James Walter "Jock" Robertson (21 February 1898 – 29 December 1970) was an English association

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

who played professionally for Gillingham. He joined the club while it was still playing

non-league football Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

and went on to set a club record for the most matches played in the Football League, making over 350 appearances.

Career

Robertson was born in

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

and shortly after the First World War played for local team Chatham Centrals. Upon his demobilisation from the Army in November 1919 he signed for professional club Gillingham, at the time playing in the Southern League, but had to wait until the following April to make his debut for the team, which came in an away match against Southend United. He played in seven of the team's final eight matches of the season. At the end of the 1919–20 season, the Southern League Division One was absorbed into the Football League to form the new

Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

, and Robertson played in the club's first ever Football League match against Southampton on 28 August 1920. Over the next thirteen seasons he made over 350

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

appearances, a club record which stood for over 30 years. At the end of the 1932–33 season he left Priestfield Stadium to join non-league club Canterbury Waverley. Details of his career beyond that point are unknown. He died in Rochester in 1970.

Career statistics

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Jock 1898 births 1970 deaths Footballers from Chatham, Kent English footballers Gillingham F.C. players Canterbury Waverley F.C. players Southern Football League players English Football League players Men's association football defenders