Hugh have been warned Thistle are told

Culter United’s Hugh Robertson will be making the most of his side’s reprieve in the Scottish Cup at Spartan’s expense when they face Partick Thistle this weekend because after all, it is the only domestic cup winners’ medal he does not have in his collection.

Robertson collected a League Cup winners' badge with Aberdeen in November 1995 and a Challenge Cup gong with Ross County 11 years later and the player, who is well remembered for his thunderous strikes with his left foot, already knows what it is like to score against the Jags.

He does however, accept that the number of times he chases up the pitch and strikes for goal has reduced since his SFL days as he classes himself as a veteran especially as one of his team-mates is the son of the Aberdeen captain that lifted the three handled trophy after Dundee were seen off 2-0.

The now 36-year-old began his football career straight from school just a few miles from his Summershill home at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie ground when Alex Smith signed him.

Willie Miller gave Robertson his debut much to the then teenager’s surprise back in the autumn of 1993 as he admitted: “The team were working on set-pieces on a Friday and I was shouted across to help out.  I presumed someone had been injured but then I saw my name in the squad list and thought that was all my involvement would be.

“I went along to the game and did not think about being involved until Willie read my name out.  It was great as we went out and beat Dundee United 1-0.  Aberdeen finished second in the Premier Division that season and we also played Dundee United in the Semi-Finals of the Scottish Cup.”

Robertson’s shooting prowess began to emerge the following season as he explained: “I scored a couple at the beginning of that season but that was a really hard campaign for Aberdeen as they were involved in a relegation Play-Off against Dunfermline.”

Roy Aitken was by then in charge and he led the Dons to Hampden in season 1995/96 to face Dundee and goals from Billy Dodds and Duncan Shearer had the cup won before he made his bow with Robertson recalling: “It was back when there were only three substitutes permitted on the bench and even then, I was not meant to be one of them.  Scott Booth pulled out with an injury and I got moved up and got on with 10 minutes to go.  It was a case of Peter Hetherston and I seeing things through to the end.

“After not expecting to be involved, it was a big jump to featuring in a Cup Final in front of a packed Hampden. I really enjoyed it.”

The midfielder failed to establish himself as a first team regular with the Dons and he moved 70 odd miles down the coast to Dundee for a regular berth as he explained: “I wanted regular football and moved to the First Division with Dundee.  I moved in the January and they were promoted to the Premier the following season. The Bonetti brothers were in charge and there were players coming and going all the time by this stage and I had loan spells at Brechin City, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Ayr United before eventually moving on to Ross County at the beginning of 2001.”

Neale Cooper was the Manager that gave Robertson a regular run in the three and a half seasons he was in Dingwall before the Aberdeen hero from their glory night in Gothenburg in 1983 swooped to sign him for his new club Hartlepool United.

Robertson said: “I really enjoyed it down there playing in different grounds and against different players.”

The midfielder won the hearts of his new fans early as he said: “I scored on my home debut with a free kick however, the referee chalked it off and told me to take it again.  I did and scored it again this time off the bar and they seemed to take to me after that.  Mind you, I gave away a penalty in my first away game so perhaps I was not that popular!

“There was a bit of a Scottish contingent down there with Jack Ross and Scott Walker as well as Gordon Strachan’s son, Gavin, and Joe Jordan’s, son Andrew.  The first season we were defeated by Bristol City in the Play-Offs and I played in them but I missed out the following season when Hartlepool again reached the Play-Offs but lost to Sheffield Wednesday.”

Twelve months later, Hartlepool were relegated and Robertson returned to Ross County and it was during this spell that he added his second cup winners' medal when the Challenge Cup was won after a 5-4 penalty shoot-out success over Clyde following a 1-1 draw.

Robertson said: “I came on for Don Cowie in extra-time and scored my penalty so I was happy to claim another winners' medal however, the season was to end in disappointment as County were relegated to the Second Division.

“We came straight back up to the First Division but unfortunately, I did not play enough games to get a League winners' medal.  I spoke to Derek Adams recently and he wished me well but I am glad we have not drawn them in the Scottish Cup as that would have been a strange experience.”

The fact that Robertson is concerned about who his team are facing is a bit of a miracle as doctors told him three years ago to give up playing the game but he battled on.

He said: “I went in for a clean-up on my knee as I knew I had some ligament damage.  After the operation, the surgeon wrote a fairly long winded note, which although it was dressed up in medical terms, advised me that I had no cartilage remaining in my knee and that I should stop playing.

“I decided to ignore his advice and was training at County when I put my foot down to receive a pass and my knee just buckled and that was the end of my full-time days.  I had always been a full-timer so I had no idea what to do next.  I went and worked as a labourer on a building site and that was hard.

“I thought I was fit but not fit enough for that.”

Help was in hand as Culter boss Andy Gibson offered Robertson the chance to go there and train with his side once a week with the former Scotland Under-21 cap saying: “Andy also helped me get a job and I am into my fourth season with Culter.  We won the League last season which was a great experience, so I do have a League winners' medal in my collection as well.  At one stage, we were 17 points behind with a lot of League games in hand but we made it.

“I play at left back now as I am not getting any younger.  We have a grass area beside our pitch and I train on that and I avoid artificial surfaces and these measures keep me going okay.”

Robertson feels his age all the more when he takes the field with Lewis McKimmie, son of the former Aberdeen full-back, Stewart, who lifted the League Cup as the Dons' captain back in 1995, with Robertson saying: “Lewis is a striker but he does have the same temperament as his Dad!”

The game against Spartans that was lost 2-0 was missed by Robertson as he was away on holiday but he is looking forward to facing the First Division Glasgow club saying: “It should be a great game but they will be massive favourites so all we are looking to do is put on a good show.  When I was on holiday and saw that we had lost to Spartans, I never thought anymore of it until I came back and the players were saying that there was a chance we could get back in.

“It was only last Thursday that we found out we were back in the competition and instead of facing Sunnybank, we are now facing Partick Thistle.”

Robertson will meet up with some old friends at Crombie Park as he explained: “Ian Maxwell is the General Manager at Thistle and I played with him at Ross County.  When I was with the Scotland Under-21 side, the current Thistle Manager, Jackie McNamara, and his assistant, Simon Donnelly, were also involved, so it will be a strange experience to meet them all again.”

Thistle fans may well remember Robertson as well as he said: “They were going for promotion towards the end of the 2001/02 season and we played them at Firhill.  I scored to make it 1-0 with about 12 minutes to go however, Martin Hardie levelled not long after that and the game finished 1-1.

“I reckon I would settle for a goal and a 1-1 scoreline in this game as well.”