Tommy Robson’s greatest Peterborough United memory, his favourite goal and his one regret

Tommy Robson, front right, leads Posh players on a training run.

His 559 Posh outings is still a formidable club record and one that isn’t likely to get beaten unless goalkeeping coach Mark Tyler discovers the secret of anti-aging.

But Robson’s road to becoming a firm fans’ favourite at London Road suffered a bumpy start.

“Norman Rigby signed me,” Robson recalled. “But he was replaced as manager by Jim Iley soon after that and that didn’t turn out great for me.

“Initially I felt we would be okay as I had played with Jim at Newcastle, but he joined Posh as a player-manager and he wanted to take every throw-in, every free-kick and every corner.

“I probably had too much to say about that and he kept leaving me out of the side.

“In those days I couldn’t see myself reaching 100 games never mind as many as I did. but things changed for the better for me when Jim left and Noel Cantwell came in. Noel was a very positive manager which was music to my ears and I loved playing for him.

“He built a great side as well. We won the Fourth Division title in 1974 and the night we clinched it remains the best memory of my career.

“We beat Gillingham 4-2 in a title decider and it was just a great game between two very good sides in front of a huge crowd. I didn’t score, but I did win our penalty which Jeff Lee scored and got us back to 1-1 early in the game.

“I was happy with my goal return though. My favourite was actually a header from close to the edge of the area from a free kick in a cup tie against Middlesbrough.

“I didn’t score many headers, but I remember that one. I just had a sense of where the free kick would land. I’d come on as a substitute and it was the only goal of the game.

“I’m proud to have played so many games for Posh and I was lucky I never suffered a worse injury than a broken bone in my foot.

“The Peterborough people were always fantastic with me and that is still the case today.”

Robson, who is soon to become a Freeman of Peterborough, is currently fighting a well-publicised battle against motor neurone disease and has been humbled by how the football club and its supporters have organised several fund-raising events in his honour.