Jinky Jimmy Johnstone

* rest Jinky.
Greatest ever Celt.

 

It was on this day in 1963 Jinky made his Celtic debut against Kilmarnock.

 

One of the most underrated players in the history of the game.

 

50 years today, Celtic win the title at Ibrox thanks to a double from Jinky.

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/LilZe8/status/929861403925798912/video/1

 

He was good. So good that being 'only' voted in third place as Europe's top footballer, in the year that he helped his team win the European Cup, was seen as a travesty.

Officially recognised as the best player in the history of Celtic FC, winner of 19 major trophies, two appearances in the European Cup final. Speak his name to fans of a certain vintage and they can only smile.

And, this week 40 years ago, he decided to make Dublin his home for a spell.

Jimmy Johnstone's time as Shelbourne player (November 1977 to March 1978) failed to yield any medals or glory but the gifted winger, who died in 2006, is still remembered.

"It's hard to imagine it in the modern era. A European Cup winner, a legend of the game, him signing for us would be like Wayne Rooney signing for Shels today," says John Delamere, a team-mate with Johnstone at the Reds.

Just three years earlier, he'd played for Scotland when they beat England 2-0. He'd played in the European Cup finals in ‘67 and ‘70, and here he was with us, one of the lads playing for Shels. *, it was brilliant."

Johnstone was a true legend of the game in the 1960s, and not just in Britain (Real Madrid tried to sign him after one display against them).

But once he left Celtic Park, reluctantly, in 1975 when alcohol was beginning to take a hold, his career was on the slide.

He was effectively retired when Shels manager Tommy Rowe used his contacts to lure the 33-year-old to Dublin, in November 1977, along with fellow Scot Dixie Deans.

There was no relegation in the LOI at the time and Shels were nowhere close to challenging Bohemians (eventual champions that season), Dundalk or Shamrock Rovers so a Cup run was about the best Shels could hope for. As it turned out, a (controversial) Cup defeat to Cork Alberts proved to be his last game for the Dublin club.

But what came in between was memorable. "A lot of the players who came here from the UK around that time only stayed for a game or two. Jimmy was here for four months, and he loved it," says Delamere.

There was some resentment in the league at the time to the steady stream of imports, players like Terry Venables, Geoff Hurst and George Best having already made well-paid but unsuccessful stops in Ireland.

"Johnstone at his best was magical but at 33 it is doubtful if he can reproduce this magic," warned a sceptical Irish Press.

"There was no bad feeling about Jimmy arriving," says Delamere. "We just saw him as a player who could help us as a team. And I had an ‘in' with him as my step-brother, Paddy Turner, had played with Jimmy at Celtic. So he'd come up to the house for dinner, no airs or graces. For someone who was such a brilliant, brilliant player he was an ordinary bloke. He was a happy-go-lucky fellah and us Shels lads had some great times together."

This week 40 years ago, a Dublin derby was Johnstone's introduction to the LOI, Shels losing 2-1 at home to a Bohemians outfit who were well on their way to the league title, but while the result didn't go their way, the Shels treasurer was happy with receipts of £970, the best of the season so far.


But there remained doubts. "We saw only one glimpse of the player that had been Johnstone," was the Irish Independent view of his debut, predicting a very short stay for Johnstone and Deans. Yet the same paper would later pick out Johnstone as "the best player on the field" in a 3-0 loss to Limerick.

The arrangement was that any training for Johnstone was done back in Scotland and he would just fly into Dublin for the weekend when Shels had a game. His base was the (now defunct) Royal Dublin Hotel on O'Connell Street, and in time he would know the city well, Fagan's in Drumcondra the first stop after a game.

A week after his debut, Johnstone had his introduction to life outside Dublin in a game away to Thurles Town (Shels won 5-1) and also the harsh nature of tackling in the league (he had to be substituted after 38 minutes).

Christmas week of ‘77 brought one of the highlights of his stay in Ireland, Johnstone scoring in a 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers in the League Cup. "Honestly, that game was like winning the European Cup all over again for Jimmy," says Delamere.

"Rovers had Giles and Dunphy and all those players at the time, but Jimmy and Giles had a rivalry going back to the Celtic-Leeds European Cup semi-final in '70 and I don't think Jimmy liked Giles. He really wanted to get one over on Giles and that League Cup game meant the world to him, especially as he scored."

A week later, Johnstone starred as Shels beat Home Farm 3-0 in the league but that was about as good as it got, as brutish defenders and brutal pitches made it a struggle. Over the next four league games, Johnstone's Shels failed to score once.

There was a brief moment of light, a 2-1 win away to St Pat's in March, but a 1-0 Cup loss to Cork Alberts on March 8th would be the end of his time in Ireland. He moved on.

Dublin was a grey place in 1977/78 but good times could still be had. "We used to go to Madigan's on Moore Street, they had a jukebox upstairs and Jimmy loved to sing," says Delamere.

"After matches I'd go back to the hotel with Jimmy for something to eat, afterwards we'd maybe go on to a place called Lord John's, on Cathedral Street. Good times.

"He wasn't a mercenary, he loved it here. He used to kneel before that statue of Our Lady on O'Connell Street every time he saw it.

"He loved Dublin, that's why he stayed for four months and not four games like some. The pitches were crap and he'd lost his pace, he was broke when he came here but he was here to play and he always did his best."

Johnstone's career was over within a year of his Shels departure, and Motor Neurone Disease ended his life at 61.

"He was an ordinary Joe Soap who was a world class player, we were lucky to have him," concluded Delamere.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/so...-greats-came-to-play-in-ireland-36350836.html

 

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IT was on this day in 1944 that the player who was voted the Greatest Ever Celt by supporters was born. James Connolly Johnstone, known to his friends as Jimmy and to the wider footballing world as Jinky was born in Viewpark, and he remained immensely proud of where he came from throughout his whole life.

He signed for Celtic in November 1961 and made his debut for his beloved Hoops on March 27, 1963. It was a less that auspicious start to what would become a glorious career – Celtic lost 6-0 against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park – but it did not deter or dishearten the diminutive winger.

Like many of his contemporaries, it was the arrival of Jock Stein at Celtic Park in 1965 which galvanised his career, and Jinky would go on to play a pivotal role in the unprecedented success Celtic enjoyed at home and in Europe over the next few years.

The pinnacle of that was, of course, the European Cup triumph on May 25, 1967 when Celtic beat Inter Milan 2-1.

Jinky, however, wasn’t content with just making his mark on that prestigious competition, and on Wednesday, June 7, 1967, in the Bernabeu Stadium, he and his team-mates provided the opposition for the great Alfredo Di Stefano’s testimonial.

The legendary Read Madrid player may have been the focus of the night, but it was Jinky who grabbed all the headlines with a breathtaking display that had the Madrid fans shouting ‘Ole!’ at his every touch.

Jinky stayed at Celtic until 1975, and made a total of 515 appearances for the club, scoring an impressive 130 goals.

He remained an immensely popular figure amongst the Celtic support who, in 2003, voted him the Greatest Ever Celt. By that time, however, he was suffering from Motor Neurone Disease. He faced that battle against the toughest of opponents with incredible bravery and courage, always strengthened by the support of his family and the convictions of his faith.

Sadly, Jimmy Johnstone passed away on March 13, 2006, and the Celtic support, as well as the wider footballing world, mourned his passing.

A statue of Jinky now stands outside the front of Celtic Park as a permanent memorial and a reminder to future generations of a wonderful player.

And on this, his birthday, the Celtic family will say a prayer for the loss while also remembering the unique talents of a player who was always proud to wear his beloved green and white Hoops – Jimmy ‘Jinky’ Johnstone, the Greatest Ever Celt.

 

THIS day in 1963 saw the debut of the player who was, is and always will be the Greatest Ever Celt. Jimmy Johnstone, known and loved by the Celtic Family as ‘Jinky’, received that accolade back in 2002.

It was one that was thoroughly deserved. He was the very definition of a mercurial talent, and while his ability with a ball marked him out as a unique player, his skills were harnessed for the good of the team.

The fledgling Jimmy Johnstone, while practicing non-stop on his own, also flexed his undoubted ability with his primary school, St John’s in Viewpark and secondary, St Columba’s in Uddingston while also playing for St Columba’s Boys’ Guild. He joined Blantyre Celtic in 1960, but his shock of red hair had already been noted by patrons of The Jungle when he was a ballboy at Celtic Park.

Looking back at that time in his book, Jinky – Then And Now – Johnstone remembered those early days.
‘…I was invited to Parkhead as a ball boy. For the next year I was in the privileged position of seeing my favourite team in action but I wasn’t totally happy. I missed playing football and eventually gave up my post and turned out for the local Boys’ Guild team.’

Celtic would always have been favourites to capture his signature, but news that Manchester United were sniffing around hurried up that process and he signed on November 8, 1961, just a few weeks after his 17th birthday.

However, he was to make his debut rather more quickly than anticipated. On the evening of Wednesday, March 27, 1963, an injury-ravaged Celtic side travelled to Rugby Park to take on a high-flying Kilmarnock side they had already drawn 1-1 with back in October. Among those out were keeper, Frank Haffey, defenders Billy McNeill and John McNamee as well as regular playmakers and scorers such as Bobby Murdoch, John Hughes and John Divers.

The already young and inexperienced Celtic team fielded featured three debutants in the shape of third-choice keeper, * Madden, centre-back John Cushley and the diminutive Jimmy Johnstone on the right-wing. The 2-0 half-time scoreline may not have been entirely unexpected but the home side turned the screw after the break and ran out 6-0 winners – few in the crowd could have realised that the wee No.7 would one day be voted the Greatest Ever Celt.

Indeed, for Jimmy Johnstone, that tough debut was in no way a prelude to the rest of his Celtic career. He won nine championship medals, four in the Scottish Cup, five in the League Cup and, the pinnacle of them all, the European Cup in 1967.

His career, though, was littered with highs and there was a plethora of games where he just literally tore teams apart – sometimes seemingly single-handed. There was Alfredo Di Stefano’s testimonial in 1967 when 120,000 Real Madrid fans chanted ‘Ole’ every time Jinky bamboozled one of their own players.

There was the famed Red Star Belgrade game when, with the game tied 1-1 at half-time, Jock Stein told Johnstone, who had a chronic fear of flying, that if the Hoops won by four clear goals then he wouldn’t have to travel to Belgrade – Jinky ran amok and scored twice, the second of those coming nine minutes from the end in Celtic’s 5-1 master-class.

Then there was the 1970 European Cup semi-final when he corkscrewed the best Leeds United had to offer into the Hampden turf.

His career had more twists and turns than one of his own forays into the very heart of the opposition. There were run-ins with authority – both the ruling body of the Scottish game and in the shape of Jock Stein himself.

He was no stranger to either the wagging finger of referees or the insides of the SFA offices but, to be fair, this was usually the rare end-result of the seemingly continual battering he took from defenders who simply couldn’t stop him by fair means. If they could stop him, it was usually a basic foul, but sometimes even that didn’t work as he always came back for more.

There was nothing ordinary about some of the tackles, though, and images of the Racing Club games in 1967 and Atletico Madrid in ’74 show the ‘tackles’ to be more base than basic. Jinky was the victim of nothing less than physical assault and battery in those games which were an affront to football.

The courage and bravery that Jimmy Johnstone displayed throughout his playing career, often in the face of extreme physical intimidation from his opponents, also came to the fore when he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, and his brave fight against that terrible illness was an example and inspiration to all.

Sadly, he lost that battle in March 2006, but he remains an integral part of Celtic Football Club, immortalised in the statue standing at the front of Celtic Park, and remembered in the memories of everyone who was lucky enough to see him play, and for those younger supporters who have been imbued with tales of the wee red-haired winger who had the heart of a Lion and football skills that were a gift from *.

Jimmy Johnstone
Winger 1961-1975
Celtic debut: March 27, 1963; Scottish League, Kilmarnock 6-0 Celtic

League
298 appearances
10 substitute
82 goals

Scottish Cup
47 appearances
1 substitute
11 goals

League Cup
87 appearances
5 substitute
21 goals

Europe
66 appearances
1 substitute
16 goals

Total
498 appearances
17 substitute
130 goals

 

When Jimmy Johnstone made his first appearance for Celtic on March 27th 1963, few could have predicted the impact he would have on the club.

Jinky would go on to win nine league titles, four Scottish Cups, 5 League Cups and the European Cup, but he began his professional career in somewhat inauspicious circumstances.

On this day 56 years ago, Johnstone was named in Celtic's team for the first time. 12 more years in the Celtic first team would follow, but few matches would prove as disappointing as his first.

Celtic travelled to Rugby Park, high in confidence after registering 4-1 wins over Dundee and Raith Rovers in their previous two matches. Kilmarnock, however, were enjoying an excellent season and Celtic were without six players, including Billy McNeill and Bobby Murdoch.

Manager Jimmy McGrory handed Johnstone his first start, alongside fellow youngsters Neil Madden, John Cushley and goalkeeper * Madden. It did not go to plan. Kilmarnock ran out 6-0 winners in front of a crowd of 16,002, thanks to doubles from Andy Kerr and Bertie Black, as well as goals from Joe Mason and Dave Sneddon.

The Daily Record said the "only Celts who played to form were Billy Price and Jim Kennedy", but in the midst of an embarrassing defeat Johnstone was singled out for praise. John McPhail's match report read "Johnstone looked the part" and described Jinky as an "eager right-winger".

For Johnstone, 528 appearances would follow. For 18-year-old keeper Madden, however, this was the start and end of his Celtic career. At the same time, it was the high point of an excellent campaign for Kilmarnock, who finished second behind Rangers. Celtic finished fourth, but three years later secured the first of nine successive league titles.

Jinky would go on to score 135 goals for Celtic and become widely regarded as the club's greatest ever player.

 

I love these pages. Bill Shankly was right when he said Celtic were ‘immortal’ now. I finally get what he meant with those words.

 

Jinky was brilliant , absolutely amazing but I will always go for Bobby Lennox my favourite ever Celtic player . R . I . P. Jinky