.jpg) Johnstone in Amsterdam (1971) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Connolly Johnstone[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1944-09-30)30 September 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Viewpark, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 13 March 2006(2006-03-13) (aged 61) | ||
| Place of death | Uddingston, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.62 m)[2][3] | ||
| Position | Outside right | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1958–1959 | Celtic | ||
| 1959–1961 | Viewpark Boys Guild | ||
| 1961–1962 | Celtic | ||
| 1961–1962 | →Blantyre Celtic (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1962–1975 | Celtic | 306 | (82) |
| 1975 | San Jose Earthquakes | 9 | (0) |
| 1975–1977 | Sheffield United | 11 | (2) |
| 1977 | Dundee | 3 | (0) |
| 1977–1978 | Shelbourne | 9 | (0) |
| 1978–1979 | Elgin City | 18 | (2) |
| Total | 356 | (86) | |
| International career | |||
| 1964 | Scotland U23 | 2 | (0) |
| 1964–1974 | Scotland | 23 | (4) |
| 1964–1970[4] | Scottish League XI | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
James Connolly Johnstone (30 September 1944 – 13 March 2006) was a Scottishfootballer who played as anoutside right. Known as"Jinky" for his elusive dribbling style, Johnstone played forCeltic for 13 years and was one of theLisbon Lions, the team that won the1967 European Cup Final. Johnstone also wonnine consecutive Scottish championships. He scored 129 goals for Celtic in 515 appearances[5] and was voted the club's greatest-ever player by fans in 2002.[5][3]
Johnstone also won 23 caps forScotland. He finished third in voting for the1967 Ballon d'Or and was inducted into theScottish Football Hall of Fame when it was inaugurated in 2004.[6]
Rodger Baillie ofThe Sunday Times called Johnstone a "genius who lived by magic and mischief",[7] whileHugh McIlvanney wrote that no other player "besieged opponents with such a complex, concentrated swirl of deceptive manoeuvres or ever conveyed a more exhilarating sense of joy in working wonders with the ball."[8]
Johnstone was the youngest of five children born to Matthew and Sarah Johnstone. He grew up in the family home on Old Edinburgh Road inViewpark,North Lanarkshire, and he was educated at St Columba's primary school in Viewpark and then at St John's secondary school inUddingston.[9]
His footballing ability first came to note at primary school, playing for the St Columba's team that won three trophies in 1953–54. The team at his secondary school, St John's, were less able, but their physical education teacher, Tommy Cassidy, was a friend ofSammy Wilson, who played forCeltic at the time and had scored in Celtic's 7–1 win overRangers in the1957 Scottish League Cup Final. Cassidy used his connections to get Johnstone a role as ball boy at Celtic.[2]
At home, he used to dribble around milk bottles every day in the hallway for hours to perfect his skills. On reading thatStanley Matthews used to walk to Blackpool's ground wearing heavy boots to strengthen his leg muscles, Johnstone began wearing pit boots and would sprint and play football in them. He later said that this "probably added about three yards on to my pace."[10]
Despite the thrill of being involved with Celtic as a ballboy, Johnstone wanted to play football. As a result, he left Celtic to play for his local Boys Guild team. As well as playing locally, the team travelled down to play Manchester United's boys' team. Johnstone's ability caught the eye of the English giants but, upon his return to Scotland, Celtic scoutJohn Higgins persuaded him to sign for Celtic;[2] He signed youth terms on the same day as left-backTommy Gemmell, who lived a few miles away and would also have a long association with the club.[11] In order to gain experience, Johnstone was farmed out tojunior clubBlantyre Celtic.[9]
Johnstone made his first team debut for Celtic on 27 March 1963 in a 6–0 defeat away againstKilmarnock in the league.[12] His next appearance came a month later, away againstHearts. He was again on the losing side (4–3), but scored his first senior goal.[12] Despite the defeats, Johnstone's performances won him a place in the team for theScottish Cup Final on 4 May 1963 againstRangers. The young winger turned in a fine performance, helping Celtic to a creditable 1–1 draw with his confident dribbling. He also scored a goal but it was disallowed due to a foul moments earlier by teammateJohn Hughes.[13][14] Johnstone was dropped for the replay and Celtic were outclassed by Rangers, who ran out comfortable 3–0 winners.[13][15]
The following season saw Johnstone establish himself as a regular in the side. He played in 25 league games, scoring six goals.[16] He also helped Celtic reach the semi-finals of theEuropean Cup Winners' Cup, scoring againstFC Basel in a 5–0 win at Parkhead in the first round, and then againstMTK Budapest in a 3–0 win in the first leg of the semi-final. Celtic, however, lost 4–0 in the return match in Hungary and were knocked out on aggregate.[17]
Celtic were struggling throughout the 1960s untilJock Stein arrived at the club in 1965.[18] By this time Johnstone was struggling to hold down a regular spot in the first team. On arrival at Celtic, Stein had doubts about Johnstone, considering him too much of an individual player, to the overall detriment of the team, and he left him out of the team for the1965 Scottish Cup Final.[19] Johnstone soon won Stein round with his skill, and won his first winner's medal on 23 October 1965 when he played in Celtic's 2–1 win over Rangers in theScottish League Cup Final.[20] His 32 league appearances and nine goals that season helped Celtic win their first league title in 12 years.[16][21] Johnstone also helped Celtic reach their second European semi-final, scoring twice againstGo Ahead Eagles en route,[2] before losing 2–1 on aggregate toLiverpool in the Cup Winners' Cup.[17]
Johnstone was one of the "Lisbon Lions", the team that won the thenEuropean Cup for Celtic in1967.[10] In an early round tie againstNantes, Johnstone's trickery on the wing saw him dubbed "the Flying Flea" by the French press,[2][10] while his performances over that season saw him finish third in theEuropean Footballer of the Year award.[10]
Two weeks after their European Cup win, Celtic playedReal Madrid on 7 June 1967 in atestimonial match for the now retiredAlfredo Di Stefano. In front of over 100,000 fans at theBernabéu Stadium, the sides engaged in a keenly fought contest that sawBertie Auld and Real Madrid'sAmancio sent off. Di Stefano played for the first 15 minutes, but it was Jimmy Johnstone who stole the show with an exhilarating performance that had even the Spanish supporters chanting "Olé!" throughout the game. Johnstone capped an outstanding performance by playing the pass to Bobby Lennox for the only goal in a 1–0 win for Celtic.[22][23]
Johnstone had a morbid fear of flying, which Jock Stein used to great effect on one occasion. Ahead of the first leg of a European tie againstRed Star Belgrade at Parkhead in November 1968, Stein told Johnstone that, if Celtic won by four goals, he wouldn't have to travel toYugoslavia for the second leg. Johnstone went on to produce an outstanding performance, scoring twice and providing assists for the other three goals in a 5–1 win.[2][10][18] He helped Celtic reach a furtherEuropean Cup Final in season 1969–70. His performance in the second leg of the semi-final againstLeeds United at Hampden Park was particularly outstanding,[2] and his mazy run in the second half set upBobby Murdoch to score with a powerful shot for Celtic's winning goal in a 2–1 victory on the night.[24][25] Leeds' defenderTerry Cooper later quipped "I would love to have kicked Jinky, but I couldn't get near him!"Billy Bremner described Johnstone's performance as "one of the greatest exhibitions I have ever seen", adding that "Jimmy had one of these games where he was unstoppable."[24] Celtic playedFeyenoord in the final but, with Johnstone double-marked at all times, Celtic were unable to perform as they had in the 1967 final. Feyenoord dominated the match and defeated Celtic 2–1 after extra-time.[25]
In all, he made 308 League appearances for Celtic, scoring 82 goals. He also played another 207 times for them in the Scottish Cup, League Cup and in Europe, for an overall total of 515 matches.[2] He received furtherBallon d'Or nominations in 1968 and 1969 placing 24th and 23rd, respectively.[26]
He later played for theSan Jose Earthquakes,Sheffield United,Dundee,Shelbourne andElgin City.[27] His manager at Dundee was former teammate Tommy Gemmell, but Johnstone later stated that his 'heart was not in it' and he did not apply himself properly during his short spell atDens Park, having lost the motivation to play for other clubs after being released by Celtic.[11][28]
Johnstone began his international career on 5 February 1964, playing for theScottish Under 23 side in a friendly againstEngland U23s, losing 2–0. He made one further appearance for the Scotland U23 side in May that year, a 3–0 win away against France U23.[29]
He made his international debut for the fullScottish international side on 3 October 1964 in aBritish Home Championship match againstWales, in place ofRangers wingerWillie Henderson.[5][30] He was involved in the move that led to Scotland's second goal, though the match ended in a 3–2 win for the Welsh.[31] Johnstone's next cap came that same month in aWorld Cup qualifier atHampden Park againstFinland. Scotland won 3–1, but Johnstone's performance was unimpressive, with his passing described as "lacking accuracy."[32] Johnstone did not play for Scotland again until 2 April 1966, when he scored his first two international goals in a 4–3 defeat againstEngland at Hampden Park.[5][33] The first goal came with Scotland trailing 4–1, when he latched on to a pass fromDenis Law and used his pace and power to run past the English defence and beat goalkeeperGordon Banks from close range. He pulled back another goal for Scotland when he chased a floated ball towards goal from aJim Baxter free kick and, from close range, scored with a powerful shot off the underside of the bar.[5] Johnstone, along with Denis Law, was reported as one of Scotland's best performers, and his play resulted in England'sNobby Stiles being booked for a crushing tackle on him.[34] Johnstone continued to play sporadically for Scotland, and he didn't score his next international goal until 22 October 1969 in a World Cup qualifier away againstWest Germany, Scotland losing 3–2.[35]
In May 1974, during the build-up to the1974 FIFA World Cup, and days before a British Home Championship match against England at Hampden, Johnstone and his other Scotland teammates took part in a drinking session at their hotel inLargs,Ayrshire. In the early hours, the group headed for shore, with Johnstone deciding to go out in a rowing boat. However, the boat had no rowlocks to take the oars and Johnstone found himself being taken out to sea by the tide. Stranded at sea, Johnstone had to be rescued by theCoastguard and the incident dominated headlines for days.[5][36] Despite the embarrassing headlines, Johnstone went on to turn in an outstanding performance for Scotland against England, helping them to a 2–0 win.[36][37] Johnstone was part of the Scotland squad that travelled to West Germany for the World Cup in the summer of 1974, but he didn't play in their three games.[37]
Johnstone won 23 caps for Scotland.[2][38]
Regarded as one of Scotland's greatest players, Johnstone was a diminutive winger known for his technique and dribbling skills, being able to go past players with ease, cut inside, score or contribute to goals.[39][40]
After his playing career ended, Johnstone's problems with alcohol worsened, despite the efforts of his family.[41] When he approached Glasgow businessman and Celtic fanWillie Haughey in 1992 offering his medals for sale, Johnstone instead received support and guidance from Haughey in combatting his addictions,[42] and the two men remained close friends thereafter.[43]
A documentary film about Johnstone's life, created byJamie Doran and narrated byBilly Connolly[44] titledLord of the Wing first aired on the BBC on 25 April 2004.[45][3]
In June 2005,Carl Fabergé's great-granddaughter Sarah produced 19 jewelled eggs related to Johnstone.[46][47]
Having been diagnosed with incurablemotor neuron disease (MND) five years earlier,[41] Johnstone died in March 2006, aged 61.[27][3] The last person to call him was oldRangers rivalWillie Henderson, who had become a firm friend of Johnstone. Thousands of Celtic fans and fans of many other clubs, including those of arch-rivals Rangers, paid tribute to his memory outsideCeltic Park onSaint Patrick's Day, the day of his funeral service. Tributes were paid to Johnstone before the2006 Scottish League Cup Final, played between Celtic andDunfermline.[48] There was a minute of applause before the game and the entire Celtic squad wore the number 7 on their shorts in his honour.[48]
In 2008, a bronze statue byKate Robinson of Johnstone in action was unveiled at the main entrance toCeltic Park.[42][38][49][50]
In 2011, a statue of Johnstone and a memorial garden were created on the site at his former school, close to his home, on the Old Edinburgh Road, in Viewpark. The garden was opened by Johnstone's wife, family and some of the surviving members of the 'Lisbon Lions' team. The bronze, lifesize statue was made by sculptorJohn McKenna.[51][52]
FIFA 100 All-time Dutch greatRob Rensenbrink recalled Johnstone first among world-class Scottish footballers.[53]
 |
| Club | Season | Division | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Celtic[16] | 1962–63 | Scottish Division One | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 1963–64 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7[a] | 2 | 4[b] | 0 | 42 | 10 | ||
| 1964–65 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 4[c] | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 40 | 4 | ||
| 1965–66 | 32 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7[a] | 3 | — | 54 | 14 | |||
| 1966–67 | 25 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 9[d] | 2 | 2[b] | 0 | 51 | 16 | ||
| 1967–68 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 2[d] | 0 | 5[e] | 1 | 45 | 11 | ||
| 1968–69 | 31 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 5[d] | 2 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 9 | ||
| 1969–70 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 11 | ||
| 1970–71 | 30 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 4[d] | 4 | 1[b] | 0 | 52 | 19 | ||
| 1971–72 | 23 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 6[d] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 40 | 10 | ||
| 1972–73 | 22 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3[d] | 0 | 2[f] | 3 | 41 | 13 | ||
| 1973–74 | 15 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 6[d] | 3 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 8 | ||
| 1974–75 | 19 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 2[d] | 0 | 3[f] | 1 | 31 | 9 | ||
| Total | 306 | 82 | 48 | 11 | 92 | 21 | 64 | 16 | 19 | 5 | 529 | 135 | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 1975[54] | North American Soccer League | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||||
| Sheffield United | 1975–76[55] | English Division One | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1[g] | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1976–77[56] | English Division Two | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||
| Total | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |||
| Dundee | 1977–78[28] | Scottish First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 329 | 84 | 49 | 11 | 92 | 21 | 64 | 16 | 20 | 5 | 554 | 137 | ||
| Scotland national team[30] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1964 | 2 | 0 |
| 1965 | — | |
| 1966 | 2 | 2 |
| 1967 | 2 | 0 |
| 1968 | 1 | 0 |
| 1969 | 2 | 1 |
| 1970 | 2 | 0 |
| 1971 | 4 | 0 |
| 1972 | 2 | 0 |
| 1973 | — | |
| 1974 | 6 | 1 |
| Total | 23 | 4 |
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 April 1966 | Hampden Park,Glasgow |  England | 2–3 | 3–4 | 1965–66 British Home Championship |
| 2 | 2 April 1966 | Hampden Park, Glasgow | England | 3–4 | 3–4 | 1965–66 British Home Championship |
| 3 | 22 October 1969 | Volksparkstadion,Hamburg |  West Germany | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1970 World Cup Qualifiers |
| 4 | 1 June 1974 | Klokke Stadion,Bruges |  Belgium | 1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly match |
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