Harry Johnston (footballer, born 1949) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harry Johnston
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Harry Grant Forsyth Johnston
24 December 1949 |
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Association football career
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Harry Grant Forsyth Johnston, born on December 24, 1949, is a Scottish former athlete who was great at two sports: football and cricket! He played as a midfielder in football, especially for Montrose, and also for Partick Thistle in Scotland's top league. He also played first-class matches for the Scottish national cricket team.
Contents
Harry Johnston's Football Career
Harry Johnston was born in Orkney and grew up in Aberdeen, Scotland. He started his football journey with a local youth club called Lewis United.
Playing for Montrose F.C.
In 1970, Harry joined Montrose, a semi-professional team. This means players were paid, but not as much as full-time professionals. He joined around the same time as other important players like Dennis D'Arcy and Les Barr.
These players helped Montrose improve a lot. They won the Forfarshire Cup in 1972–73. Then, in the 1974–75 season, they finished 3rd in their league, which was their best result ever! This was important because the leagues were changing. Only the top six teams would go into a new, higher division. Montrose also had an amazing 15-match unbeaten run. They even set a record by winning a game 12–0 in the 1974–75 Scottish Cup.
The next year, 1975–76, was even better for Montrose. They finished 3rd again, even though they were playing against stronger teams. They also reached the quarter-finals of the 1975–76 Scottish Cup. They almost made it to the final, losing to Heart of Midlothian after two extra games. They also got to the semi-finals of the 1975–76 Scottish League Cup. They led against Rangers for a long time before losing 5–1.
Time at Partick Thistle F.C.
Harry Johnston's great performances for Montrose caught the eye of bigger clubs. In 1976, he joined Partick Thistle, a team that had just moved up to Scotland's top football league. Harry was also studying to become a PE teacher at Jordanhill College at this time.
The manager of Partick Thistle, Bertie Auld, had to convince Harry to join. Harry wasn't sure if he was good enough for the top league. He signed for £20,000, which was a lot of money back then! His time with the Glasgow club was short, lasting just over a year. This was partly due to injuries.
However, Harry still played in 14 league games during the 1976–77 season. Partick Thistle finished 5th in the league that year. Harry played alongside famous Scottish players like Alan Hansen and Alan Rough. He helped the team get their first win in the new top division against Motherwell. He also scored three goals, two of which were against Rangers! After being injured and playing on loan for Brechin City, Harry returned to Montrose in 1979.
Later Football Years
Harry Johnston played three more seasons for Montrose. Then he spent two seasons with Stenhousemuir. These clubs were at a similar level and closer to his home. He played 128 more league games for these two teams. In his mid-30s, he went back to playing for a youth club, Thorniewood United, before retiring from football. In 2004, Harry was honored by being made a member of the Montrose Hall of Fame.
Harry Johnston's Cricket Career
Besides football, Harry Johnston was also a talented cricketer. He played for local clubs like Aberdeenshire and later Uddingston and Fauldhouse Victoria. He was good at both bowling (throwing the ball to try and get players out) and batting (hitting the ball).
He was chosen to play for the Scottish national cricket team in important matches. He played two first-class matches against Ireland, one in 1975 and another in 1981.
Harry also played in 17 List A matches. These are also high-level games, usually one-day matches. Most of these were in the Benson & Hedges Cup, which Scotland first entered in 1980. He also played one match in the NatWest Bank Trophy in 1983. Harry probably would have played even more cricket if he hadn't taken a break from 1976 to 1979 to focus on his football career.
Harry Johnston's Life Outside Sports
Harry Johnston became a high school PE teacher. He was already working as a teacher when his football career became more famous. He taught for many years at Stonelaw High School in Rutherglen. While he didn't become the head of the PE department or the school's football coach, he was involved in coaching youth cricket.
See also
- List of Scottish cricket and football players
