Everyone who knew R. C. Robertson-Glasgow well will have suffered distress to think that this man of infectious laughter had taken his own life. We had all
known for many years that he had suffered from melancholic depression, though this was never apparent on the surface. `Crusoe', as he was universally known (a batsman who lost his wicket to him described the bowler as some bloke called 'Robinson Crusoe', a term of endearment which remained throughout his life), was a man of incessant good humour. I recall with affection an evening I spent with him many years ago at The Castle Hotel, Taunton. It was his birthday and we dined together; this was an auspicious occasion, rather more for me than for Crusoe. I can hear now his laughter and his fund of anecdotes. It was said that when he played for Somerset the Amateurs always took a dictionary to dinner. On average, Crusoe would use three words a night the authenticity of which was challenged by his colleagues. Often they were right as Crusoe loved coining new words. Robertson-Glasgow was born on July 15th, 1901. He was educated at Charterhouse and Oxford, and his cricket career as a fast bowler for the University and for Somerset spanned the years from 1920 to 1935. He subsequently won acclaim for his writings, principally, of course, on cricket, though his
horizons were perceptibly wider. He retired from regular cricket writing in 1953, a loss which cricket could ill afford to sustain in an age when pure writing of charm and distinction and humour are subordinated to the needs of the competitive newspaper world. Crusoe saw the best in the game and converted the scene to print with authority, skill, and immense good nature. Many a young and insignificant cricket writer has warmed to Crusoe's kindly attention to him-the world at large was his friend: the cricket world, indeed, will miss this joyous man and colleague.
Gordon Ross, Playfair Cricket Monthly
ROBERTSON-GLASGOW, RAYMOND CHARLES, who died suddenly on March 4, aged 63, was both a distinguished player and a celebrated cricket writer. In the Charterhouse XI in 1918 and 1919, he did specially well as opening batsman and fast-medium bowler in the second year, when he scored 537 runs, average 38.36, and took 44 wickets for 18.52 runs each, including six for 90 against Winchester. Going up to Oxford, he gained a Blue as a Freshman and played against Cambridge for four years from 1920 to 1923. He appeared for Somerset with varying frequency from 1920 till 1937 and played five times for Gentlemen v. Players between 1924 and 1935.
In all first-class cricket he scored 2,083 runs, average 12.93, dismissed 464 batsmen at a cost of 25.74 runs each and held 79 catches. After his schooldays, he was better known as a tall bowler able to swing the ball appreciably, and he achieved such notable performances for Somerset as nine wickets for 38 runs in the first innings of Middlesex at Lord's in 1924: seven for 56 and seven for 50 against Sussex at Eastbourne and six for 60 and five for 87 against Gloucestershire at Bristol in 1923 and five for 47 and five for 37 against Warwickshire at Weston-super-Mare in 1930. That he did not altogether lose his batting skill he showed in 1928 when, opening the Somerset innings with A. Young, he shared in stands of 160 against Essex at Knowle and 139 against Worcestershire at Taunton in following matches. His highest innings was 80 from the Hampshire bowling at Taunton in 1920.
He was known to his host of friends as "Crusoe", a nickname which came to him as the outcome of a match between Somerset and Essex. C. P. McGahey, the Essex and England amateur, was in and out so rapidly that the next batsman, who had not been watching the play at the time, asked what had happened. "First ball." explained McGahey, "from a chap named Robinson Crusoe.
Of considerable personal charm, an infectious laugh, and possessing an infallible sense of humour which found its way into his writings when he became cricket correspondent in 1933 for The Morning Post, "Crusoe" was popular wherever he went. He later wrote for The Daily Telegraph, The Observer and The Sunday Times, contributed a number of articles to Wisden and was the author of many books, including Cricket Prints, More Cricket Prints, 46 Not Out--an autobiography--Rain Stopped Play, The Brighter Side of Cricket, All In The Game and How To Become A Test Cricketer.
His stories regarding the game he loved were many and various, but never ill-natured. One against him concerned the occasion when he was in the Pavilion at Lord's during the match following the University game of 1922. A friend introduced him to a certain celebrated Pressman who, as was his wont, paid little attention to his name. When the friend left them, the Pressman, endeavouring to make conversation, enquired: "Did you see Chapman's wonderful innings in the 'Varsity match?" For once "Crusoe" was speechless. A. P. F. Chapman had hit a brilliant 102 for Cambridge, a big proportion of his runs coming at the expense of Robertson-Glasgow, who sent down 43.1 overs for 97 runs and did not take a wicket!
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
