Craig Johnston facts for kids

Craig Peter Johnston (born 25 June 1960) is a former professional football player. He was born in South Africa but is Australian. Craig played as a midfielder in the English Football League. He played for two famous clubs: Middlesbrough and Liverpool.

Fans at Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, called him "Skippy". He played 271 games for Liverpool and scored 40 goals. Craig was a very important player in 1986 when Liverpool won both the league and the FA Cup. This is called a "double". He also helped write the team's 1988 cup final song, "Anfield Rap". Craig stopped playing football when he was only 27 years old. He retired early to care for his sister, who was very ill.

After football, Craig Johnston became a successful inventor. He designed the first idea for the Adidas Predator football boot. This boot became one of the best-selling football boots ever. Many famous football and rugby players have worn them.

Early Life and Challenges

Craig Johnston was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. His parents were Australian, and they moved back to Australia when he was very young. When Craig was six, he became very sick with a bone infection called osteomyelitis. He almost lost his leg. Luckily, an American doctor visiting Australia helped him.

Starting Football in Australia

Craig began his football journey at Lake Macquarie City. This club is in Newcastle, New South Wales. His father, Colin, had also tried to play professional football in England. He encouraged Craig a lot.

When Craig was 15, he wrote letters to many English football clubs. Middlesbrough was the only club that wrote back. To help Craig follow his dream, his parents sold their house. This money paid for his flight to England.

Playing Career in England

Craig's first game in England was a trial match. At half-time, his manager, Jack Charlton, told him he was "the worst footballer" he had ever seen. Craig was told to leave the hotel where all the trial players were staying. He refused to give up. He slept in a coal shed behind the hotel. He trained alone in a car park near Ayresome Park. The captain of Middlesbrough, Graeme Souness, saw him training and was impressed.

Time at Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough signed Craig Johnston in 1977. He was 17 years old when he played his first game for the team. This was an FA Cup match against Everton, which Middlesbrough won 3–2. His first league game was on 4 February 1978. Middlesbrough beat Birmingham City 2–1. Craig scored his first goal for the club later that season. He scored 16 goals in 64 league games for Middlesbrough. In 1981, he moved to Liverpool for £650,000.

Joining Liverpool FC

Craig Johnston played his first game for Liverpool in August 1981. He came on as a substitute in a league game against Wolverhampton Wanderers. His first time starting a game for Liverpool was in the Intercontinental Cup. This was a big match against a Brazilian team called Flamengo.

Craig scored his first goal for Liverpool on 8 December 1981. It was against Arsenal at Anfield in a League Cup game. He scored in extra time, helping Liverpool win 3–0. Craig became a very popular player with the fans at Anfield. He played under three different managers: Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish. He usually played on the right side of the midfield. He played 271 games for Liverpool and scored 40 goals.

Winning Trophies with Liverpool

Craig Johnston was part of many successful Liverpool teams. They won the League championship in 1982 and 1983. He also won a League Cup medal in 1983. In 1984, Craig helped Liverpool win three major trophies: the League championship, the League Cup, and the European Cup. This was a fantastic achievement!

Two years later, in 1986, he was a key player when Liverpool won another "double". They won both the League championship and the FA Cup. In the 1986 FA Cup final at Wembley, Craig made history. He became the first Australian to score in an FA Cup final. He scored Liverpool's second goal against Everton, helping them win the match.

In the 1987-88 season, Craig started to play less often. This was because Liverpool signed another player, Ray Houghton. Craig still played as a substitute or occasionally started games. Liverpool won the league title again that season. Craig also helped write the club's song for the FA Cup final, called "Anfield Rap". This song mixed Liverpool lyrics with popular rap and house music styles. His last two goals for Liverpool came in a 5–1 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

International Football Opportunities

Even though Craig Johnston was very successful in English football, he never played for the Australian national team. This was partly because his clubs, Liverpool and Middlesbrough, did not want to let him go for international games. They thought these games were not important and caused players to be tired from long flights. Other Australian players faced similar problems. Craig also asked the Australian Football Association for money to travel home, but they said no.

Craig was also asked to play for Scotland in the early 1980s. He could play for Scotland because his father was Scottish. However, Craig said no to this offer. He did play for England's Under-21 team twice. He played against Norway in 1980 and against the Republic of Ireland in 1981. Craig could also have played for South Africa.

Retirement from Football

Craig Johnston played 270 games and scored 40 goals for Liverpool. Just a few days before the 1988 FA Cup Final against Wimbledon, he told his manager, Kenny Dalglish, that he was retiring. A newspaper found out and printed the story on the day of the cup final. This made Craig and the club very upset.

In December 1987, Craig's sister, Faye, became very ill. She was in a hospital in Morocco. She had breathed in gas from a faulty heater. Craig flew to Morocco and brought her back to London by air ambulance. He also brought his parents from Australia. Faye woke up on New Year's Eve after being in a coma for three weeks. Craig said, "We all thought Faye would get better, but she didn't." He tried many things to help her, but no one could. So, he decided to retire from football. He felt it was time to go home to Australia to be with his family.

Craig played his 271st and final game for Liverpool as a substitute in that 1988 FA Cup Final. Liverpool lost the game. In 1991, Graeme Souness, who was then Liverpool's manager, asked Craig if he wanted to train with the team again. But it did not work out. After he retired, many clubs from around the world wanted him to play for them. But Craig always said he could only play for Liverpool.

Life After Football: Business and Innovation

After stopping his football career, Craig Johnston became a successful businessman and innovator. He designed the first idea for the Adidas Predator football boot. Many of the world's best football and rugby players have worn these boots. These include famous names like Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Steven Gerrard.

It took Craig five years to get the first boot made. At first, Adidas, Nike, and Reebok all said no to his idea. But Craig then filmed famous German football players like Franz Beckenbauer using the boots in snowy conditions. This video convinced Adidas to agree to his idea.

He later designed another special boot called The Pig. This boot had a special 'skin' that could be placed over the front of an existing boot. This design was so good that he was nominated for British designer of the year. Craig also invented the Traxion sole for football boots. He also created a software program called 'the Butler'. This program helps hotels know what has been taken from minibars in their rooms.

Craig invested a lot of money in a football school for children in cities. However, he did not get the business support he expected. Because of this, he went bankrupt and was temporarily without a home.

Other Activities and Recognition

Craig Johnston created a TV game show called The Main Event. It was shown in Australia for two years in the early 1990s. It also had a season in the UK in 1993.

Even though he travels a lot for his business, Craig still lives in Australia. He has been recognized in Australia for his achievements in England. In 2006, he appeared on a TV show called The Footy Show World Cup Spectacular in Germany. He shared stories about his career.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Craig wrote a 12-page letter to the head of FIFA, Sepp Blatter. In this letter, he collected all the complaints from players and coaches about the Jabulani football. This ball was made by Adidas and was causing problems. Craig risked his reputation by writing this letter.

In 2005, Craig Johnston was added to the Football Australia Hall of Fame. Craig has also started a new career as a photographer.

Honours

• Football League First Division (5): 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88
• FA Cup (1): 1985–86; runner-up: 1987–88
• League Cup (2): 1982–83, 1983–84
• FA Charity Shield (1): 1986
• European Cup (1): 1983–84

Individual Awards

• Football Australia Hall of Fame: 2005
• PFA Alex Tobin OAM Medal: 2009