Changing Room Chat: Capital Heroes: John Robertson

THE ‘Hammer of Hibs’ needs no introduction to either side of the capital divide.

With 27 goals for Hearts in Edinburgh derbies, John Robertson’s moniker is as apt as they come. Yet it could have been so different. It’s well documented that as a schoolboy Robertson was poised to join Hibs only for the move to fall through after he was refused time to think the deal over. In stepped Hearts and Hibs’ loss was the Jambos’ gain. Over two prolific spells at Tynecastle between 1981-88 and 1988-98 the goals flowed for Robertson, with the diminutive forward’s 214 league strikes still a club record. A brief sojourn at Newcastle in 1988 failed to bring success but he picked up where he left off when he returned to Hearts later that year, finally landing silverware in 1998 when the club won the Scottish Cup. A six-month stint as manager at Tynecastle in 2004-05 was less successful, but ‘Robbo’ retains legendary status in Gorgie as arguably the finest striker ever to don the maroon jersey.