John Johnston (footballer)
Encyclopedia
John Shand Johnston was a Scottish
footballer
who played as a wing half
and won the FA Cup
with Bury
in 1903
.
and started his career with Stalybridge Rovers
before joining Football League First Division
Bury in May 1901, shortly followed by his former Stalybridge team-mate, centre-half Frank Thorpe
. He remained with Bury for six seasons making 180 league appearances, scoring twice. He also appeared in all of Bury's matches in the FA Cup in 1902–03, reaching the final where they defeated Derby County
in one of the most one-sided finals ever played. Bury's 6–0 victory still stands as the record Final win. Bury also equalled another record, winning the Cup without conceding a goal in any round.
In May 1907 he moved, along with Bert Hodgkinson
, to the south coast to join Southern League
Southampton
, where he was once again re-united with Frank Thorpe
, who had joined the "Saints" from Plymouth Argyle
a few weeks earlier. In his first season at The Dell he made 33 Southern League appearances and helped the "Saints" to reach the FA Cup Semi Finals where they went out to Wolverhampton Wanderers
, beating First Division Everton
en route. He remained with Southampton for four seasons during which the team struggled in a vain attempt to regain their former success. Johnston was a "distinct individual; through all the heat and bustle of the game he was never seen without a blade of grass or some convenient substitute protruding from his mouth." He had a strange gait but was a natural leader and tended to coach the forwards while the game was in progress.
In 1911 he moved back to Stalybridge
, this time to join Stalybridge Celtic
as player-manager, taking with him Southampton's top-scorer in 1910–11, Martin Dunne
. He guided Stalybridge to success in the Lancashire Combination and into the Southern League in 1914.
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...
footballer
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...
who played as a wing half
Wing half
In association football, the position of wing half or wing half back) was popularly used in the late nineteenth and first half of the 20th centuries...
and won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
with Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
in 1903
1903 FA Cup Final
The 1903 FA Cup Final was contested by Bury and Derby County at Crystal Palace. Bury won 6–0, with goals from George Ross, Charles Sagar, Joe Leeming , William Wood and John Plant...
.
Playing career
Johnston was born in LennoxtownLennoxtown
Lennoxtown is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland at the foot of the Campsie Fells, which are just to the north.It is now part of the East Dunbartonshire council area but prior to 1975 was in the county of Stirling....
and started his career with Stalybridge Rovers
Stalybridge Rovers F.C.
Stalybridge Rovers Football Club was an English football club from Stalybridge, Cheshire at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.-History:...
before joining Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
Bury in May 1901, shortly followed by his former Stalybridge team-mate, centre-half Frank Thorpe
Frank Thorpe
Frank Thorpe was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for various clubs in the 1900s, including Southampton and Bury, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1903.-Playing career:...
. He remained with Bury for six seasons making 180 league appearances, scoring twice. He also appeared in all of Bury's matches in the FA Cup in 1902–03, reaching the final where they defeated Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in one of the most one-sided finals ever played. Bury's 6–0 victory still stands as the record Final win. Bury also equalled another record, winning the Cup without conceding a goal in any round.
In May 1907 he moved, along with Bert Hodgkinson
Bert Hodgkinson
For the English footballer of the same name see Bert Hodgkinson Albert Victor Hodgkinson was a Welsh footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs in the 1900s, including making one appearance for the Wales national football team in 1908.-Football career:Hodgkinson was born at...
, to the south coast to join Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
, where he was once again re-united with Frank Thorpe
Frank Thorpe
Frank Thorpe was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for various clubs in the 1900s, including Southampton and Bury, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1903.-Playing career:...
, who had joined the "Saints" from Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle F.C.
Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the...
a few weeks earlier. In his first season at The Dell he made 33 Southern League appearances and helped the "Saints" to reach the FA Cup Semi Finals where they went out to Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, beating First Division Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
en route. He remained with Southampton for four seasons during which the team struggled in a vain attempt to regain their former success. Johnston was a "distinct individual; through all the heat and bustle of the game he was never seen without a blade of grass or some convenient substitute protruding from his mouth." He had a strange gait but was a natural leader and tended to coach the forwards while the game was in progress.
In 1911 he moved back to Stalybridge
Stalybridge
Stalybridge is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of 22,568. Historically a part of Cheshire, it is east of Manchester city centre and northwest of Glossop. With the construction of a cotton mill in 1776, Stalybridge became one of...
, this time to join Stalybridge Celtic
Stalybridge Celtic F.C.
Stalybridge Celtic are an English full time professional football club from Stalybridge, Greater Manchester in North West England. The club, which plays its home matches at Bower Fold, is currently in the Conference North in the sixth tier of the English football league system...
as player-manager, taking with him Southampton's top-scorer in 1910–11, Martin Dunne
Martin Dunne (footballer)
Martin Dunne was an English footballer who played one season as a forward in the Southern League for Southampton.-Football career:...
. He guided Stalybridge to success in the Lancashire Combination and into the Southern League in 1914.