesses before, longterm ones, and managed to cope and get through them.
“I’ll keep the smile on my face and do my best for people.”
And he did. He still attended his regular duties at Posh home games which involved showing fans and sponsors around the stadium and
would inevitably end with Robson dipping into his huge bag of cracking tales from his days at Northampton, Chelsea and Newcastle United, as well as Posh.
Robson loved people and helovedtoentertain. Thepeople lovedhimbackwithoutexception.
That’swhyhissuddenpassing in hospital on a Thursday afternoon provoked a flurry of tributes fromformer teammates – he was player of the season in the last Posh team to win a title, the Fourth Division championsof1973-74- recent andcurrent Poshplayers andtheclub’sfanbase, someof whom hadn’t even seen him play, but respected his record andadmiredthestoriesabout an eternally happy man.
TommywasborninGateshead on July 31, 1944. He always spoke with a Geordie twang, but he considered Peterborough to be his home.
Helived here for over 50 years and worked with dedication as a sales manager for a local newspaper, as a driver for a city garage, as a match summariser for local radio and, naturally, in various roles at Posh, including youth team manager.
The recent award of the Freedom of Peterborough was a thrill for Tommy. It was bestowed earlier this year in a virtual ceremony and pride still pumped through Tommy’s body. It was as big a momentfor himasbecomingthe first inductee to the Posh Hall of Fame in 2008.
Tommy left school at 15 to work as a garage mechanic. His beloved Newcastle United had already told him he would never make the grade as a professional footballer, butwithinayearhehadjoined Northampton Town and in 1961 the Cobblers took him on as a pro.
After assisting Cobblers’ spectacular rise from Fourth Division to First Division he wassoldtoChelseawithmanager Tommy Docherty sanctioning a £ 35k transfer, a considerable sum back then.
Tommy’stop-flight career wasinterrupted first byabad case of jaundice and then, after a dream move to Newcastle in 1966, a freak gardening accident which left him with a broken foot.
Tommy signed for a Posh team just demoted to the Fourth Division as he was
convinced they would rise straight back up. It actually took six years with Tommy among many players galavanised by the arrival of charismatic Noel Cantwell as manager.
A second Posh player-ofthe-year prize arrived in the 1977-78ThirdDivisionseason when Posh were denied promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in the club’s history by goal difference despite Tommy’s personal best haul of 14 goals in a season.
Withinhoursofthebreakingnews aboutRobson’spassing, social media was awash with tributes fromPoshplayers who been beguiled by the a bubbly character’s natural friendliness.
Long-serving Poshwinger David Farrell wrote: ‘one of thenicestmenIhaveevermet in life. We used to chat often about the game and stuff and it felt like we were in a ‘wingers union.’ ‘
Double Posh promotion winner spoke of ‘a man who could light up
any room’ and who told ‘stories to keep the boys laughing for hours’, while another club legend Craig MackailSmith added simply: ‘Tommy was one of the great guys in football.’
Posh co-owner Darragh MacAnthony describedRobson as the ‘heartbeat of the football club’ and the club’s director of football Barry Fry was full of praise for one of ‘life’s great entertainers.’
In the last interview Robson conducted with the Peterborough Telegraph he thanked the club and Fry in particular for keeping in touch during lockdown.
Fry added: “Every time we spoke, all hewantedtodowas to getbacktothePoshandsee everybody.
“He is what I would describe as an ‘entertainer’, both as a player and what he was like off the pitch.
“Tommy was a wizard of the dribble who gave 150% in every match he played and our match sponsors loved his banter and stories before matches.“