Willie Johnston
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | William McClure Johnston | ||
Date of birth | 19 December 1946 | ||
Place of birth | Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland | ||
Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Outside left | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1964–1972 | Rangers | 211 | (89) |
1972 | Hakoah Sydney | ? | (?) |
1972–1979 | West Bromwich Albion | 207 | (18) |
1979–1980 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 41 | (3) |
1979–1980 | → Birmingham City (loan) | 15 | (0) |
1980 | Rangers | 35 | (2) |
1982 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 18 | (0) |
1982–1984 | Heart of Midlothian | 55 | (9) |
1983 | → South China AA (loan) | ||
1984–1985 | East Fife | 3 | (0) |
International career | |||
1965–1978 | Scotland | 21 | (0) |
1969–1970 | Scottish League XI[2] | 2 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
William McClure "Willie" Johnston[3] (born 19 December 1946 in Maryhill, Glasgow) is a Scottish former professional football player, best remembered for his time at Rangers and West Brom.
Career
He scored twice in the final as Rangers defeated Dynamo Moscow 3–2 in Barcelona. In December 1972 he moved to England to join West Bromwich Albion, making his debut against Liverpool in the same month.[3] Albion paid a club record £138,000 to bring him to The Hawthorns.[4]
However, his career included some controversial incidents. After Scotland's opening game of the 1978 World Cup, against Peru, Johnston tested positive for a banned stimulant contained in Reactivan, a medication prescribed for his hay-fever. His subsequent expulsion from the squad ended his international career after 21 appearances, although he maintained his innocence.[5][6]
While playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps, he once mooned the Seattle Sounders bench following a goal,[7] and on another occasion took a swig from a fan-offered beer before taking a corner kick in San Jose, setting up a goal from the set-piece.[8] Johnston was a key member of the 1979 NASL champion Vancouver Whitecaps, helping to defeat the Franz Beckenbauer-led New York Cosmos in the semi-final before the 2–1 Soccer Bowl victory over the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Aberdeen player John McMaster had to be given the kiss of life during a game against Rangers at Ibrox in 1980 after Johnston stamped on his throat. Johnston later 'justified' his action by saying he thought it was Willie Miller.[9][10]
In 2004 Johnston was named as one of West Bromwich Albion's 16 greatest players, in a poll organised as part of the club's 125th anniversary celebrations.[11]
Johnston now lives in Kirkcaldy. The Port Brae Bar pub in Kirkcaldy was run by his son Dean until a dispute with the Belhaven Brewery led to the pub being boarded up, locking Johnston's collection of memorabilia inside.[12]
See also
References
- ^ "Willie Johnston". Worldfootball.net. 19 December 1946. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Willie Johnston - Scotland Football League Record from 05 Sep 1969 to 18 Mar 1970 clubs - Rangers". Londonhearts.com. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ a b Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion. Breedon Books. p. 126. ISBN 1-85983-474-4.
- ^ Matthews, Tony (1987). Albion! A Complete Record of West Bromwich Albion 1879–1987. Breedon Books. p. 294. ISBN 0-907969-23-2.
{{cite book}}
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suggested) (help) - ^ Spiers, Graham (29 March 2003). "A bitter pill to swallow Willie Johnston reflects on a career ultimately blighted by that bizarre incident in Argentina". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ Schofield, Kevin (30 December 2008). "Revealed: Argentinians wanted to jail shamed Scotland star Willie Johnston". Daily Record. Glasgow. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ Timko, Brandon (9 June 2011). "A memorable moment in the Whitecaps FC-Sounders FC rivalry". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ Sapienza, Joseph (8 September 2012). "This day in Whitecaps FC history". WhitecapsFC.com. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
- ^ Sport. "No more late hate shows". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ Murray, Scott (23 December 2008). "The forgotten story of ... Willie Johnston". Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "The wraps come off 125th anniversary mural". West Bromwich Albion F.C. 4 August 2004. Retrieved 10 May 2008.
- ^ "Bud's plea: Give me back my memorabilia". Fife Free Press. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2011.
External links
- Use dmy dates from July 2013
- 1946 births
- Living people
- 1978 FIFA World Cup players
- Birmingham City F.C. players
- Doping cases in association football
- Expatriate soccer players in Canada
- Association football wingers
- British expatriates in Hong Kong
- Heart of Midlothian F.C. players
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) players
- Sportspeople from Glasgow
- Rangers F.C. players
- Scotland international footballers
- Scottish expatriate footballers
- Scottish expatriates in Hong Kong
- Scottish expatriates in Canada
- Scottish Football League players
- Scottish footballers
- The Football League players
- Scottish sportspeople in doping cases
- Vancouver Whitecaps (1974–84) players
- West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
- Expatriate footballers in Hong Kong
- Scottish Football League representative players
- Scotland under-23 international footballers