Jimmy Johnstone

James " Jimmy" Connolly Johnstone ( born September 30, 1944 in View Park / South Lanarkshire, Scotland, † March 13, 2006 in Uddingston, Scotland ) was a Scottish football player.

The strong dribbling winger has been with Celtic Glasgow Scottish champion nine times and was part of the team, the 1967 European Champions Cup won ( " Lisbon Lions "). Later, the followers of the Celtics elected him as best player in the club's history.

Youth

Johnstone was born as the youngest of five children in View Park near the town of Bothwell. His leisure spent the redhead with playing in the streets of his hometown football or run around in the surrounding woods. As a thirteen- year-old talent scout from Celtic and Manchester United were aware of the dribbler. The coach of his school team was Celtics fan and influenced Johnstone, switch to his favorite club.

Club career

His first professional game played Johnstone at age 19 on March 21, 1963 at a 0:6 defeat against FC Kilmarnock. The skills of the exceptional player were unmistakable, and the following season he became a regular player on the right wing.

Only when Celtic with Jock Stein got a new coach in the spring of 1965, it went sporty with the team looking up. Stone breathed the players a new life and formed a unit that should be nine times in a row Scottish champion from 1966 to 1974. An incredible record, the Rangers could only repeat in the 1980s. The Celtics inspired by this exhilarating attacking football. The decisive factor, the winger Jimmy Johnstone were (right) and counterpart Bobby Lennox (left). The spectators at Celtic Park celebrated Johnstone at almost every home game. The only 1,57 m wide dribbler wowed the audience with his hooks and feints again and again. Because of its size and the low center of gravity, the large, ponderous Scottish defenders had big problems with the whirlwind. They gave him the nickname " Jinky ". Coach Stone said Johnstone was " better than Stanley Matthews ".

Despite the nine championships in a row only made ​​an international triumph players immortal and thus crowned the most successful era of the club's history. In 1967 she won the European Champions Cup, as the favorites Inter Milan was defeated 2-1 in the final in Lisbon. With great offensive game Celtic won the European Cup as the first British club team. It is worth noting that all the players came from a radius of 30 km around Glasgow. In 1970 Johnstone with the " Hoops " again in the semi-finals of the European Cup and met the English champions Leeds United. The press stylized high this duel to the prestigious "Battle of Britain". Johnstone was in the form of his life and played football like from another planet, which is why his opponent Terry Cooper, the two games designated as " nightmare ". After two victories, the " Bhoys " were back in the final, where, however, Feyenoord defeated.

Despite his extraordinary abilities Johnstone was not an easy character. On the pitch, the unbridled temper the redhead trainer stone and teammates prepared sometimes headache. Moreover, his fear of flying him often prevented them from denying Away games where you had to fly. Even a glass of beer or whiskey Johnstone said no rare thing but at the time in British football was nothing unusual.

Gained notoriety a hit Johnstones the Old Firm derby in 1971 when he scored a goal against Rangers in the 89th minute. At Ibrox Park Shortly afterwards broke out a mass panic, where 66 people were killed ( Ibrox disaster ).

At the end of the season 1974/75 announced " Jinky " his departure from the Green-Whites. He walked for a short time in the U.S. and played for the San Jose Earthquakes in the NASL. His career ended in 1978 with 34 years at Elgin City.

National

His first international match played Johnstone in October 1964 against Wales. But so successful was his club career so spectacular was his time with the national team. Despite players such as Billy Bremner, Peter Lorimer and the " Lisbon Lions " is neither Scotland qualified for the 1966 World Championships in 1970. Moreover Johnstones often fear of flying prevented him from flying to play on the continent.

Only in 1974 drove the " Bravehearts " back to a world championship. But in May 1974, shortly before the start of the tournament in Germany, some national team got drunk at the team hotel, including Johnstone. The drunk " Jinky " took a small boat out into the Atlantic and had to be rescued by the Coast Guard. Coach Willie Ormond not stressed him out of the squad, sat Johnstone at the tournament but not a. After this disappointment Johnstone ended his career in the national team, for whom he had only 23 games disputed.

End of life

In November 2001, she was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Johnstone, for which there is no cure to date. To combat the disease and to make known to the public, took " Jinky " with Jim Kerr of Simple Minds to charity purposes, a new version of the song Dirty Old Town on.

On 13 March 2006, died Johnstone after a long illness. His funeral was four days later (17 March, St. Patrick's Day) held at Celtic Park, where Rangers fans paid him tribute. In his honor, the team of Celtic Glasgow was the next league game Johnstone's shirt number 7 on the pants.

Find out more

  • 2004 the BBC beamed from a documentary by Billy Connolly about Johnstones life. The title was " Lord of the Wing."
  • 2005 Johnstone was the first living person since the Russian Tsar, the a world famous Fabergé egg has been paid. The egg was presented by Carl Fabergé's granddaughter Sarah designed and in the House of Commons.
  • Overall, Johnstone completed 515 duty games ( 130 goals) for Glasgow Celtic ( League 308/82; League Cup 92/21, FA Cup 48/11; European Cup 67/16 ).

Achievements

  • Scottish champion: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 ( 9 times )
  • Scottish Cup Winners: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975 ( 7 times )
  • Scottish League Cup Winners: 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1975 ( 6 times )
  • European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1967
  • European Footballer of the Year: Third 1967
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