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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
10 October, 1970

Robertson league debut starts legend

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1970 John Robertson makes his Forest league debut in a 3–1 win over Blackpool.

Player legacies

Senior debut
John Robertson in Amsterdam before Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980
John Robertson in Amsterdam before Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980 Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Seventeen-year-old John Robertson made his Forest league debut in a 3–1 First Division win over Blackpool at the City Ground.

This was long before he became the left-sided genius of Brian Clough’s European Cup-winning team. On the day itself, Forest’s goals came from Peter Cormack, Ronnie Rees and Barry Lyons, giving Matt Gillies’ side an important home win.

John Robertson in Amsterdam before Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980
John Robertson in Amsterdam before Forest's European Cup semi-final against Ajax in 1980 Image: Hans van Dijk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The match matters now because of the player stepping into senior league football. Robertson’s early years at Forest were not instantly spectacular, and he would later need Clough and Peter Taylor to draw out the player supporters came to adore.

What followed made this ordinary-looking league appearance feel far more meaningful. Robertson went on to become one of Forest’s greatest players, providing the cross for Trevor Francis in the 1979 European Cup final and scoring the winner himself in the 1980 final.

Sources

Sporting Heroes; The City Ground

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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