John Robson (footballer)
John Robson Dixon ( born July 15, 1950 in Consett, † 12 May, 2004 Sutton Coldfield ) was an English footballer. As a full-back, which was occasionally used in the midfield, he won in 1972 with Derby County the English Championship and the mid -1970s, with Aston Villa two League Cup editions (1975, 1977) before it in after a MS disease career age had to finish by just 28 years.
Sports career
Derby County (1967-1972)
While Robson aground in his native north-east England in adolescence as a football player for the Birtley Community Centre Youth Club, he was Peter Taylor - Kotrainer, talent scout and right hand of head coach Brian Clough at Derby County - on. Taylor piloted the talent in September 1967 in the newly established team and paid the 17 -year-old with a full time contract from. On March 2, 1968 Robson graduated against Ipswich Town ( 2:3 ) his second league debut for the " Rams" and at the last of four appearances in the 1967/68 season he scored on the last match against Blackpool FC (1:3), the first competitive goal.
With the commitment of the experienced Dave Mackay for season 1968/69 the management team of Clough -Taylor brought stability in the defense network, which also benefited Robson. Mackay made henceforth with Roy McFarland a secure central defense and Robson dodged to the left-back position, where he became a regular player. He did not miss a single one of the 42 league games of the season and after only five defeats Derby County was promoted to the first division. Robson's playing style distinguished itself through consistency and reliability, not by single combat hardness. The sporty performance was also in the English top flight and rapidly on the way to surprising fourth place in the season 1969/70 he helped the team to a few notable successes, including a 5-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur. After a good start to the following season 1970/71 a bad phase in the fall of 1971 prevented a better result than a mid-table and Robson lost to the obligation of Colin Todd briefly his place in the team. Only when Mackay left the club in the summer of 1971, Todd became his successor in the middle on the side of McFarland, Robson got back his left-back role. This conversion paid off in the end and with only 33 goals conceded was the defense with a guarantee that in 1972, the English championship could be retracted. Robson had contributed two goals in 41 league games and this against Nottingham Forest (2-0 ) and Coventry City (1-0 ).
After a poor start to the 1972/73 season, Clough felt compelled to be active in the transfer market. However, his attention fell on David Nish from Leicester City, he loseiste for the then British record fee of 225,000 pounds. This transported over left-back Robson, who was, after all become in the English U- 23 side to a fixed size, quickly sidelined. Already in December 1972 was Derby County Robson draw for 90,000 pounds to the second division club Aston Villa after the eligibility for the European Champions Cup was issued for Nish.
Aston Villa (1972-1978)
In the trained by Vic Crowe "Villans " Robson was immediately an integral part of the team, although now mostly used on the right side of defense. In the following 1973/74 season supplanted him of aspiring John Gidman from his post and with just twelve league operations he came only very sporadically in the midfield to use. Under Crowe's successor Ron Saunders Robson captured the regular place back in the team. In the promotion season 1974/75 he operated initially in the midfield and when Gidman in November 1974 a serious eye injury drew upon ( due to an accident in dealing with fireworks ), he moved back to the right-back position. On March 1, 1975 Robson also won a playoff victory against Norwich City ( 1-0) League Cup.
The cup success he repeated two years later when he and his team after two repeat -finals against Everton (0:0, 1:1, 3:2 ) prevailed. At the end of this period was return Robson mostly dodged after the departure of master left-back Charlie Aitken and Gidmans on the left side. In his last season 1977/78 he completed only four competitive games before he had to end his professional career at the age of only 28 years. This was due to a disease in multiple sclerosis.
After the football
After his playing career, Robson operational some time a newspaper shop in Erdington, before he gave up this activity by increasing physical problems again. The abrupt end of football career took off financially very negative effect and the revenue from a dedicated to him from Aston Villa charity match ( " Testimonial Match" ) in October 1978 did not hold for long.
At the age of 53 years he finally died almost penniless in a hospice in Sutton Coldfield on 12 May 2004.
Title / Awards
- English Championship ( 1): 1972
- English League Cup ( 2): 1975, 1977
- Texaco Cup ( 1): 1972
- Watney Cup ( 1): 1970