Where does Jimmy Johnstone Rank Among The Worlds Greatest Players?

Ye he told him one time "Griegy if you want to stop me you better kick harder than that".
On a side note I had the pleasure to hang out with the wee man three times and all I can tell you is as wonderful a footballer he was he was just a down to earth wonderful man.

 

I'm sure I've heard you say you are old enough to remember those days.

In that case you are blatantly lying. It's not even up for debate, even former Celtic players have spoke of the treatment they recieved from the SFA and from the support.

Even I remember McStay getting the treatment from the tartan army.

 

Jimmy had a mixed bag of memories at international level. In 1966 he had scored twice against England in a 4-3 defeat and despite playing well he was often inexplicably left out through the years. He amassed a paltry 23 caps through his career for Scotland.

Esteemed journalist Hugh McIlvanney put it as one of those mysteries best filed away but that would be shirking the truth.

He used to receive terrible verbal abuse from the Rangers end at Hampden on many occasions as the patrons in that era preferred the talents of Henderson. Jimmy always believed his greatest Scotland display was at Pittodrie when he ripped the Belgium defence to shreds and had the Aberdonian crowd in raptures that night in a 1-0 win.

In fairness, he was up against stiff competition for the number 7 jersey from the likes of Willie Henderson, Charlie Cooke, Willie Morgan , Peter Lorimer and Jimmy Smith but it is felt that he should still have gained more caps. He was the best of the lot.

Pathetically, in 1974 having destroyed the England defence at Hampden as Scotland won 2-0, he earned a place in the 22 man squad for the 1974 World Cup but then he was not chosen to play in any of Scotland's three matches.

He was so down-heartened with his treatment by the management and the Scotland support (sic!) that actually he was said to have asked to be left out of matches. It's a sad indictment on the Scottish football support that they could have treated such a talent in the manner they did.

 

Just been sitting with my old man doing his * stories and he witnessed loads of Celtic players booed at hampden , none other than jinky who got it bad a fair bit..

He doesn't like to admit it but it's true, it happened..

 

I,m "blatantly lying",as I said "I never heard it",for I was always in the Celtic end at Hampden and I never heard anybody boo Jim Baxter or Willie Henderson for we were there to support Scotland.

At the Poland game in 68 or 69 with 120,000 people I don't think their were too many people booing,when Scotland beat England at Wembley in 67 I never heard anyone boooooo.
So don't tell me I'm "blatant lying " when I tell you that I didn't hear.

 

As I said I never heard it,I was too busy cheering for Scotland.

 

Fair play Springburn, you did say you never heard it, not that it never happened.

Did you seriously not hear of it afterwards though?

It's been an open secret for years.

 

Tell you another thing,back in those days I was told Celtic supporters at Scotland games booed the likes of Baxter and Henderson,well I never heard it,too busy watching the games.
I'm not for one moment saying Johnstone or Baxter were not booed,all I'm saying is I never heard it at Scotland games,and for anyone who did boo them,well?

 

You were there so i respect your opinion, I've.never heard of hun players being booed ... something to do with the majority crowd being huns , makes sense..

If you didn't hear it then you didn't, hampden was a monster.of a ground back then, a lit of.noise that some parts sometimes couldn't make out but surely you must have heard it sometimes or with those who did?

 

He would be 2nd after Larsson

 

Hey the way I look at it,and looked at it,was to have players of that caliber playing for your country and evidently you are there in support of your country,then all I can say if people booed them,then they were * morons.
Another thing about back in the early 60's,when Pat Crerand (my favourite player at the time) was sold to Man U for 66,000,it broke my * heart,and around that time the hun sold Jim Baxter(one of the best players I've ever seen) to Notts Forrest for 100,000
and it broke the heart of a another wee boy from the Milton called Kenny.

Then the rumours came out in Glasgow,and big ones,for you see as it turned out Paddy and Slim Jim were best pals,drinking buddies,and the story back then was that,yes the hated word Auld Firm,had got together and punted them for their pally wally was bad for business,yes there was money to be made in hatred.

I was at Ibrox after Baxter returned from Sunderland and I can tell you that Bobby Lennox made an absolute fool out of him,time and again,and as much as I enjoyed it I can honestly tell you,that I felt sorry to see the demise of a wonderful Scottish player,same as I did here in the states in the early 70,s watching Best at Yankee Stadium,such a shame.

Anyhoo I never heard the boo's.

 

I'd say he's better than Brian McLaughlin but not as good as Diego Maradona.

Controversial I know, but that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

 

In terms of Scotland to get a bit of an idea who Jinky was competing with read this article.
http://www.thescratchingshed.com/2011/12/leeds-united-the-scottish-connection/

 

Actually if you ever have a wee look at the details of Scotland/Celtic back then it doesn't seem that odd at all.

 

I've heard Paddy's complaints before about the Scotland set up and have to say that it proves heading a big heavy, water-logged ball back then did cause damage.

After he made his debut for Scotland in May 1961 (aged 22) he played EVERY game (11 games) for Scotland (even after a red card) while a Celtic player, and was only dropped by Scotland AFTER he left us for ManU in Feb 1963.

 

Another man with an odd memory.

 

He won a European trophy and at the time, the worlds best players could not handle him.

He was everything football isn't now and that is fun, a proper on the park entertainment.

Everyone that watched Celtic knew who Jimmy was and if they didn't, well they sure did after 90 minutes.

22 players on a park and all fans wanted to see Jimmy get the ball because he was a box of tricks, sublime skill and would showboat. He had the skill to be a show man on the park.

A player like that can easily be passed as a just talented but when your doing it against the worlds best and they have no answer and your part of a highly competitive team in Europe then you are one of the Worlds Greatest. One of the least remembered globally now as time has passed tho.

If Scotland were a bit more successful back then, I have no doubt he would be more reputable at this point in time.

 

I never said it was odd.

 

I think it's hard to say, footballers of that era played on shambolic pitches and football was very much an * game around most of the world.

I know older guys that say he used to get a lot of stick from sections of the support, he could have one good game then 2 poor ones, or take one defender on then lose it.

I don't think there is enough footage or stats around for us to really be able to judge, but certainly he was one of the best players in the world in that era.

I often wonder what Scotland could have done had they got to the world cup in 1966 or 1970, we had genuine world class players, but the qualification process in those days was really tough.

 

Celtic players were over looked for Huns so it would have made no difference, the fact Scotland mangers picked willie henderson over jinky and later switched the best right back in the world to left back just to accommodate sandy jardine sums it all up