Lisburn man Stephen Robinson says wife Robyn, along with their sons and dogs, have helped teach him the art of escapism
Stephen Robinson admits he’ll never quite be capable of parking the pain of defeat before he walks through the front door at home. But the St Mirren boss says family has been a huge support in his battle to becoming a better loser.
Robinson reckons dealing with defeat has proved easier over the years – even during the recent rotten run of league results. And that’s thanks to wife Robyn helping to teach the art of escapism with her and their dogs. Sons Charlie and Harry chip in with their thoughts too.
Although, that pair being aware of the extreme views peddled on social media, doesn’t always chime well with the mood. Thankfully Robbo’s successful spell with Saints, featuring a trio of top-six finishes, has mostly been a call for celebration.
And the biggest of his managerial career will follow if the Buddies can upset Celtic in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup Final. Saints head for Hampden on the back of a much-needed victory over Dundee United. Prior to that, it was a luckless streak of eight Premiership games with just two points gained.
When asked how he copes with a poor run like that, Lisburn man Robinson bluntly replied: “Badly! The one thing I have never learned, in 400-odd games, is how to lose. I really struggle.
“I spoke to other managers when I came up here and people said that, as St Mirren manager, you’re probably going to lose 50 per cent of games. “You can go a month or six weeks without a win. That is mentally very, very tough. I don’t really look at or read anything. I am my own biggest critic. But that’s something I’ve never learned to deal with – losing games.
“Even though people say, ‘Well, you SHOULD lose that game or you SHOULDN’T win there’ I find that very, very difficult to accept. That’s probably my biggest flaw. But mentally you have to go again, you have to find a way.
“And I do that because I’m in a privileged position, I lead a very privileged life and have an opportunity to come and work with people I enjoy working with. That’s where my motivation is.
“My family feel defeats as much as me. That’s a down side of the job but something you have to deal with. But that’s the industry I chose so I’m not looking for sympathy. I get time away from it with my wife and dogs. That’s probably how I cope. I’ve got a brilliant support network.”
Robinson, who turns 51 on Wednesday, often takes Robyn on his spying missions to watch Premiership rivals. That’s a relaxing beat preferable to the occasional agonies of cheering on St Mirren – or hearing hurtful comments in the crowd.
Robinson revealed: “My wife always says, ‘Life isn’t that bad, we’ve got everything we need, you’ve lost a game of football’.
“That puts everything into perspective when you look at other things going on in the world. She gives me a real balance and perspective. She was probably a football fan before she met me.
“But, now she’s on the inside of it, it ruins most weekends! So she probably tolerates it. Listen, it affects your life, it affects your mood, it affects absolutely everything. She’s very supportive through thick and thin – she knows that’s the industry we’re in. My dogs give me a way out of it because they don’t speak. They’re just happy to see me whether you win, lose or draw!
“We spend a lot of time in the outdoors walking. That’s something that you feel a lot better for and puts a different perspective on life as well.
“Robyn has been to a few games, she enjoys it. We like the hospitality and food at Hearts, so we make a wee day of it there!
“I don’t drag her along with me too often. She doesn’t come to St Mirren home games because she doesn’t like to hear me get stick. She tries to keep away from it and probably doesn’t look at a score until ten to five. Although with VAR now, it’s nearly six o’clock before she looks!”
Charlie and Harry have taken St Mirren to their hearts during dad’s tenure.The brothers joined the march to SMiSA Stadium in August last year when Saints returned to European football after a 37-year absence.
And they celebrated victory over Valur before booking a trip to Bergen for the next round against Brann.
Family and friends will form part of the St Mirren support – with Robinson footing a sizeable bill for the tickets. He said: “The game affects my boys Charlie and Harry, they sit on tenterhooks and wait for you to get a result. As everyone’s kids are, they’re desperate for their dad to do well. They’re young boys so they listen to and read everything on social media. It probably affects them more than it does me and that’s the unfortunate side of football.
“But the boys know how to handle me. They’re massive St Mirren fans now. They love the club – Charlie goes in the singing block at the end. They go to games, Harry was in Norway. They go lots of places.
“Charlie and his mates come over once a month and enjoy the Glasgow nightlife as well – I believe! They’ll be at Hampden. I’ve bought about 50 tickets actually so this cup final is costing me a fortune. I think I got one free ticket. We need to win it just to pay for them all!”
