Peterborough United’s last title-winning captain pays tribute to the late, great Tommy Robson

A city and a football club have been grieving since Robson passed away yesterday (October 8), including Cozens who skippered the 1973-74 Fourth Division title-winning side, which included a dazzling left-winger who won the fans’ player-of-the-season vote.

Centr forward Cozens (74), who still lives in Peterborough, said: “It’s such a shame. I’ve known Tommy for a long time and he never changed. The lovely man I met when I joined Posh in 1972 was still the same in recent times when I was bumping into him in Sainsbury’s twice a week.

“He was struggling when I saw him most recently as the illness had caught up with him a bit, but he was still trying to be positive.

“He, Chris Turner and Jim Hall were the only players to survive when Noel Cantwell became manager and when they were joined by class acts like Freddie Hill and Bert Murray the team really took off.

“Tommy used to be a marked man, but when the other good players turned up he enjoyed a lot more freedom. He helped me score a few goals as he knew instinctively where I wanted the ball and I knew exactly where he would try and put it, and usually he succeeded.

“Tommy was a special man. There were a few strong characters in that dressing room and if Tommy didn’t get the ball as often as thought he should he’d say a few words. I always said we needed three balls in that team, one for Tommy, one for Bert Murray and one for the rest of us!

“But Tommy was a very easy man to like. He was a popular figure in the dressing room. He always had time for people and that never changed throughout his life.

“Opposition players weren’t always so keen. Tommy was a brilliant diver. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I’ve been stood over Tommy, while he was lying on the pitch, and heard defenders cursing him and complaining about his diving. Tommy always looked so innocent!

“Like Chris Turner before him, Tommy is another great loss. He had a great career and a great life though.”

The 1973-74 side are the only team in Posh history to go through an entire season without losing at home.

Cozens was the team’s top scorer with 25 goals in all competitions, followed by Hall with 14 and Robson with 11.