Skip to main content
Loading…

Chamber and committees

A Tribute to the Life of John Robertson

  • Submitted by: Stephanie Callaghan, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
  • Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
  • Motion type: Standard Motion
  • Motion reference: S6M-20817

That the Parliament pays tribute to the life of John Robertson, who was a Scottish professional footballer from Viewpark; acknowledges his distinguished career, having been signed by Nottingham Forest at the age of 15 and remaining with the club until his retirement in 1986, with a brief spell at Derby County; recognises his outstanding achievements, which included seven major honours, notably the English First Division championship, two English League Cups and two European Cups; applauds his legacy and contribution to Scottish football, which included earning 28 Scotland caps, scoring eight goals and proudly representing his country at the 1978 and 1982 FIFA World Cups, and, by his own account, his personal highlight of scoring the winning penalty against England at Wembley in 1981; acknowledges defining moments in his career for Nottingham Forest, including assisting with the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup Final against Malmö and scoring the winning goal in the 1980 final against Hamburg; recognises his contribution to Scottish football following his playing career as assistant manager to Martin O’Neill during a highly successful five-year period at Celtic; notes that, in 2015, he was deservedly recognised and named by Nottingham Forest supporters as the club’s greatest-ever player; notes with sadness that John was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and passed away on Christmas Day 2025, surrounded by his wife, Sharyl, and his two sons and extends sincerest condolences to all of his family and friends, and believes that John's life and career exemplified the fulfilment of a childhood dream and left a lasting legacy that brought pride to Viewpark, Scotland and football supporters worldwide.


Supported by: Colin Beattie, Neil Bibby, Miles Briggs, Bob Doris, Annabelle Ewing, Murdo Fraser, Jamie Hepburn, Bill Kidd, Monica Lennon, Liam McArthur, Alexander Stewart, Kevin Stewart