The family of Norman “Nommie” Robertson have paid tribute to the 86-year-old former Strichen United player-manager who led his club from the fourth to first divisions, claiming more cups than they could carry along the way.
The 86-year-old grandfather from Sandhaven who worked in Doig Springs most of his career, played alongside his brothers in multiple north-east football sides.
Football was in the Robertson blood
Norman Roberston was born on October 24 1938 in Quarryburn, Rosehearty. The third of Jimmy and Janet Robertson’s nine boys, his father worked on farms and his mother stayed at home with the children.
The necessity of the job meant Jimmy and his family moved where the work was.
Young Norman and his siblings relocated to Longside, Inverquhomery, then back to Sandhaven.
Though his primary education was somewhat transient he attended Fraserburgh Academy which he considered to be “okay”, much preferring to while away the day playing football.
Like a lot of north-east boys, his “big team” was Aberdeen but his local team was Sandhaven, where his father served as manager.
“At one point, four of the Robertson boys were all playing for Sandhaven at one time,” Norman’s daughter Karen explained.
They fell in love at ‘the dancing’
In 1956 Nommie met Molly Spalding from Strichen at a dance.
“In those days there were two dances,” Molly explained. “I was at the dance for the younger folk. Nommie was there. He was always so smartly dressed.”
After a few midweek bike trips with his pals, from Sandhaven to Strichen, Molly and Norman began courting.
The young couple tied the knot, on Norman’s birthday in 1964, in Strichen Parish Church followed by a reception at the Freemason’s Hotel, now known as the White Horse.
Norman began working with his dad at Netherton Farm when he left school. Once he married he moved into a farm cottage with his new wife who worked as a nurse in Fraserburgh.
Fatherhood and football, Nommie’s two passions
In 1966 Norman changed jobs. He started working for Alexander Buchans Joinery and Builders before moving on to Doig Springs, in 1969, where he stayed until he retired.
Leaving farm work meant finding a new house.
Molly and Norman initially moved to a flat on Shore Street, Sandhaven, and eventually settled in Pittendrum Gardens.
In December 1970 the Robertsons family was completed with the birth of their only child, daughter Karen.
Alongside work and family, Norman’s passion for football remained.
By the late 1950s he played for Sandhaven – with his dad at the helm.
During the 1958-59 season they amassed five trophies in the Broch Amateur League, and six during the following season.
“At the time there was a Broch Select Team and dad was chosen for that too.
“In 1959 they played Dundee Select and won the shield,” said Karen.
Until the mid-60s Norman continued playing for Fraserburgh, occasionally also helping at Rosehearty.
From 1967, however, he was signed to Albert Mathers’ side Strichen United.
Strichen success for player-manager Nommie
By the 1968-69 season, Norman had transitioned from helping Albert, to assuming the role of manager himself, “wiping the board” of all the trophies in the Fraserburgh and District Amateur League.
“Dad told us they won the West Cup, the Low Cup, the Usher League Cup, the Challenge Cup, the Daily Express Cup, the Milne Cup and they also became league champions,” Karen said.
“And off the back of that success dad took them into the Aberdeen Amateur League as player-manager.”
Norman’s side started in Division Four in May 1970.
They were promoted to Division Three within a year, then went up to the Second Division and by the 1972-73 season were in Division One.
“They stayed there for several years with dad being asked to join the executive committee of Aberdeen Amateur League.”
Pittodrie match was a career highlight for Norman
The pinnacle of his playing career occurred on April 29 1975 when he and three of his brothers were part of the Strichen United squad to play Cove Rangers at Pittodrie in the final for the Aberdeen FC Trophy, but it ended in defeat.
Norman kept leading the team but in June 1984 he resigned from the executive committee and withdrew his side from the Aberdeen Amateur Football League.
“Society had changed,” Karen said, “and it was becoming harder to get players to travel on the weekends as shift patterns had gone from Monday to Friday, to almost every day.”
Family first for devoted grandad Nommie
Following his time with Strichen Norman offered his many years of expertise to George Noble’s Sandhaven team.
He and George ran the team and when Norman stepped back his brother Dougie took over.
In October 2003 Norman retired from Doig Springs. Karen had recently married and bought a dog so Norman made the most of his free time by enjoying gardening and taking the dog for a walk each day.
But his huge joy was when he and Molly became grandparents in 2004.
While Molly continued with bank shifts as a nurse, Norman took his grandad’s duties very seriously.
“He’d often just show up at ours,” Karen recalls, “to see the girls.
“He was full of fun and loved spending time with them. When we moved to Singapore for a time mum and dad came over four times.”
‘His toes were still tapping until we lost him,’ said Molly
Though initially reluctant to join Molly in playing bowls – believing it to be a sport for “old people” he eventually relented and joined the Westend Bowling Club in Fraserburgh, sometimes playing indoors at the leisure centre too. The couple were also part of a local walking club and enjoyed holidays when they could.
“But if there’s one thing we loved it was the dancing,” Molly added.
Their Saturday nights were reserved for the RAF Club in the Broch right up until 2019.
“His toes were still tapping to the music until the day before we lost him,” Molly said, “especially if a bit of Jim Reeves came on. That was his favourite. Back in the day, he just loved the quick step.”
‘He always had a lovely way with people,’ said daughter Karen
In 2019 Norman was admitted to the ARI suffering from pneumonia.
“After he recovered we had a feeling there was more going on than just that but we went into lockdown before any more tests could be done,” said Karen.
It wasn’t until September 2021 that Norman was formally diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and frontal temporal lobe dementia.
“Dad had a lovely way with people. He always said something like ‘fit like loon,’ or ‘aye aye boss…’ so that covered up the fact he was slowly forgetting names.
“We were able to look after dad for five years at home, though.”
‘Adios amigo,’ we’ll miss you Nommie
When Molly fell and broke her arm in August 2o24, though the couple had been supported by carers, Norman was offered respite care in Inverbervie.
“He was then moved to a ward in Fraserburgh. The hope was that a place at a care home would become available but that wasn’t to be.”
Norman died in Fraserburgh Hospital on February 22.
His funeral was held at Alexander Buchan Funeral Directors on March 3.
“When we went on our first holiday after Covid my eldest waved my dad goodbye saying ‘adios amigo’.
“That phrase just stuck with dad. He’d use it all the time… even if he was walking in, and not out the door,” Karen laughed.
“So when it came to choosing his music for the funeral it had to be Jim Reeves’ Adios Amigo. We played it as he was leaving the service to go to the cemetery at Peathill, Rosehearty.”
Flood of tributes brought family comfort
When news of Norman’s death was announced online, hundreds of reactions and comments were added.
“He’s a big miss, that’s for sure,” said Karen.
“My dad was the grandad who always turned up to watch the girls in their swimming competitions or their school shows. If there was an open day he would be there to see them.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better or more supportive dad. It’s meant so much to us to see how many people have been touched by his life.”
Conversation