HAVE boots will travel - maybe not the first option for most players but for those prepared to take that route it can prove rewarding.

Last week when Brian Jensen was performing heroics in the Carling Cup match against Wolves, I was over on the Wirral watching Tranmere Rovers entertain Premiership side Portsmouth in the same competition.

"How are you doing, Dobbo?"

"Lammie! Great to see you."

Lammie Robertson was at Burnley for a year when I joined club in 1967 and, during a pretty forgetful first half at Prenton Park, we caught up on life in between.

Way back in the 1960s, as a schoolboy midfield playmaker for Drumchapel Amateurs, little did Lammie imagine where his career would take him.

He even crossed paths with Brian Clough, and with the managerial legend having died the day before we met, Lammie was happy to recall his own experience of the great man.

He said: "One day when I was at Brighton, who should walk in to the manager's office but Brian Clough?

"The first thing he did was get all the players assembled in the hotel the night before the game, gave the skipper a pen and paper and told him to ask what each player wanted to drink.

"The first couple said orange or lemonade but Cloughie said 'No, a proper drink'. He was just seeing what their reaction would be.

"He would base his opinion on you after seeing you handle situations which he created.

"But I got on with him well. Before the game he'd say, 'Young man, go out and give the centre half a bad time'.

"I used to have more bruises on my elbows than the rest of the body."

One thing Lammie and I agreed on was that Cloughie was a one off. There wont be another one like him because nowadays he wouldn't have the time to pass all the examinations necessary to be a modern day manager.

"He had the ability to manage the club from top top bottom and unfortunately there re no examinations that can give anyone that ability.

"No doubt he is up there on the football pitch in the sky telling the great man he's in his chair!"

Lammie's time at Brighton was one of many lower league outposts he graced in a unique career.

"I could have signed for several clubs in Scotland on a part-time basis but wanted to try full time in England," he said.

"Sunderland and Wolves came in for me but when Harry Potts offered me a contract at 18 years of age, I signed straight away.

"I knew about their reputation in bringing on kids, even though I didn't know where Burnley actually was.

"After that first season, I knew I had to sharpen up and get fitter so I came down early to get myself in the best possible condition, with long runs and a weight programme . But even that backfired.

"Jimmy Adamson, who was the coach, saw me out running, called me in his office and fined me two weeks wages!

"I couldn't believe it - we never did see eye to eye after that. Sadly, it never really happened for me at Turf Moor."

After a spell at Bury he helped Halifax to promotion from the Fourth Division before playing in front of regular crowds of 20,000 at Brighton.

When they wanted to sign Fred Binney from Exeter, Lammie went the other way, but in the summer of 1976 he enjoyed another upward turn.

He explained: "I played against Scunthorpe on a Friday night for Exeter, scored two in a 5-2 victory then jetted off to play for Chicago Stings against a Toronto side which included the legendary Portuguese star, Eusebio.

"It was mind-blowing. I also played against Pele, who was then with New York Cosmos, in front of 38,000 fans."

Lammie did a preliminary coaching badge at Burnley, took the full badge in 1973 at Lilleshall and did some coaching with the Stings.

He even finally made it to the top level with Leicester City at the age of 29 years of age before becoming player-coach at Bradford - for the last 20 years he has pursued a career as an independent financial advisor and scout for Sheffield United.

He added: "Although I never made it at Burnley the club gave me a good grounding and I still keep in touch with people in the area.

"And, of course, I married a marvellous Burnley girl.

"So my advice to any young kid making his way in the game is, if it doesn't happen at your first club, try another and another and another - like me you could end up playing in the top division at nearly 30 years of age!"