Obituary: Former Halifax Town footballer Lammie Robertson dies aged 76

Christened Archibald Lamond but known throughout football as ‘Lammie’, Robertson was born in Paisley in September 1947 with football in his genes with his maternal grandfather having played for Sunderland before the war.

Robertson was one of several budding footballers at Camphill Senior Secondary School, the side being runners-up in the Scottish Schools Junior Shield in 1961, and winners of the Intermediate Shield the following year.

His progress in football took him to junior Scottish side Benburb FC, based in Govan, Glasgow, Drumchapel Amateurs and Eastercraigs, from where, at the age of 19 in 1966, he was signed by Burnley.

The Turf Moor outfit had a reputation for developing their own players but he moved to Bury without breaking into the Burnley senior side.

Robertson made his debut as a substitute in a League Cup tie against Stockport County on 13 August 1968, but without cementing a place in the side, had impressed Alan Ball Snr enough.

Viewed by the Halifax Town boss as the last piece of the jigsaw in Halifax Town’s successful promotion drive in 1968-69, Robertson was signed initially on loan before making the switch permanent once the player had demonstrated his worth to the side, and featured in 17 league games as Town finished runners-up.

As artistic a player as Halifax Town had known, Robertson could play the telling pass as well as show a meanness in the tackle, backing up his midfield duties with goals, scoring the first of 24 for the club in a 2-0 defeat of his former club on 4 October 1969 in a Third Division fixture.

Robertson missed only two games of Town’s first season back in the third tier and was an important member of the side under George Kirby in 1970-71 when Halifax Town finished third at a time when only two sides were promoted.

Robertson pitted his wits against George Best and company when Manchester United were defeated 2-1 at The Shay in a Watney Cup tie in July 1971, and later served under both Ray Henderson and George Mulhall.

It was a 5-0 home defeat by Brighton, and Robertson’s reaction to it, which left a lasting impression on Seagulls manager Pat Seward – Robertson allegedly punched a hole in the dressing room door in frustration – enough for Seward to move to sign the player in December 1972, and Robertson left for the Goldstone Ground in a deal which brought Willie Irvine to The Shay.

It was a move which dismayed the Town fans, for Robertson was so highly valued, but he left having made 167 appearances for the club.

With Brighton, Robertson established himself as first-team regular, though his record of eight goals in 49 games doesn’t really do him justice for he was playing in a struggling side.

But he became a fans’ favourite as he created plenty of opportunities for those around him with his clever, brave, uncompromising hold-up play.

Soon enough, however, Robertson found himself playing under Brian Clough, though one of Clough’s last acts before making the ill-fated move to Leeds United as manager was to sell Robertson and team mate John Templeman to Exeter, with Fred Binney moving in the opposite direction.

With the Grecians, Robertson was regarded as one of the finest ball and creative players to have worn the City shirt, though he also had his fair share of run-ins with the referee.

He went on to make 133 league appearances for the club and missed only two games of their successful Fourth Division promotion campaign in 1976-77, contributing nine goals.

He also enjoyed a stint in the NASL with Chicago Sting and it was only a spell with Leicester City which blotted his copybook – the Filberts were relegated under Frank McLintock in 1977-78 – and after being one of the leading lights of a struggling Peterborough side, Robertson returned to Yorkshire to play once more for George Mulhall at Bradford City, appearing in over half the side’s games in 1979-80 as the Bantams agonisingly missed out on promotion from the Fourth Division, and it was ironic that his last goal for the club proved decisive as City won a West Riding Senior Cup tie against Halifax Town at The Shay on 19 February 1980.

Ironic, too, was that his last league appearance was as an emergency right-back against the Shaymen in a goalless draw a year later.

Robertson later moved into non-league management with Northwich Victoria and Darwen, before becoming an independent financial advisor whilst scouting for Sheffield United.

He was an occasional visitor to The Shay and last enjoyed a nostalgic return in September 2021 as part of a reunion of the players who helped defeat Manchester United fifty years earlier. Robertson died in hospital after battling illness.