In the history of Hungarian football, there are several names that spread styles of football across the European continent and the rest of the world, mainly the practical style by MTK — a Scottish style, but a little more refined with artistic ideas shaped in the scientific game, short and flat and combinations thereof. Of these names linked to MTK, there is usually news about Jimmy Hogan, the exceptional English coach who is widely cited as the main reason football has evolved a lot on the European continent. Another big name is the Hungarian Izidor Kürschner. Later, legendary names in Magyar football such as Alfréd Schaffer and Kálmán Konrád are given the honor of spreading football.

Well, there is not just this direct link through MTK, of course, as names like Steve Bloomer, Fred Spiksley, John William Madden and others are responsible for spreading the knowledge. In other areas, there is the case of John Harley and Charles Miller in South America, for example. All these names are very well commented as some of the football developers outside the British Isles. Furthermore, tours by British clubs, mainly by the Corinthians, helped to spread good football around the world.

However, in history — and generally speaking — there are figures who have achieved exceptional feats, yet they have not been given due credit for their deeds; in football it is no different. As much as Jimmy Hogan has enormous credit for the evolution of Hungarian football — and this is even mentioned by Gusztáv Sebes himself — there is a name forgotten in history, a name that planted the seed and was the master of great names that satiated it. from the brilliant school of MTK: John Tait Robertson, the brilliant Scottish half-back.

When one reads interviews with Kálmán Konrád, Alfréd Schaffer, György Orth, Béla Sebestyén and among others, Robertson is well-known. Robertson was responsible for making MTK play in the most brilliant and impressive way of their time. As the coach of the team, he planted what would become the basis of Hungarian football, the flashy, refined, pleasant football that attracted crowds to see the main stars achieve the pinnacle of what can be done with the ball. However, it is clear that Jimmy Hogan has an important part in the development, because, as much as Hogan had in mind technical training as the main attribute for the player, he perfected the physical aspect of the players through his methods.

"MASTER ROBERTSON, THE WORLD-FAMOUS COACH"

A summary: John Tait Robetson was a brilliant Scottish half-back who played for the national team a fair amount of times, considering that in the past few games were played. He reached his peak for Glasgow Rangers and was part of the exceptional Scottish team which had one of the main performances against an English team.

Robertson arrived at MTK 1911. Consequently, he was in charge of MTK's youth divisions and main team. There, while coaching the Hungarian team — which had Englishman Lane as a centre-forward — Robertson introduced a new style for not just MTK, but for the entire Hungarian territory. With a more cerebral game and based on the old teachings of the Scottish school, MTK has become a true football machine. Robertson, moreover, was responsible for bringing young talents to the club, as is the case of Kálmán Konrád, for example. During 1911 and 1913, the seeds of a new school were sown, a school that would be marked for decades to come and that would astonish Europe with its power, genius and elegance.


See also: John Tait Robertson
See also: Frigyes Becske: Jacky Robertson
See also: Jimmy Hogan
See also: Shires, 1933: The seeds of Hungarian football