This article was originally published in May 2020
THE best Stranraer right back of the last ten years, according to the fans – not bad for someone who does not consider themselves a right back.
Scott Robertson has joined David Mitchell in the Team of the Decade after a landslide victory to secure the right back berth.
The defender joined Stranraer from Arbroath in 2013 and has become a firm fixture in the team under Stevie Aitken, Brian Reid and Stevie Farrell.
His versatility has proven key to all three managers, with the former Queen of the South man slotting in at right back, as well as at the heart of defence or midfield.
After being named in the Team of the Decade, he said: “It is great.
“To be honest, I’ve never really seen myself as a right back!
“I normally see myself as a centre half who can play right back.
“If anyone asked me what position I play, I would never say right back.
“I would probably count it as my second best position but to be named in the team is brilliant, obviously.
“When you think about, you look at the amount of people who play with a team over ten years and the amount of people who play a position every year for ten years, it is plenty folk, so it is a pretty good thing to say you have been named as the best at anything over ten years.
“It is class.”
Robertson had been on the Stranraer radar for a couple of years before finally signing for the 2013/14 season, which saw the Blues secure a famous point at Ibrox on Boxing Day.
He had popped in for pre-season after leaving Stirling Albion but was intent on staying in the Championship, ultimately signing for Partick Thistle.
A season in Glasgow was followed by a season with Arbroath before finally making the move to Stair Park.
Now, he has become a firm fans’ favourite with the Blues faithful, with a season at Airdrie forgotten about by both parties.
He said: “I think Stranraer are one of those clubs where you know everybody.
“You see the same faces and it is always the same people that speak to you.
“It is a bit more personal than bigger clubs, if that makes sense.
“You know a lot of the guys and a lot of the fans by first name terms.
“The people behind the scenes like Stewart (Marshall), Robert Rice, Cosmo (Iain Dougan), Bill Paton – he is a funny wee guy, he cracks me up.
“You never know if he is raging with you or not!
“I think it is a bit more personal than other clubs and people want to talk to you.
“You know the fans on first name terms.
“It has got a bit of a family feel to it as opposed to some clubs you go to and nobody is interested in speaking to you.”
Understandably, Robertson has had more than a few highlights in his time with the Blues as they challenged for promotion to the second tier of Scottish football.
Big wins, giant killing acts and lengthy unbeaten runs have been rewarded with trips to the play-offs.
The defender said: “There have been loads of really good games.
“The 6-3 game against Ayr; that whole season was pretty good.
“Even though we finished third behind Rangers and Dunfermline, that whole season was pretty good.
“We went on a massive run, we drew at Ibrox, I think we beat Ross County in the cup when they were a Premiership side and I think it was the same season where we drew with Inverness as well.
“The Hibs 5-3 game was a brilliant game, even though we lost.
“The semi-final against Livingston in the play-offs was good; from Christmas onwards that season was good.
“There have been loads of highlights.
“Even the season before I left for Airdrie, with people leaving in January and the trouble we had.
“I ended up captain and we finished pretty comfortably above the play-offs and relegation.
“That is a highlight as well because people probably thought ‘Stranraer could go here and this could be bad for them’.
“I think we won a fair few games pretty much straight away after loads of boys had left.
“It was good players who had left as well, guys like Steven Bell, Ryan Wallace, Cameron Belford – we lost quite a few big players.
“I quite enjoyed showing folk that we were written off too soon.”
Unfortunately, those trips to the play-offs have resulted in Stranraer failing to make it over the finishing line.
The penalty shoot-out defeat to Ayr United was the undoubted sore point, with Robertson revealing not taking a penalty would probably “annoy me for the rest of my life”.
The 32-year-old, who is aiming to keep playing at as high a level as possible, said: “I tend to overthink everything and just thought I had a good season, had already won player of the year things, been in the team of the year and that kind of stuff.
“I just thought it would be a stick on that I would miss.
“If I hit a penalty, it does not matter where I put it, I just think the goalkeeper will save it or it will hit the post or whatever.
“I thought, I have had too good a season whereas other people – it’s probably the difference between top, top players – would probably think after such a good season and there is no chance that I am missing here.
“I thought it would sum me up if I walked up here and duffed the penalty after the season I have had.
“I thought ‘no, I’m not putting myself in that position’ and now I wish I had… nearly everyone else missed!”
