John Greig
Encyclopedia
John Greig MBE
(born 11 September 1942 in Edinburgh
) is a Scottish
former professional football
player who, despite his boyhood allegiance to hometown team Heart of Midlothian
, spent his entire career in Glasgow
with Rangers
as a player, manager and director.
Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the Rangers supporters and has been elected to Rangers' Hall of Fame
.
matches, a club record 121 League Cup
games and 64 in European Cup
). He scored 120 goals for the club and won three domestic trebles. Greig actually started his career with Rangers as a forward, prior to being moved back to midfield – playing initially alongside another Rangers legend in Jim Baxter
– and finally to right back. It was therefore in those initial years that he scored the majority of his goals for the club.
Greig was captain when Rangers won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972 beating Dynamo Moscow
3–2 in Barcelona
. Although Greig's was an enormously successful playing career, his captaincy coincided with a period of sustained success for Rangers' city rivals, Celtic
, from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. Greig's fortitude during that period further cemented his reputation as one of Rangers' most celebrated captains.
on 44 occasions, 15 as captain, between 1964 and 1971. He scored the late winner in Scotland's 1–0 victory against Italy
at Hampden Park
on 9 November 1965. Greig also represented the Scottish League XI
13 times.
. His time as Rangers' manager was not successful. The club failed to win the league championship
during Greig's time as manager, finishing no higher than the second place achieved in his first season. There were sporadic successes. In his first season, Rangers performed creditably to reach the quarter-final of the European Cup, defeating Italian champions Juventus
and becoming the first club to win in European club competition at PSV's Philips Stadion
, before eventual elimination to Cologne
. There was also the partial compensation of success in domestic cup competitions, with two Scottish Cup
s and two League Cups
secured over the course of Greig's five full seasons as manager. Greig was also responsible for signing Rangers' greatest ever goalscorer Ally McCoist
from Sunderland
. However, these were isolated achievements, and Greig – under intense pressure from the Scottish media, Rangers supporters and the club's directors – resigned in October 1983, replaced by the returning Wallace.
and BBC television
. He was re-employed by Rangers from 1990 as part of the club's public relations team. Dick Advocaat
, manager of Rangers from 1998–2001, re-involved Greig in football coaching, and he continues to contribute to youth development. In 2003, he joined the Rangers board of directors
. Greig resigned this position in October 2011, soon after the takeover of the club by Craig Whyte
. Greig and John F. McClelland
, who resigned at the same time as Greig, stated that they had been excluded from the corporate governance
of the club since Whyte had taken control.
|1961–62||rowspan="17"|Rangers
||rowspan="17"|Division One
||11||7||1||0||2||1||1||0||15||8
|-
|1962–63||27||5||7||0||5||5||2||0||41||10
|-
|1963–64||34||4||6||2||10||0||2||0||52||6
|-
|1964–65||34||4||3||0||7||0||7||1||51||5
|-
|1965–66||32||7||7||0||10||1||0||0||49||8
|-
|1966–67||32||2||1||0||8||1||9||0||50||3
|-
|1967–68||32||11||4||2||6||0||6||1||48||14
|-
|1968–69||33||6||5||1||6||0||9||2||53||9
|-
|1969–70||30||7||3||2||6||0||4||0||43||9
|-
|1970–71||26||7||8||0||8||1||2||1||45||10
|-
|1971–72|| 28|| 8|| 6|| 1|| 6|| 0|| 8|| 0|| 48|| 9
|-
|1972–73||30||7||6||0||10||3||2||0||48||10
|-
|1973–74||32||6||1||0||10||2||4||2||47||10
|-
|1974–75||22||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||22||1
|-
|1975–76||36||2||5||0||10||1||4||0||55||3
|-
|1976–77||30||0||5||0||11||1||2||0||48||1
|-
|1977–78||29||2||5||1||5||1||2||1||41||5
498||86||73||9||120||17||64||7||755||120
498||86||73||9||120||17||64||7||755||120
) on 15 November 1977. In June 2008, he was awarded honoris causa, from Glasgow University, along with Celtic legend Billy McNeill
. This enables Greig to use the title of Doctor
.
Manager:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 11 September 1942 in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
former professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player who, despite his boyhood allegiance to hometown team Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, spent his entire career in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
as a player, manager and director.
Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the Rangers supporters and has been elected to Rangers' Hall of Fame
Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame
The Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame is a list established in 2000 by the then Rangers chairman, Sir David Murray, to honour the club's notable players.Each year more names are added by a panel consisting of selected ex-Rangers legends...
.
Club career
A determined, forceful player of limited technical ability, Greig made 755 official appearances for Rangers (498 league appearances, 72 Scottish CupScottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
matches, a club record 121 League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
games and 64 in European Cup
European Champion Clubs' Cup
The European Champion Clubs' Cup, also known as Coupe des Clubs Champions Européens, or simply the European Cup, is a trophy awarded annually by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Champions League...
). He scored 120 goals for the club and won three domestic trebles. Greig actually started his career with Rangers as a forward, prior to being moved back to midfield – playing initially alongside another Rangers legend in Jim Baxter
Jim Baxter
James Curran Baxter was a left-footed Scottish footballer who played as a midfielder. He is regarded by some as the country's greatest ever footballer...
– and finally to right back. It was therefore in those initial years that he scored the majority of his goals for the club.
Greig was captain when Rangers won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972 beating Dynamo Moscow
FC Dynamo Moscow
Dynamo Moscow is a Russian football club based in Moscow, currently playing in the Russian Premier League. Dynamo's traditional kit colours are blue and white...
3–2 in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Although Greig's was an enormously successful playing career, his captaincy coincided with a period of sustained success for Rangers' city rivals, Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
, from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. Greig's fortitude during that period further cemented his reputation as one of Rangers' most celebrated captains.
International career
Greig played for ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
on 44 occasions, 15 as captain, between 1964 and 1971. He scored the late winner in Scotland's 1–0 victory against Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
on 9 November 1965. Greig also represented the Scottish League XI
Scottish League XI
The Scottish League XI is a representative side of the Scottish Football League. The team regularly played against the Football League and other national league select teams between 1892 and 1980. For a long period the annual fixture between the English and Scottish leagues was only second in...
13 times.
International goals
- Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 27 May 1965 | Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
2–1 | 2–1 | 1966 World Cup qualification 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.... |
|
| 2. | 9 November 1965 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
1–0 | 1–0 | 1966 World Cup qualification 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification A total of 74 teams entered the 1966 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds, competing for a total of 16 spots in the final tournament. , as the hosts, and , as the defending champions, qualified automatically, leaving 14 spots open for competition.... |
|
| 1. | 24 November 1965 | Glasgow Glasgow Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands... , Scotland Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the... |
4–1 | 4–1 | British Home Championship British Home Championship The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84... |
Managerial career
Greig's playing career ended in 1978 when he was appointed manager of Rangers, replacing Jock WallaceJock Wallace
John "Jock" Martin Bokas Wallace was a professional Scottish football player and manager. His father, Jock Wallace, Sr., was a goalkeeper for Raith Rovers, Blackpool and Derby County....
. His time as Rangers' manager was not successful. The club failed to win the league championship
Scottish Football League Premier Division
The Scottish Football League Premier Division was, from 1975 until 1998, the top division of the Scottish Football League and the entire Scottish football league system...
during Greig's time as manager, finishing no higher than the second place achieved in his first season. There were sporadic successes. In his first season, Rangers performed creditably to reach the quarter-final of the European Cup, defeating Italian champions Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and becoming the first club to win in European club competition at PSV's Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion
Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre....
, before eventual elimination to Cologne
1. FC Köln
1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
. There was also the partial compensation of success in domestic cup competitions, with two Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
s and two League Cups
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
secured over the course of Greig's five full seasons as manager. Greig was also responsible for signing Rangers' greatest ever goalscorer Ally McCoist
Ally McCoist
Alistair Murdoch "Ally" McCoist, MBE ; 24 September 1962) is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Rangers in Scotland....
from Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
. However, these were isolated achievements, and Greig – under intense pressure from the Scottish media, Rangers supporters and the club's directors – resigned in October 1983, replaced by the returning Wallace.
Post football career
After leaving Rangers, Greig worked as a pundit for Radio ScotlandBBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Scotland is BBC Scotland's national English-language radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of programming, including news, sport, light entertainment, music, the arts, comedy, drama, history and lifestyle...
and BBC television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
. He was re-employed by Rangers from 1990 as part of the club's public relations team. Dick Advocaat
Dick Advocaat
Dirk Nicolaas "Dick" Advocaat is a Dutch football manager and former player currently the manager of the Russia national football team.He has been moderately successful as a football player and as a coach, which included two stints with the Dutch national football team...
, manager of Rangers from 1998–2001, re-involved Greig in football coaching, and he continues to contribute to youth development. In 2003, he joined the Rangers board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. Greig resigned this position in October 2011, soon after the takeover of the club by Craig Whyte
Craig Whyte
Craig Whyte is a Scottish businessman and the owner of Rangers Football Club.Whyte first entered business in a plant hire company; since then he has branched out into security, manufacturing and property, before becoming a venture capitalist...
. Greig and John F. McClelland
John F. McClelland
John F. McClelland, CBE, FRSE, FRSA is a Scottish businessman and a former chairman of Rangers F.C..-Career:McClelland spent 35 years in the international electronics industry holding senior board level positions at a number of the sector’s leading corporations and gaining wide experience of...
, who resigned at the same time as Greig, stated that they had been excluded from the corporate governance
Corporate governance
Corporate governance is a number of processes, customs, policies, laws, and institutions which have impact on the way a company is controlled...
of the club since Whyte had taken control.
Career statistics
|-|1961–62||rowspan="17"|Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
||rowspan="17"|Division One
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||11||7||1||0||2||1||1||0||15||8
|-
|1962–63||27||5||7||0||5||5||2||0||41||10
|-
|1963–64||34||4||6||2||10||0||2||0||52||6
|-
|1964–65||34||4||3||0||7||0||7||1||51||5
|-
|1965–66||32||7||7||0||10||1||0||0||49||8
|-
|1966–67||32||2||1||0||8||1||9||0||50||3
|-
|1967–68||32||11||4||2||6||0||6||1||48||14
|-
|1968–69||33||6||5||1||6||0||9||2||53||9
|-
|1969–70||30||7||3||2||6||0||4||0||43||9
|-
|1970–71||26||7||8||0||8||1||2||1||45||10
|-
|1971–72|| 28|| 8|| 6|| 1|| 6|| 0|| 8|| 0|| 48|| 9
|-
|1972–73||30||7||6||0||10||3||2||0||48||10
|-
|1973–74||32||6||1||0||10||2||4||2||47||10
|-
|1974–75||22||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||22||1
|-
|1975–76||36||2||5||0||10||1||4||0||55||3
|-
|1976–77||30||0||5||0||11||1||2||0||48||1
|-
|1977–78||29||2||5||1||5||1||2||1||41||5
498||86||73||9||120||17||64||7||755||120
498||86||73||9||120||17||64||7||755||120
Personal life
Greig was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBEOrder of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
) on 15 November 1977. In June 2008, he was awarded honoris causa, from Glasgow University, along with Celtic legend Billy McNeill
Billy McNeill
William "Billy" McNeill MBE is a former Scottish footballer and manager. He is best known for captaining Celtic to the European Cup triumph in 1967 and he later went on to manage the club. He is now the official Club Ambassador at Celtic....
. This enables Greig to use the title of Doctor
Doctor (title)
Doctor, as a title, originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb docēre . It has been used as an honored academic title for over a millennium in Europe, where it dates back to the rise of the university. This use spread...
.
Honours
Player:- UEFA Cup Winners' CupUEFA Cup Winners' CupThe UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
(1): 1972 - Scottish League Champions (5): 1963, 1964, 1975 1976, 1978
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(5): 1963, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1978 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(4): 1964, 1965, 1976, 1978 - Scottish Footballer of the YearScottish Football Writers' AssociationThe Scottish Football Writers' Association is an association of Scottish football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1965...
(2): 1966, 1976
Manager:
- Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(2): 1979, 1981 - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(2): 1979, 1982
External links
- Manager profile - John Greig Rangers.co.uk
- Hall of Fame - John Greig Rangers.co.uk