| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Craig Peter Johnston | ||
| Date of birth | (1960-06-25)25 June 1960 (age 65) | ||
| Place of birth | Johannesburg,Union of South Africa | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Lake Macquarie City | |||
| Sydney City | |||
| 1975–1977 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977–1981 | Middlesbrough | 64 | (16) |
| 1978 | →Newcastle KB (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 1981–1988 | Liverpool | 190 | (30) |
| 1982 | →Newcastle KB (loan) | 4 | (4) |
| Total | 267 | (50) | |
| International career | |||
| 1980–1981 | England U21 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Craig Peter Johnston (born 25 June 1960) is a South African-born Australian former professionalfootball player. He played as amidfielder in theEnglish Football League between 1977 and 1988, forMiddlesbrough andLiverpool. Nicknamed "Skippy", Johnston was a crowd favourite atAnfield, making 271 Liverpool appearances and scoring 40 goals.[2] He was a key member of the 1986 "double" winning team.[2] He also co-wrote the team's 1988 cup final song "Anfield Rap". Johnston's career ended prematurely when aged 27, he retired from football to take care of his ill sister.
Johnston designed and created theprototype for one of the worlds largest selling football boots of all time, theAdidas Predator, worn by many footballers andrugby players.
Johnston was born inJohannesburg, South Africa toAustralian parents ofScottish descent; he returned home to Australia with his family as a small child.[3] At the age of six, Johnston contractedosteomyelitis and came close to losing his leg and would have done if not for the expertise of an American specialist who was touring and lecturing in Australia at the time.[4]
He began his career atLake Macquarie City inNewcastle, New South Wales.[5] Encouraged by his father Colin, who had trialled atPreston North End andDundee United,[6] aged 15, he wrote to several English clubs, with Middlesbrough replying. His parents sold their house to pay for the flight to England.[7]
In his first match as atrialist, at half time and 3–0 down he was told by then managerJack Charlton "you are the worst footballer I have ever seen in my life. You won't make a player while your arse still points to the ground". He was told to "hop it" therefore losing his room at the hotel for all the trialists. He stayed in a cleaned out coal shed behind the hotel.[8] Refusing to give up, he trained alone in a car park nearAyresome Park where he was spotted by then Boro captainGraeme Souness.[9]
Middlesbrough, managed by John Neal now, signed Johnston in 1977 making his first team debut for Middlesbrough, aged 17, in a 3–2 FA Cup victory againstEverton.[10] His league debut came on 4 February 1978 in a 2–1 victory overBirmingham City atSt Andrew's and he scored his first goal later that season in a 2–1 home league defeat toWest Ham United. Johnston scored 16 goals in 64 league games for Middlesbrough before moving toLiverpool in 1981 for£650,000
Johnston made his Liverpool debut in August 1981, coming on as sub forRay Kennedy in the 1–0 league defeat toWolverhampton Wanderers atMolineux.[11] Johnston's first start came in theIntercontinental Cup fixture against Brazilian sideFlamengo.[12]
Johnston scored his first goal for Liverpool on 8 December 1981 againstArsenal atAnfield, during aLeague Cup fourth round replay. Johnston opened the scoring in the fifth minute of extra time in a 3–0 win. Johnston became a crowd favourite at Anfield during his long spell with the club.[12] He worked under three managers –Bob Paisley,Joe Fagan andKenny Dalglish – and, when picked, predominantly played on the right side of midfield. He made 271 appearances for the club and scored 40 goals.[2]
Johnston was part of theLeague championship-winning teams of 1982 and 1983 and gained a League Cup winner's medal in 1983. In 1984, Johnston was part of the team which won a treble of League championship, League Cup andEuropean Cup. Two years later he was an integral part of the side which won only the third League championship andFA Cup"double" of the 20th century. In the1986 FA Cup final atWembley, Johnston became the first Australian to score in a final, converting aJan Molby cross to put Liverpool 2–1 ahead againstEverton.[13]Ian Rush secured the win with a late third.[2]
He started the 1987-88 season but lost his place on the right side of midfield after the signing in the autumn of 1987 of Ray Houghton; thereafter he was a frequent substitute and occasional starter as Liverpool again won the League title and reached the FA Cup final, aiming to complete a second "double". Johnston wrote the club's traditional Cup final song called "Anfield Rap" which combined pro-Liverpool lyrics with therap andhouse trends of the time, with other Liverpool players contributing.
His last two goals for the Reds came in the penultimate league game of the season, a 5–1 away win overSheffield Wednesday. By this stage, Liverpool had wrapped up the 17th league title of their history.[14]
Despite Johnston's success in domestic football, he never played international football for Australia. Johnston attributed this to an unwillingness on Liverpool & Middlesbrough's parts to release him for international games they viewed as being unimportant and exhausting from a jetlag perspective (a challenge other Australian players of the era faced from their domestic clubs, such asTony Dorigo), as well as a desire to stay established in the domestic team rather than disrupt this progress.[15][16]Johnston also asked the Australian FA for financial support to travel home, which they rejected.[17] Socceroos coachFrank Arok stated that Johnston wanted to be paid the same amount per week when playing for Australia as what he was paid for playing for Liverpool - an infeasible amount for the AFA to pay.[18]
Early in his career in England he had described playing football for Australia as "likesurfing for England."[19]
Johnston was approached byJock Stein in the early 1980s with a view to him playing forScotland as he was eligible through his father.[20] Johnston declined Stein's offer.[20] He did representEngland at under-21 level againstNorway in September 1980 atThe Dell[21] and against theRepublic of Ireland atAnfield in February 1981. Johnston was also eligible to representSouth Africa.
After 270 appearances and 40 goals and just days before the1988 FA Cup Final atWembley againstWimbledon, Johnston announced his premature retirement from football to manager Kenny Dalglish. The story was leaked by atabloid newspaper on the morning of cup final day, much to the player and club's anger.[22]
In December 1987, Johnston's sister Faye became seriously ill and was admitted to a hospital inMorocco. She had suffered frombutane gas inhalation from a faulty heater in her hotel. Johnston was at the club's Christmas party when hearing the news. He flew out and brought her back to London by air ambulance. He also brought his parents over from Australia. She woke on New Year's Eve, after three weeks incoma. "We all thought Faye would get better but she didn't. Time went on and we tried all sorts of things, took her toMalaysia, toneurologists… nobody could help. So I retired from football, it was a big decision. It was time to go home. Once back in Australia we realised that Faye wasn't getting better and apparently she never would."[23]
Johnston made his 271st and final appearance as a red, as a substitute forJohn Aldridge in the final (who had just seen his penalty saved with Liverpool a goal down) thus ending up on the losing side. In 1991, whenGraeme Souness was manager of Liverpool F.C, he asked Johnston if he would like to train with the team with a view to playing again. Liverpool still held Johnston's registration as a player. It didn't work out and Johnston moved on. After his retirement he was linked to clubs from all over the world.[12] Johnston always retorted this speculation stating that he could never play for anyone other than Liverpool.[12]
After retiring from playing football, Johnston found success as a businessman andinnovator, designing and creating theprototype forAdidas Predatorfootball boot, worn by many of the world's top players of both football andrugby includingZinedine Zidane,David Beckham,Steven Gerrard,Xavi,Jonny Wilkinson andRonan O'Gara. Getting the first boot off the ground took Johnston 5 years and was initially refused by Adidas, as well asNike andReebok. However, Johnston then filmed German legendsFranz Beckenbauer,Karl-Heinz Rummenigge andPaul Breitner using the boots in snowy conditions, which led to Adidas agreeing to the proposal.[24]
He later designed another innovative boot called The Pig or, to give them their full title, the Patented Interactive Grip can come as a 'skin' that can be placed over the toe of an existing boot. The design earned him a nomination for British designer of the year, losing out to a multimedia designer.[25]
Johnston also invented the Traxion sole for football boots and the software program the 'Butler,' a device that shows what has been removed from minibars in hotel bedrooms.[26]
Johnston invested heavily in a football school idea for inner city children but failed to win expected business backing and went bankrupt. He was made temporarily homeless as a result.[27]
Johnston was the creator of TV game showThe Main Event, which aired for two years in the early 1990s in Australia and a season in the UK in 1993.[28]
Though he travels the world with his business interests, Johnston remains based in Australia. He has been recognised at home for his achievements in England.[29] On 18 June 2006, Johnston made an appearance as a guest onThe Footy Show World Cup Spectacular in Germany revealing information on his career.
During the2010 FIFA World Cup, Johnston wrote a 12-page letter to FIFA president,Sepp Blatter, in which he collected all criticism by players and coaches of the controversial Adidas-producedJabulani ball, risking his reputation, and expecting to be blacklisted by the conservative governing body as a result of this letter.[30]
In 2005, Johnston was inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame.[31]
Johnston has now forged a new career as a photographer.[27]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Middlesbrough | 1977–78 | First Division | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| 1978–79 | First Division | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Newcastle KB (loan) | 1978 | Australia NSL | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| Middlesbrough | 1979–80 | First Division | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 5 | |
| 1980–81 | First Division | 27 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 32 | 10 | ||
| Total | 64 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 16 | ||
| Newcastle KB (loan) | 1982 | Australia NSL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | |
| Liverpool | 1981–82 | First Division | 18 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 23 | 7 |
| 1982–83 | First Division | 33 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4[a] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 10 | |
| 1983–84 | First Division | 29 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 8[a] | 1 | 1[c] | 0 | 52 | 4 | |
| 1984–85 | First Division | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| 1985–86 | First Division | 41 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 1 | 61 | 10 | |
| 1986–87 | First Division | 28 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 37 | 3 | |
| 1987–88 | First Division | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 | |
| Total | 190 | 30 | 20 | 4 | 35 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 271 | 40 | ||
| Career total | 267 | 46 | 25 | 4 | 39 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 357 | 56 | ||
Individual
| International | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
| Other | |