Bobby Johnstone

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Bobby Johnstone
BJohnstone1.jpg
Personal information
Full name Robert Johnstone [1]
Date of birth(1929-09-07)7 September 1929
Place of birth Selkirk, Scotland
Date of death 22 August 2001(2001-08-22) (aged 71)
Place of death Selkirk, Scotland
Position(s) Inside forward
Youth career
1945–1946 Newtongrange Star
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1946 Selkirk
1946–1955 Hibernian 168 (88)
1955–1959 Manchester City 124 (42)
1959–1961 Hibernian 31 (17)
1961–1965 Oldham Athletic 143 (36)
1965 Witton Albion 0 (0)
Total466(183)
International career
1951–1956 Scotland 17 (10)
1951–1954 Scottish Football League XI 6 (1)
1955 [2] Scotland A vs B trial 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robert Johnstone (7 September 1929 – 22 August 2001) was a Scottish footballer who played for Selkirk, Hibernian, Manchester City, Oldham Athletic and Witton Albion. Johnstone also represented Scotland and the Scottish League.

Contents

Johnstone is most remembered as one of the Famous Five forward line (Smith, Johnstone, Reilly, Turnbull and Ormond) for Hibernian in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He joined Manchester City in 1955, becoming the first player to score in successive FA Cup Finals at Wembley, in 1955 and 1956. [3] After a short return to Hibs he also played for Oldham Athletic.

He won 17 caps for Scotland.

Early life

Born on 7 September 1929 at 11 Cannon Street, Selkirk, to Elizabeth and George 'Hopey' Johnstone. Bobby was born into a footballing family in a rugby playing town. His father Hopey was described as a "hard as teak" centre-half and once declined a trial for Glasgow Rangers, preferring instead to sign for professional Border side, Peebles Rovers. Hopey who stood over six foot tall, won Border Cup medals for Selkirk in 1931 and 1932. Bobby's great uncle 'Geordie 'was in the team that won Selkirk's first ever trophy, the 1895 Border Cup. At the age of four Johnstone contracted diphtheria which required a tracheotomy in order to stabilize his condition and was confined to his bed for around two months. Johnstone went to school at Philiphaugh until the age of 11, then Knowepark in Selkirk where he won a prize in English. The Johnstone family moved to the nearby newly built no. 2 Linglie Road in 1943 and shortly after at the age of 14, Bobby became an apprentice painter with local firm Nichol's. It was around this time that he started to draw attention playing in the then popular five-a-side tournaments against players almost twice his age. [4]

Career

Selkirk

With Selkirk's pre-World War II side depleted due to retirement and those like Sandy Adamson who made the Supreme Sacrifice, the club turned to the town's youth to restart football in peace time. Making a name for himself with local Parkvale Rovers and Army Cadet football was a young Bobby Johnstone. In October 1946, in front of a 1,500 crowd, a Selkirk team including Johnstone defeated Queen of the South which featured future Scottish Internationalist Billy Houliston on the Toll Field. Johnstone also featured in the side which lost out to professional Gala Fairydean in the East of Scotland Cup Final. Later in 1946, both Bobby Johnstone and Eck Piercy were signed for Hibernian, with the promise of a friendly game at Ettrick Park being the transfer fee. The deal was honoured in October 1947 in front of 2,000 spectators with Johnstone being given permission to play for Selkirk one last time. [5]

Hibernian

Bobby Johnstone, known to his mates as 'Nicker', signed for Hibs in 1946 from Selkirk and had two spells with them. Having signed for Hibs, Johnstone received rave reviews while playing for the reserves and was given his first chance in the first team in April 1949, when they played a friendly against Nithsdale Wanderers at Sanquhar. Hibs' Famous Five forward line were given their collective debut in that game.

However, at the start of the 1949–50 season in August it was Bobby Combe in possession of the jersey. His big chance came in October after Hibs half backs got the blame for losing to Dunfermline in the League Cup semi final at Tynecastle. The entire half back line were dropped and Johnstone was given his chance with Combe moved to half back. Therefore, the Famous Five made their collective competitive debut on 15 October 1949 against Queen of the South, with Hibs winning 2–0. [6]

Johnstone picked up Scottish League winners medals in 1951 and 1952. He also played in a Scottish League Cup final and ended league runners-up in the seasons bookending the double league win.

Johnstone was the first of Hibs' famous five to leave Hibs when he transferred in March 1955.

Manchester City

He joined Manchester City for the hefty sum of £22,000. [7] Johnstone was the only one of the Famous Five to play in England. He scored in back-to-back FA Cup Finals for Manchester City, losing in 1955 to Newcastle United and winning in 1956 against Birmingham City. Johnstone was the first player to score in consecutive FA Cup Finals at Wembley. He played alongside future Hibs manager Dave Ewing in both finals.

Return to Hibs

Johnstone returned to Hibs in 1959 for £6,000. Johnstone is remembered most for his first spell with Hibs, yet he inspired them to a couple of incredible wins on his return, even though he had put on a few pounds and was a little less mobile. However, the brain had not slowed down any and his prompting enabled the team to score 10 goals at Firhill against Partick Thistle and another 11 at Broomfield against Airdrie.

Oldham Athletic

After his second spell with Hibs he went south again to join Oldham Athletic and is widely regarded as one of their greatest ever players.

Bernard Halford was assistant secretary in the early 1960s and recalled, "He transformed the club, no doubt about that. He had the crowds flocking down Sheepfoot Lane, even though Athletic had dropped into the Fourth Division. I think it was the only period in my life when I regularly told lies. On match days the phone never stopped ringing. 'Is Johnstone playing?' Bobby might have been sitting in my office with his ankle in plaster, but I had to say he was playing, otherwise the fans wouldn't have turned up. It really was as cut and dried as that."

In the summer of 1965, some 19 years after his senior career had started, Johnstone retired from playing professional football.

International

Of his seventeen international caps, probably the most memorable was scoring on his debut, a 3–2 win against England at Wembley in which Lawrie Reilly also scored. From Scotland's 22-man 1954 World Cup squad, Scotland decided to take only 13 of the 22 to the finals. Johnstone was in the 13 but withdrew through injury. Staying at home on reserve were the likes of Bobby Combe and Jimmy Binning. George Hamilton was also on reserve but travelled after Johnstone's withdrawal.

Johnstone also collected international goals against Northern Ireland, Wales, Sweden and Finland. As well as winning 17 international caps for Scotland, Johnstone also represented the Scottish League on 6 occasions. [8] He also played for a Great Britain team against a "Rest of Europe" side in August 1955, a match played to commemorate the 75th year of the Irish Football Association. [9]

Personal life

He was survived by his daughter Nicola and granddaughter Caroline.

Career statistics

International appearances

Appearances and goals by national team and year [10]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Scotland 195143
195210
195332
195453
195532
195610
Total1710

International goals

Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
114 April 1951 Wembley Stadium, LondonFlag of England.svg  England 1–13–2 Home International
26 October 1951 Windsor Park, Belfast Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 2–03–0 Home International
36 October 1951 Windsor Park, Belfast Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 3–03–0 Home International
46 May 1953 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 1–11–2 Friendly
54 November 1953 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 2–03–3 Home International and 1954 World Cup Qualifier
625 May 1954 Olympiastadion, HelsinkiFlag of Finland.svg  Finland 2–02–1 Friendly
73 November 1954 Hampden Park, GlasgowUlster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 2–22–2 Home International
88 December 1954 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 2–32–4 Friendly
99 November 1955 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 1–02–0 Home International
109 November 1955 Hampden Park, GlasgowFlag of Wales (1959-present).svg  Wales 2–02–0 Home International

Honours

Hibernian

Manchester City

Individual

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibernian F.C.</span> Association football club in Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland

Hibernian Football Club, commonly known as Hibs, is a professional football club in Edinburgh, Scotland. The team competes in the Scottish Premiership, the top division of Scottish football. The club was founded in 1875 by members of Edinburgh's Irish community, and the name is derived from the Latin for Ireland. The Irish heritage of Hibernian is reflected in the name, colours and badge of the club. The green main shirt colour is usually accompanied by white sleeves and shorts. Their local rivals are Heart of Midlothian, with whom they contest the Edinburgh derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Stubbs</span> English footballer & coach

Alan Stubbs is an English football manager and former professional footballer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gary Caldwell</span> Scottish footballer and manager

Gary Caldwell is a Scottish former professional footballer and coach who is the current manager of Exeter City. Caldwell played for Newcastle United, Darlington, Coventry City, Derby County, Hibernian, Celtic, Wigan Athletic and won 55 international caps for Scotland.

William Esplin Ormond was a Scottish football player and manager. As a player, Ormond was well known as one of Hibernian's Famous Five forward line, winning three league championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After a successful spell managing St Johnstone he led Scotland to the 1974 World Cup finals. Scotland were unbeaten at that World Cup, but were eliminated on goal difference.

Gordon Smith was a Scottish footballer. He is the only player to have won a Scottish league championship with three clubs: Hibernian, Heart of Midlothian, and Dundee. Smith also represented Scotland and the Scottish League XI.

Edward Hunter Turnbull was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a forward for Hibernian and Scotland, forming part of the Hibs "Famous Five" forward line. He then had successful spells as manager of Aberdeen and Hibs, winning a major trophy with each club.

Lawrance Reilly was a Scottish footballer. He was one of the "Famous Five", the Hibernian forward line during the late 1940s and early 1950s, along with Bobby Johnstone, Gordon Smith, Eddie Turnbull, and Willie Ormond. Reilly is rated amongst the top forwards in Scottish football history and was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Combe</span> Scottish footballer (born 1974)

Alan Combe is a Scottish football coach and former player who is goalkeeping coach for Dundee. He played as a goalkeeper for Cowdenbeath, St Mirren, Dundee United, Bradford City and Kilmarnock. He has previously worked as a goalkeeping coach for Alloa Athletic, Heart of Midlothian, Hibernian and Cove Rangers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Heffernan</span> Irish footballer

Paul Heffernan is an Irish association football coach and former professional player who is first team coach of Bray Wanderers. A striker, Heffernan played for several clubs in Great Britain which include Sheffield Wednesday, Doncaster Rovers, Notts County, Bristol City, Kilmarnock, Hibernian, Dundee, Queen of the South, and Dumbarton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Ewing</span> Scottish footballer and manager (1929–1999)

Dave Ewing was a Scottish footballer who played in the centre half position for Manchester City and Crewe Alexandra, and briefly managed Hibernian.

James Robert Combe was a Scottish footballer, who played for Hibernian and was player/manager of Dumbarton for one season. He also represented Scotland and the Scottish Football League XI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Dunn (footballer, born 1900)</span> Scottish footballer

James Dunn was a Scottish international footballer, most famous for being part of the 1928 Wembley Wizards team.

David Wedderburn Gibson is a Scottish former footballer, who played for Livingston United, Hibernian, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Exeter City and the Scotland national team.

Hibernian, one of the most prominent clubs in Scottish football, was founded in 1875. The club was named in honour of the Roman name for Ireland and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. The club has competed in the top division of Scottish football in all but four seasons since they first gained entry to the top division in 1895. Hibernian have been Scottish champions four times, most recently in 1952. The club has also been champions of the second tier six times, most recently in 2017. Hibernian have won the Scottish Cup three times, the last time in 2016. This win ended a drought of 114 years and ten cup finals lost since 1902. The club has won the League Cup three times, most recently when they defeated Kilmarnock 5–1 in 2007.

Hugh Shaw was a Scottish football player and manager. He played as a half-back for Hibernian, Rangers, Heart of Midlothian, East Fife and Leith Athletic in the Scottish Football League, winning a Scottish league championship with Rangers in 1927. After retiring as a player he became a coach with Hibernian, assisting manager Willie McCartney. Shaw became Hibs manager in 1948, and guided the team to league championships in 1948, 1951 and 1952. Shaw managed Hibs until 1961, and then had a brief spell as Raith Rovers manager.

William McCartney was a Scottish football referee and manager. He managed both of the Edinburgh derby rivals, Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) and Hibernian (Hibs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Famous Five (football)</span>

The Famous Five is the collective term for Hibernian's forward line of Gordon Smith, Bobby Johnstone, Lawrie Reilly, Eddie Turnbull and Willie Ormond. The north stand at Easter Road was named in their honour when it was rebuilt in 1995. All five players have been inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.

Season 2009–10 for Hibernian was their eleventh consecutive season of play in the Scottish Premier League. The SPL season began on 15 August 2009, with a 2–1 win against St Mirren at home. After a very strong start to the season in which they challenged for the league leadership, Hibs then had a slump in form in the later part of the season. The team eventually secured a Europa League place via finishing fourth in the SPL by winning 2–0 on the final day at Tannadice. Hibs were eliminated from the Scottish Cup in a quarter final replay by Ross County and were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in the third round by St Johnstone.

Season 2001–02 was a turbulent one for Hibernian, as the team had three different permanent managers during the season. Alex McLeish left the club in December to manage Rangers; Hibs surprisingly replaced him with star player Franck Sauzée, who retired as a player when he was appointed manager. Sauzee's brief tenure saw a long winless run in the SPL and domestic cup defeats by Rangers and Ayr United. The winless run in the league dragged Hibs into the fringes of a relegation battle, and Sauzee was sacked after just 69 days in charge. Kilmarnock manager Bobby Williamson was hired as Sauzee's replacement, and a brief winning run averted any danger of relegation. Earlier in the season, Hibs had been knocked out of the UEFA Cup in the first round by AEK Athens, but only after a dramatic second leg at Easter Road that went to extra time.

The 2021 Scottish Cup final was the 136th final of the Scottish Cup and the final of the 2020–21 Scottish Cup, the most prestigious knockout football competition in Scotland. The match was played on 22 May 2021 at Hampden Park, Glasgow. St Johnstone completed a cup double by winning it.

References

  1. ↑ "Bobby Johnstone". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Easter Road game should not have been played, Glasgow Herald (page 4), 22 February 1955
  3. ↑ "'Famous Five' player tribute bid". BBC News. 16 September 2009.
  4. ↑ Bobby Johnstone. The Passing of an Age by John Leigh ISBN   978-1-908234-28-5
  5. ↑ A century of Soccer in Selkirk 1880-1980, by Graham Bateman
  6. ↑ "Club History" on the official Queen of the South website Archived 8 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Bobby Johnstone Obituary, The Guardian 6 September 2001
  8. ↑ "Scotland FL Players by Appearances". Londonhearts.com. London Hearts Supporters' Club. Retrieved 27 November 2011.
  9. ↑ Andrews, Neil (January 2011). "Great Britain v Europe". When Saturday Comes. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  10. ↑ Bobby Johnstone at the Scottish Football Association
  11. 1 2 Vernon, Leslie; Rollin, Jack (1977). Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977–78. London: Brickfield Publications Ltd. p. 490. ISBN   0354 09018 6.
  12. ↑ Strachan, Colleen (15 November 2010). "Caldo hails Hibs spirit after fightback". Edinburgh Evening News . Retrieved 15 November 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.