John Tait Robertson

Early career

Robertson began his career at Morton, and moved to Everton in 1895. He spent his first two seasons at Everton in the combination team, and made his first team debut in September 1897, against Wolves. Robertson then spent a single season at Southampton in 1898–99, winning the Southern League.

Rangers

Following his success in Southampton, he returned to Scotland and won three consecutive Scottish Football League championships at Rangers in his first three seasons, plus a Scottish Cup in the fourth; his last of 178 appearances for the club in all competitions was a play-off for the 1904–05 Scottish Division One title, when he scored but Rangers still lost to Celtic.

Chelsea

On 23 March 1905, Robertson was the first player to be signed by the newly formed Chelsea Football Club for the role of manager, but continued to play as well (he was 28 years old at the time). It was Robertson who scored Chelsea's first competitive goal, in a 1–0 win at Blackpool on 9 September 1905. In his first season, he led the club to a third-place finish in the Second Division, narrowly missing out on promotion after a dramatic late season collapse in which the side failed to win any of its last five league matches. A virtual ever-present that season, Robertson played 35 matches and scored 7 goals. In Robertson's second season at the club, he signed future club legend George Hilsdon on a free transfer, who scored five goals in the opening match of the season,…

Robertson made his debut for Scotland on 2 April 1898 while at Everton, in a 3–1 home defeat to England in the Home Nations Championship. His second cap came on 8 April of the following year, while at Southampton. All of his 14 remaining caps came during his spell at Rangers. He captained the Scots in his fourth match, as they beat England 4–1 at home on 7 April 1900. His first goal came in his sixth match, on 2 March 1901, in a 1–1 draw with Wales, again as captain. Robertson was Scotland's captain in five matches, and scored two more goals, both against Wales. The last was in his last international on 6 March 1905, in a 3–1 away defeat in Wrexham.

Player

Southampton

Southern League championship: 1898–99 Rangers

Scottish First Division: 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1901–02 Scottish Cup: 1903 Runner-up: 1904, 1905

Manager

MTK Budapest

Magyar Kupa: 1911–12