Aberdeen FC was deeply saddened to learn the news that, one of our former greats, Davie Robb has passed away.

Davie was the embodiment of the cult hero, a footballer who played the game the way the supporters would if only they were allowed off the terraces and onto the park. Robb gave everything to the game, left nothing on the pitch, but was an entertainer too, whether he had the ball at his feet, or an opponent by the scruff of the neck.

When Davie was in the team, the game was guaranteed to be fun, the game that we fell in love with as kids. Twice a cup winner, every time Davie went onto the pitch, he left an indelible impression. At time up, he had always made a contribution to the game, one way or another.

With 345 appearances and 98 goals, Davie is in the top 20 AFC appearances and goals charts.

A larger than life character, with the talent to back it up, Davie Robb will forever be an Aberdeen legend.

His career

Born in Broughty Ferry on 15 December 1947, Davie was on the Chelsea groundstaff as a youngster, but the Stamford Bridge side allowed him to return to Scotland to sign for Fife outfit Newburgh before he was snapped up by the Dons in 1965.

His displays in the reserves as a youngster won him the confidence of manager Eddie Turnbull, and in February 1967, he was given his baptism at first team level in a league fixture against Ayr at Somerset Park.

Over the next year or so, Davie was given half a dozen short spells in the first team, principally as an out and out attacker.

Rather unfairly, he was given a rough time by some among the Pittodrie support for his raw style and lack of composure in front of goal. Eddie Turnbull refused to be influenced by his detractors though and insisted that Davie was doing all that was required of him.

By the end of the 1968/69 season, playing in a deeper role, Davie had established himself as a first team regular and his all-action displays began to win over his critics. With his long red hair, he endeared himself to supporters and became a cult hero here at Pittodrie where he was affectionately nicknamed “The Brush”.

Davie more than played his part in the 1970 Scottish Cup triumph, and was a major factor in the Dons’ emergence in 1970/71 as the main threat to Celtic’s domination of the domestic scene.

By now, he was most effective in midfield where he gave no quarter, besides making the most of his strength and presence in the air. He could also always be relied on to conjure up a goal from the most unlikely of positions. You never knew what to expect when Davie imposed his personality on a game.

Scotland

With Bobby Clark re-established as an international class goalkeeper at the start of the 1970s and Jim Forrest also enjoying a recall to the full Scottish side, Scotland team manager Bobby Brown began to include some up-and-coming Pittodrie stars in his future plans.

Brown’s need to keep an eye on Clark brought other Dons players to his attention, and the 1970/71 title push underlined the quality of player we had at Pittodrie at the time.

Aberdeen’s spirited league challenge faltered as title holders Celtic claimed a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie on April 17 1971 to help them retain the flag, but for Davie, the bitter disappointment of failure had been eased a little by recognition at full international level only a few days earlier.

Bobby Brown handed Robb his first cap in a make or break European Championship clash against group leaders Portugal in Lisbon on 12 April 1971, leading to the terrace chant “We don’t need Eusebio ‘cos we’ve got Davie Robb!”

He played up front in tandem with Alan Glizean and used his aerial ability to great effect, but as the Eusebio-inspired home side threatened to over-run the Scots in the second half, Davie was pulled back into midfield.

Robb was one of the few successes in what was regarded as a poor overall performance by the Scots as they went down 2-0 to relinquish their last hopes of qualification.

Scotland boss Brown was now under severe pressure as manager, but he displayed his faith in Robb by picking him for Scotland’s next fixture a Home International against Wales on a waterlogged pitch at Cardiff on May 15, 1971.

The conditions were farcical and contributed hugely to the 0-0 scoreline, but Davie was characteristically the busiest man on the park. In the process, he unfortunately picked up a thigh knock that ruled him out for the following midweek fixture at Hampden Park against the Irish. However, he did recover in time to be selected for the Wembley fixture against the “Auld Enemy” on May 22.

Davie started the game in wide midfield and gave his usual wholehearted performance. He was chiefly remembered for being dispossessed by Francis Lee (unfairly, since he received a “hospital pass”) in the build up to England’s second goal, scored by Martin Chivers. Late in the game, Bobby Brown pushed big Davie up front after taking off the ineffective Hugh Curran, but with the English on top, it was a forlorn hope. Despite the defeat, Davie recalls this game as one of his favourite footballing moments.

On June 9, Davie lined up with team-mates Bobby Clark and Jim Forrest in the Scotland side that lost a now meaningless European Championship qualifier 1-0 in Denmark.

Five days later, he gained another cap in identical company in a Moscow friendly won by the USSR 1-0. That game proved to be Bobby Brown’s swansong as manager, and unfortunately for Davie, new boss Tommy Docherty had little faith in home based players.

Injuries

Robb continued to give his all for the Dons, but a serious knee injury, picked up in December 1972, began a nightmare run of injuries.

He returned from a cartilage operation in March 1973 but his comeback lasted barely four games before he was out again with a similar injury. The next two years of Davie’s career were blighted by injury and the 1975/76 season marked his first near injury free campaign for four years.

“The Brush” played his part in helping the Dons to avoid the drop in April 1976 and seven months later, towards the end of his Aberdeen career, Robb etched his name into club folklore when he came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 1976 League Cup final against Celtic.

League Cup Success

After defeating Rangers in the semi-final thanks to a sensational hat-trick from Jocky Scott, the Dons went on to do it the hard way by defeating the other half of the Old Firm in the final. Manager Ally MacLeod delivered on his promise to bring a trophy to Pittodrie as Willie Miller led the Dons for the first time, the beginning of a glory period for the new Aberdeen skipper.

Celtic under Jock Stein were still a formidable force but a goal from substitute Robb gave Aberdeen a 2-1 win after extra-time. It was the Dons’ first league Cup success since 1955 and the team made triumphant return a day later as they travelled through the city on an open-topped bus with around 50,000 Aberdeen citizens welcoming their heroes home.

Leaving Pittodrie

Davie’s final season at Pittodrie was played under old rival Billy McNeill in 1977/78 before he joined Tampa Bay Rowdies for £8,000 in February 1978 , joining the evolving North American Soccer League. After a brief spell with Norwich, Robb returned Stateside and played with Philadelphia, Vancouver and Tulsa.

Thereafter, Davie moved to Norway, courtesy of his oil related employment, and then returned to the North-east to life in Aboyne and then Banchory.

Eddie’s Influence

“Davie fully deserved his call up. He has been a real driving force in the team this year and one of the reasons why we have been top of the table for so long.”

The words of former Aberdeen boss Eddie Turnbull after learning that Davie Robb had been called into the Scotland set up for the 1971 Home International Championships.

Robb was one of Turnbull’s first signings when he joined Aberdeen in 1965.

It’s fair to say that Turnbull saw a lot of himself in Robb.

The Aberdeen manager was part of the renowned Hibernian forward line of the 1950s and was known for “sorting a few things out” when the going got tough. Robb reflected that in Turnbull’s evolving team; a modern‐day enforcer.

Back in 2014, Robb recalled some of his career: “As a kid I was a sorter‐outer. If one of the opposition was kicking our guys, I dealt with it. This continued at Aberdeen where Joseph Harper – I never called him Joe – would run to me with a message about the No 8 or whoever.

“I’d ask Mr Turnbull, “How come I get a game?” He said, “Because you’re me.” In the great Hibs team of the Famous Five, he was the hard man. He told me he once smacked a spectator who was shouting at him. I did the same thing at Pittodrie!”

Davie was only sent off once, a dismissal he blamed on John Greig. “Greig was scared of me. Mr Turnbull had told me, “If those Rangers players ever thump you, get up and laugh in their face.” The first time I did that to Greig he said, “Christ, what do they feed you on – raw meat?””

Davie always listed Eddie as the biggest influence on his career. Both helped contribute to some of the club’s greatest ever moments.

Honours;

Scottish Cup Winner 1970, Scottish League Cup Winner 1976

Scotland Caps; 5 (USSR, Denmark, England, Wales, Portugal 1971)

Aberdeen Career; 1966-1978

Aberdeen Appearances; 345

Aberdeen Goals; 98

AFC Shirt Worn; 8

Born: 15th December 1947; Died: 8th July 2022