SFSA BLUE PLAQUES LAUNCH FIND OUT MORE
Date: 21st March 2026
The Northern Irishman
By Donald C Stewart
A sketchy and humorous look at the outpourings of the great, the good and the not so good of Scottish fitba’ by Donald C Stewart. Readers are warned that if they take this seriously then therapy is available – just let us know where you find it so we can pass it on to others…
“What took you so long?”
It is a refrain heard from pubs across the whole of Aberdeen as people are assimilating the knowledge that Stephen Robinson from St Mirren is now Stephen Robinson of Aberdeen.
Robinson managed during the course of this season to win the Scottish League Cup from the clutches of Celtic and therefore became an instant icon in Paisley. However, the latest move that he has made up towards Aberdeen has not endeared him to the Buddies faithful. Perhaps less of a sore one than if he had pitched up in Greenock it is nonetheless a “sair wan.”
The Aberdeen fans are, of course, reeling from the news that they are not going to have a Scandinavian in charge, though many Dons fans thought that Jimmy Thelin was given far too long and that his record at the beginning had obscured the fact that he hadn’t won much since they had gone on free falls time and time and time again. Along with Tottenham Hotspur down in England, Aberdeen are being talked about as shock relegation fodder for this season.
Whether or not Robinson is going to do turn around their fortunes is something that many wits in Aberdeen are beginning to turn their attention to. Is the Northern, northern Irishman capable of raising Lazarus?
His record saw St Mirren go from the doldrums into the top six and win a cup, hasn’t it? Surely he can do the same at the Dons???
Many are now scouring the papers looking at what Robinson actually did at St Mirren, although pundits within the game are hailing the move which will they predict, bring about a resurgence in the fortunes of the Dons. That is, if they can get round the Northern Irish accent that Robinson brings with him. Mind you the quines and loons of auld Aberdeen can be a bit impenetrable themselves.
But the aforementioned quines and loons will get their heads round this new managerial talent, if he starts getting the 3 points in the league regularly.
It began with a 1-1 draw against Falkirk on Saturday, but continues with a visit to Ibrox the following weekend. It was a great start – “we didnae lose again…”
However, questions still remain over why it took so long to approach the boy…
Robinson was always a likely candidate, and let’s face it, there aren’t many in Scottish football who see Aberdeen as a step up at the moment.
Why did it take the Aberdeen board so long to find him? Was the sat-nav in the Aberdeen boardroom broken? Did they not click onto Pie and Bovril? Are they unable to read social media without crying? What is it that stopped them from recognising that one of the best buddies over the last few seasons was the ideal candidate?
Some, however, have pointed out that the last time they got somebody for St Mirren, that would be Jim Goodwin, it didn’t work out all that well.
However, in their current status, languishing as they are, close to the bottom of the Premiership, everybody hopes that this is going to be a massive success, not least Robinson himself.
As he pointed out, he has come in when there are, “a lot of injuries, a lot of injuries at the back, which will dictate certain things in the system we have to play, but everyone’s got a chance. Everyone’s coming in fresh. When you look at people from afar, you don’t get a full picture. You don’t know the circumstances. We’ve had a meeting and we said that everybody will start from scratch.”
Whether or not seeing things close up is going to make a difference to the fortunes of Aberdeen, they’ve only got a few more games left of the season for Robinson to prove that he is the Messiah.
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