Graham Roberts is one of the players featuring in Spurs’ Cult Heroes, having sweated blood for the club in a Cup Final and dumped Charlie Nicholas into the Highbury stands. Please go full steam ahead and share your favourite memories of the man – episodes such as these, first impressions, memorable incidents or personal meetings you may have had.Spurs’ Cult Heroes is a forthcoming book, due out in early-2010, looking at players who achieved legendary status amongst us fans for what they did at the club.
Memories always welcomed on players already featured in Spurs’ Cult Heroes – Jimmy Greaves here, Clive Allen here, Jurgen Klinsmann here, with others to follow…
17 replies on “Spurs’ Cult Heroes – Your Memories of Graham Roberts…”
Playing for England against Russia at Wembley. England were beaten but Roberts received a standing ovation for the fact he had put in more effort than the rest of the team combined. LEGEND!
It has to be his equalizer against Anderlecht in the 1984 UEFA Cup Final. Captain for the night in the absence of Perryman, he bundled his way through the box and their defenders to put the ball in the back of the night. We all know ahow the rest of that night turned out and Graham lifted the UEFA Cup
On an icy pitch at the library. Charlie Nicholas mincing down the wing when GR charged across, put the ball ten rows back into the east stand and Charlie only 5 rows. He ended up a in couple of rows himeself, and the North bank gave a collective gasp of fear.
My memories- one word – uncompromising 😀
remember me old man putting his hand up to the ball after robbo smashed 1 over the bar broke his thumb lol rip dad but really a true legend and that word get battered about to easly
Was massive attender of away games and GR was always last nof the pitch for applauding the away support! Remember one day away at Villa, one of their players was running down the wing and Robbo wound up his run from near the centre spot. Took the ball clean 100% but the force of the tackle sent the villa player literally 6 foot horizontally into the air, incredible…even ref knew it was clean tackle and the crowd was agasp ! Hero of mine!
Also had excellent passing, vision & big-match temperament
Remember GR ploughing through a crowded goalmouth to force home a vital equaliser against Barca in the EUFA tie in 1982 – same as the Anderlecht goal in 84 & all done by sheer force of will.
I seem to recall that GR came from a family of Weymouth footballers. He had an uncle and a cousin who were both banned for life by the FA. I think the family regarded him as the softie with all the skills.
From non league Weymouth to lifting the UEFA cup in 4 years, with two FA cup winners medals sandwiched in between. A never say die attitude, the likes of which hadn’t been seen at our club until the recent signing of Wilson Palacios.
A man who had two teeth kicked out of his mouth in the FA cup final only to put in a stellar performance in the replay, making the tackle and run to release Tony Galvin who passed to Ricky Villa, and the rest is history.
fearless and uncompromising, he wore his heart on his sleeve in every match. LEGEND
My boyhood hero – what can I say about Robbo that has not already been said!
As the man himself once said – “I’d run through brick walls for Tottenham”.
My ever lasting memory of Graham has to be from 10th December 1985…..picture the scene, Spurs had just lost to Pompey (1-0 with Mark Falco missing a hatful of chances !), after a second replay in the League Cup at Fratton Park. Having travelled for the second week running to Portsmouth, midweek and before the days of the M25, we were duly caged and kept in the ground like animals for an hour after the final whistle. Once eventually set freed we made our way along the exit corridor only to be confronted by yet another iron fence and to our great surprise on the other side were the players all fluffed and buffed in their club blazers. To my great delight I saw Robbo walking towards us (as I was now pushed up against the fence!). “Steve” (that’s me by the way)…”Steve”..said Robbo…”Yes Graham” i replied (!) whilst putting my hand through the fence to shake his hand. “Steve” he shouted..my heart racing as he stopped in front of me..then promptly looked straight over the top of me and began to talk to his brother…also called Steve!!
For those few seconds I really thought he was talking to me…but those few seconds have remained with me for the last 35 odd years!!
As his (crap) book says – Graham Roberts – Hard As Nails but Tottenham through and through
He won the Anderlecht Final almost single handed.
Well where do i start ? True Yid no messing with him. Hard as nails but fair, had great abillity in the air, good solid perfomances with the ball on the ground. Wow my all time favourite defender, as good as Big Dave in the sixties. Well i wish we had him playing at his peak now, with the team we have would walk the title. They named a glue after him lol HARD AS NAILS… Anderlect did not no what hit them, as did any player trying to push our defence about. My god him and Ledley would rule the prem, and well would chew up T donkey Adams and spit him out hahahaha.
As myself he is a true Spurs man to the core!!!!!!!!!!!! He is Graham the hard case legend!!!!!!!! he could control the game from start to finish no messing no shit. First on the pitch last off it Legend.
1984 UEFA final stands out but really you could pick any game from that era. So often he would take a game by the throat when our flair players were stuttering and bring them into the game.
Also after the cup final he was out on the pitch in the dark searching for his teeth so he could put them back in.
Wish he was playing for us now too
I saw his debut for Spurs, in a pre-season friendly against Southend United at Rootes Hall. It was clear that we had unearthed a rough diamond, but one which was to be utterly dedicated to the cause. I still laugh at his comments on my worn VHS video of the 81 cup final replay (“I’ve got this ball, I’ve got this ball….”). That game was one of many outstanding performances he gave for us when it mattered. And on national radio he was pleading, just 18 months or so ago, for Juande Ramos to let him come and coach the defence. For free -“because I love the club”.
A true hero of the Lane.
Driving back from seeing the cup paraded in 1981 we overtook the team coach on the way to Cheshunt. Some of the players saw the scarves flying from the car and gave us a wave. So let let them go past us and overtook again – a couple of them laughed and waved again. So, we did it a third time… this time Graham Roberts looked down at us and gave us the well known ‘shake of the hand’ insult – top bloke!
I really like you blog dude, keep it up! 🙂
I remember the good old days when Soton were up there beating you in the barclays haha