THERE have been taller goalkeepers than Jocky Robertson, but few better and even fewer braver. From a height of 5ft 5 1/2in - and the half is crucial - he held down a position among top-class Scottish footballers for almost 12 years and astonishingly the position he held down was that of goalkeeper.

An east of Scotland man who waited in vain for the call from his beloved Heart of Midlothian, he served a long apprenticeship in that powerhouse of war-time junior football, the Lothians. He was capped several times for junior Scotland immediately after the war when the opposing nations were Wales, Eire and the

Irish League.

Encouraged by what their scouts had seen, now-defunct Glasgow club Third Lanark came in for Robertson and he made his debut against Airdrie on December 2, 1951. He performed well in a 4-2 win and for the next 12 seasons or so was rarely if ever challenged seriously for the goalkeeper's

spot.

The astonishing thing about Robertson was his command of the air. He was an impeccable judge of when to come and when to stay. He was a noted clutcher of the ball fit to rank with the likes of Willie Miller of Celtic and Jimmy Cowan of Morton, and he was able to do this despite the strict attentions of well-built centre-forwards. He was particularly adept at gathering the ball and going to ground in the one movement so that he lessened the opportunity for a bigger opponent to shoulder-charge him, this being entirely within the laws of the game at this time.

Other keepers came and went - George Ramage, Andy Goram's father, Louis, and even, in the twilight of his days, that same Jimmy Cowan. As Jocky grew in reputation so, too, did Third Lanark, and by the late 1950s they were a definite force in the land, willing to concede four goals in the knowledge that scoring five was not beyond them.

This delightfully aggressive play brought rave notices and many good results, but nothing in the way of trophies. In 1959, they looked a good bet for the Scottish Cup, but, having drawn 3-3 with the eventual winners St Mirren at Paisley, the defence in general had a nightmare in the return at Cathkin and lost 8-0. Many Thirds supporters changed ends at half time when their side was only two behind and for their pains they had a good view of an unending stream of Paisley goals.

The normally totally dependable Billy Lewis was all at sea against five-goal Jim Rodger, and Jocky himself would admit that on another night he would have saved three of the goals. There was much grumbling about the standard of the Cathkin lights - rumour had it that the lighting was provided by giving each season ticket holder a candle and directing them to the roof of the stand - but Thirds had simply been swamped by a better side.

Before that, in 1959, Third Lanark and their diminutive keeper had had another shot at glory with a League Cup final against Hearts. Even without Alec Harley at centre-forward the Third Lanark forward line contained such dangerous adversaries as Matt Gray, Joe McInnes and David Hilley. Things seemed to be going well when Gray netted in the second minute and Thirds set out to hold what they had. Against a side that had scored 132 league goals in the previous season, the Cathkin side defended doggedly, but could not prevent Hearts from scoring twice.

But the best was yet to come in season 1960-61 when Thirds scored exactly 100 first division goals. A casual look at the goals lost would give you a total of 80, nothing to write home about the casual reader might think, but there never was a side so totally dedicated to attack.

Try these scores on for size. A 5-4 win at Fir Park against the Motherwell of St John, Quinn and Hunter. A 4-2 win against Clyde at Shawfield, who fielded internationalists Harry Haddock and Archie Robertson and an 8-4 defeat from Hibernian at Easter Road, which might have been closer if Ronnie Simpson had not saved two Joe McInnes penalties while the regular penalty taker Jimmy Reilly was off the field receiving treatment.

No Iron Curtain here then and it was essential that with such a strategy the keeper should mind his own corner. It was Jocky Robertson's misfortune that his last years with Third Lanark almost exactly coincided with the club's terminal decline. As their outstanding forwards were transferred away the burden on the defence increased. It was time to go. He pulled the club's sweater on for the last time in May 1963, but it was only to participate in a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Dundee.

What did he get for his dozen years or so devoted service? The all-too-common treatment that the one-club man got in those days. There was talk of a benefit payment, which remained just talk, there was an informal discussion of a testimonial match, but Jocky went for a short spell to Berwick Rangers and the moment passed.

If he needed consolation it was to be found in the fact that he had been abundantly capable of playing in one of the best Scottish sides since the war.

Jocky Robertson had proved beyond contradiction that in goalkeeping, as in other walks of life, if you are good enough you are big enough. Jocky wryly claimed to be only 2in smaller than eventual Lisbon Lion Ronnie Simpson, and he once mentioned that of all the crosses he had to face only those of Charlie Church of Queen's Park caused him consistent concern.