Robertson’s East Fife journey nearing end

It ISN’T what East Fife fans want to hear, but manager John Robertson yesterday confirmed that he may have to give up his work at the club after only 11 months in charge.

Considering that his tenure reached such a thrilling high-point on Tuesday night against Aberdeen at Pittodrie this is especially dismaying news for East Fife supporters. However, no-one who heard Robertson explain his reasons for contemplating his future could accuse the former Hearts player of a dereliction of duties. Robertson yesterday described his weekly commute of more than 1,200 miles from his Inverness home and illustrated the hazards involved.

On the way he has racked up a couple of milestone results. Victory against local rivals Dunfermline in the Scottish Communities League Cup last month was followed by Tuesday’s historic win over Aberdeen as the Fife club reignited an ancient love affair with the competition.

Robertson’s side edged out their Premier League opponents after a penalty shoot-out, with the game having finished 3-3 after extra time. The result could be the kick-start required by East Fife, currently bottom of the Second Division. Sadly, Robertson might not be around to see the long-term benefits of the famous result at Pittodrie. However, he wants East Fife fans to know their club will still be in capable hands whatever he decides to do. Gordon Durie, Robertson’s assistant and whose son Scott featured among the East Fife heroes on Tuesday, is being tutored by his old Scotland team-mate with an eye to taking over at the club where he started his career.

“Part of the deal in my coming to East Fife was to groom Gordon,” revealed Robertson to The Scotsman yesterday. “It’s down to Gordon. Whenever he feels comfortable, that’s when we’ll do it. We’d like it to be sooner rather than later, but whether it’s two weeks or two months, it’ll only be when Gordon feels comfortable.”

Robertson was reminded of the need for urgency recently, when he fell asleep at the wheel on the way back up the A9 after training in Methil. “It was a few weeks ago,” he said. “It was just a wee jolt, but hopefully it was a one-off. I just got out of the car and walked around for 30 minutes and got some fresh air.”

The incident mirrors the close shave experienced by Rangers skipper Davie Weir in 2007, whose own long-distance journeys to Glasgow from his Lancashire home quickly began to take their toll. He briefly fell asleep at the wheel as he travelled home in the early morning following a Champions League match against Barcelona and collided with a lorry, leaving him with a gash in his head which required stitches. Fortunately, Robertson emerged unscathed from his recent scare but it left him with much to ponder.

The manager travels down to Fife twice a week to oversee midweek training, leaving his house at 2pm and rarely returning before 1.30am, having already taken a detour to drop off Lloyd Young and Bobby Linn, two players, in Dundee. A further complication to Robertson’s life is his work commitments in Inverness with Orion Group, a recruitment agency. Robertson was appointed as business development manager at the firm shortly after leaving his last managerial post, with Derry City.

“The bosses are very co-operative,” he said. “They allow me to come in a bit later the morning after training. I couldn’t ask any more of them in that way.”

Indeed, it is possible to suggest that Robertson is the hardest-working man in Scottish football. Last night he was on duty as BBC co-commentator at the Ross County v Celtic clash in Dingwall. The thought of Robertson’s possibly imminent exit is the only thing which could cause East Fife fans to be deflated this week. The manager, who joined the club a year ago next month, has proved a popular appointment. Despite the slow start this season, recent signs have indicated an improvement in fortunes. East Fife looked very much at home at Pittodrie on Tuesday night, in front of just over 3,900 spectators. As far as Robertson is concerned, it’s a bit easier when you are playing in Aberdeen and you can “fly” home afterwards.

However, next up is this weekend’s fixture against Stenhousemuir at Ochilview. According to the AA route planner, Robertson can anticipate a round trip of 318 miles. It’s just another weekend in the lonely – and sometimes dangerous – life of a long distance football manager.