George Johnston (footballer, born 1947)
George Johnston (born 21 March 1947) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He played more than 150 matches in the English Football League.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Johnston[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1962–1964 | Cardiff City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1964–1967 | Cardiff City | 60 | (21) |
| 1967–1969 | Arsenal | 21 | (3) |
| 1969–1970 | Birmingham City | 9 | (1) |
| 1970 | → Walsall (loan) | 5 | (1) |
| 1970–1972 | Fulham | 39 | (12) |
| 1972–1973 | Hereford United | 18 | (5) |
| 1973–1974 | Newport County | 3 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Life and career
Johnston was born in Glasgow. He began his football career as a junior at Cardiff City, turning professional in 1964 and making his debut at the end of the 1964–65 season at the age of 17.[2] He was part of Cardiff's 1965 Welsh Cup-winning team.[3] The following year he settled into the side and, playing alongside the likes of John Charles and John Toshack, he finished as the club's top scorer with a total of 23 goals. In March 1967, Johnston played in a benefit match for victims of the Aberfan disaster against Arsenal and scored twice against the London club, which persuaded them to offer £20,000 to Cardiff to sign him.[2]
He made his debut for Arsenal on 19 August 1967, against Stoke City, and made 17 appearances in his first season, 1967-68. However, he could not hold down a place in 1968–69 and was dropped to the reserves, where he won a Football Combination winners' medal. Out of the Arsenal first team, he joined Second Division club Birmingham City in the summer of 1969, for a fee of £30,000.[4] He made 25 appearances and scored 3 goals for Arsenal.[5]
Signed as a replacement for Fred Pickering, Johnston failed to hold down a first-team place. A period on loan at Walsall immediately preceded a £6,000 move to Fulham, where he spent two years.[4] A season with Hereford United followed, and one more with Newport County, before, at the age of just 26, he dropped out of league football.[2]
He later settled in Cardiff and worked for a marine engineering company.[6]
References
- "George Johnston". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
- Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 101. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
- "Welsh Cup Final 1964/65". Welsh Football Data Archive. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
- Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. p. 186. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
- Edwards, Leigh. "Ultimate Saddlers A–Z 10". Walsall F.C. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011.