Rangers History Derek Johnstone 1970's Briefly

[chosen few]

He was our very own Roy of the rovers ,cup final winning goal at 16 ecwc winners medal aged 18 could play centre half ,midfield and striker equally well . scored barrel loads of goals without taking penalties, as mentioned elsewhere best header of a ball I have ever seen , being snubbed by Ally McLeod at Argentina world cup when he had scored an obscene amount of goals that season must have hurt , probably the best young ranger in my time with due reverence to Parlane and Durrant.

 

[chosen few]

A post as brilliant as they come.

They also brought Joe Harper on as a sub instead of D.J. when Scotland were desperate for a goal

 

[Mustang mad]

Great post by the op.
I was born in 77 and started going to Ibrox in 82, so can't really remember seeing DJ much. I knew of his stats but the way the op was set out, really told more of the story, so thanks for that.
You old yins all go on about pre and post Argentina, like he went away in may as a scrawny lad and returned in August the size of a house. Was it really that bad? That quickly? I see plenty footage in early 80s and you can tell it's a losing battle, but for it to happen so fast, and to a 27yo seems mental.

 

[tazzabear]

They also brought Joe Harper on as a sub instead of D.J. when Scotland were desperate for a goal

I can’t remember who he came on for but, I’m not sure Johnstone and Jordan would have worked any better.
Bottom line tho is that Johnstone should have a first pick in Argentina and absolutely and definitely for the Netherlands game after the catastrophic draw with Iran.
Actually, make that for the Iran game after the Peru debacle.

 

[MO_TxTruBlu]

Great post by the op.
I was born in 77 and started going to Ibrox in 82, so can't really remember seeing DJ much. I knew of his stats but the way the op was set out, really told more of the story, so thanks for that.
You old yins all go on about pre and post Argentina, like he went away in may as a scrawny lad and returned in August the size of a house. Was it really that bad? That quickly? I see plenty footage in early 80s and you can tell it's a losing battle, but for it to happen so fast, and to a 27yo seems mental.

By his own very high standards that he himself had set, yes, after 78' there was a decline.
By anyone else's standards he was not so bad at all, as most on here would have you believe.
In that summer of 78', Johnstone handed in a Transfer request, then later tore it up and was named as team Captain.
The 78-79 Season, John Greig's first season in charge, where Johnstone 'preferred' to play at centre back (and has subsequently been accused of lacking drive),
he still weighed in with 16 goals, which was only two less than top scorer Gordon Smith with 18 goals.
Rangers retained both the League Cup and Scottish Cup, and narrowly lost out on back to back Trebles.
He scored a last minute winner v St Mirren in the League Cup, as Rangers came from 0-2 down
to win 3-2, and Rangers went on to win the Trophy defeating Celtic in the Semi Final, and Aberdeen in the Final.
In the Scottish Cup, it was Derek Johnstone who dragged us to that Trophy, following that crushing defeat to Celtic in the League. It was Johnstone who scored the only goal of the game in the Semi Final replay v Partick Thistle, and again in the Scottish Cup Final it was two goals from Derek Johnstone, that finally saw us overcome Hibs 3-2 in the second replay (after two 0-0 draws).
In the European Cup, Johnstone starred in two of our most famous victories ever, in a 2-0 win v Juventus (9 of Italy's World Cup Squad), and he scored the second equaliser in the 3-2 win away to PSV Eindhoven (their first ever defeat on home soil in Europe).
So for a fat lazy bastard of a Centre Back, I think the Big Man did very well that season.
I cannot think of any Centre Back, anywhere, who had a return of 16 Goals in a Single season.

Rangers never recovered from that League defeat to Celtic in May 79'.

Even in John Greig's second season in charge (1979-80), where Rangers finished a disastrous 5th in the League, Derek Johnstone was far and away the top scorer with 21 Goals.
The closest to that was John McDonald and Bobby Russell with 8 Goals each.
The much loved Gordon Smith scored 7 goals in 47 games!
In Dec 79' Johnstone scored winning goals against Morton and Dundee Utd, in the League, which took his tally to 13 goals in 26 games (including 2 in Europe).
Jock Stein recalled Johnstone to the National team for European Qualifier against Belgium.
Before the month was out, he scored in the 1-1 draw with Celtic.
In the Scottish Cup, Johnstone scored an 86th min. winner against Dundee Utd in the Fourth Round, scored again in the 6-1 tanking of Hearts in the QF, then scored the winner against Champions in waiting, Aberdeen (who had already defeated us 5 times already that season) in the Semi Final.
Rangers cruelly lost the Final to Celtic in extra time to a deflected shot.

So that's two seasons where Johnstone is often severely criticised by many on here, but in my opinion, he was clearly our most significant player.

The only highlights of 80-81 was beating Celtic at the piggery with a last minute Alex Miller goal, and a 3-0 roasting v Celtic in November.
Johnstone did still collect another Scottish Cup Winners medal, when a Davie Cooper inspired performance saw us defeat Dundee Utd 4-1 in the Scottish Cup Final replay.
Six months later, Johnstone added another League Cup medal to his cabinet, when we defeated Dundee Utd again 2-1 in the League Cup Final.

Derek Johnstone is one of only two players who can lay claim to having played under Willie Waddell, Jock Wallace, John Greig and Walter Smith.

 

[MO_TxTruBlu]

One of my all time favourites, however I would take slight issue with the OP's time line. Season 1975/76 [treble season] DJ did not revert to centre forward, he played mostly in midfield wearing the number eleven shirt. Martin Henderson occupied the CF position for most of the season.

31 Goals that 75-76 season would make him probably the highest goalscoring midfielder of all time.

Derek Johstone actually wore the No.10 shirt for our first 17 or so games that season.
Quinton Young wore No.11. for most of those 17 games
It was only after Quinton Young was out the picture in November that Derek Johnstone took on the No.11 shirt.
The 3 league games that Johnstone missed, it was Derek Parlane who came into the side to replace him, and wore the No.11 shirt in his absence.
Are you telling me that Parlane played midfield that season too?

I believe we played with two (twin) strikers that season.
At the start of the season it was any 2 from Stein Parlane and Johnstone.
There was times when the three of them played in the same Line up at the start of that season, and I'm sure that Johnstone would have operated in midfield in those games.
At the end of November, Martin Henderson got Parlane's No.9 shirt, and was pretty much an ever present for the remainder of that season.
I can remember we as fans in general were annoyed at Wallace, that our 2 Scottish Internationalists, Parlane and Jardine spent half that season as our 2 benchwarmers. at the expense of Alex Miller and Martin Henderson.
But who were we to question the man who brought us back to back Titles, and a Treble.

Prior to that period, I think it was pretty easy to identify Players positions by their shirt numbers, but there was some strange ones that season.
When Johnstone took the No.11 shirt, it was Tommy McLean who wore the No.10 shirt for the last 27 games of that season, yet in my head I still see Tommy McLean as a No.7.
When Johnny Hamilton came in, he took the No.8 shirt for the last 27 games that season.
Bobby McKean who was our No.8 took on the No.7 shirt

I am sure Johnstone may have played midfield during that season, but I still seen him as a Striker, for the best part of that season.
Having said that, you only have to look at the last week of that season, to see just how important a player Derek Johnstone was for Rangers, no matter where he played.
Sat Apr 24th...Johnstone scores after only 22 seconds to give Rangers a 1-0 win at Tannadice to clinch the League Title with 2 games to spare.
Mon Apr 26th....Just two days later, with Jackson and Forsyth both injured, Derek Johnstone goes back to Centre Back (central defence) for the League Game at the piggery, and turns in a Man of the Match performance, like he had played there all season, as Rangers draw 0-0.
Sat May 1st.....Johnstone scores again inside the first minute in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden, and scores another later on, as Rangers wrap up the Treble with a 3-1 victory over Hearts.

Jock Wallace commented on Derek Johnstone after the Scottish Cup victory
"To my mind, he is the best player in Britain, and he is still only 22, he could be one of the all time greats".

Sat May 8th...Johnstone came off the bench for Scotland, replacing Centre Forward Willie Pettigrew, as Scotland defeated Northern Ireland 3-0 at Hampden
Sat May 15th...Johnstone comes off the bench to replace Left Winger Eddie Gray, as Scotland defeat England 2-1 at Hampden.

He was favourite to get the Scottish Player of the Year Award that season, but it went to John Greig.

 

[MearnsUnionist]

31 Goals that 75-76 season would make him probably the highest goalscoring midfielder of all time.

Derek Johstone actually wore the No.10 shirt for our first 17 or so games that season.
Quinton Young wore No.11. for most of those 17 games
It was only after Quinton Young was out the picture in November that Derek Johnstone took on the No.11 shirt.
The 3 league games that Johnstone missed, it was Derek Parlane who came into the side to replace him, and wore the No.11 shirt in his absence.
Are you telling me that Parlane played midfield that season too?

I believe we played with two (twin) strikers that season.
At the start of the season it was any 2 from Stein Parlane and Johnstone.
There was times when the three of them played in the same Line up at the start of that season, and I'm sure that Johnstone would have operated in midfield in those games.
At the end of November, Martin Henderson got Parlane's No.9 shirt, and was pretty much an ever present for the remainder of that season.
I can remember we as fans in general were annoyed at Wallace, that our 2 Scottish Internationalists, Parlane and Jardine spent half that season as our 2 benchwarmers. at the expense of Alex Miller and Martin Henderson.
But who were we to question the man who brought us back to back Titles, and a Treble.

Prior to that period, I think it was pretty easy to identify Players positions by their shirt numbers, but there was some strange ones that season.
When Johnstone took the No.11 shirt, it was Tommy McLean who wore the No.10 shirt for the last 27 games of that season, yet in my head I still see Tommy McLean as a No.7.
When Johnny Hamilton came in, he took the No.8 shirt for the last 27 games that season.
Bobby McKean who was our No.8 took on the No.7 shirt

I am sure Johnstone may have played midfield during that season, but I still seen him as a Striker, for the best part of that season.
Having said that, you only have to look at the last week of that season, to see just how important a player Derek Johnstone was for Rangers, no matter where he played.
Sat Apr 24th...Johnstone scores after only 22 seconds to give Rangers a 1-0 win at Tannadice to clinch the League Title with 2 games to spare.
Mon Apr 26th....Just two days later, with Jackson and Forsyth both injured, Derek Johnstone goes back to Centre Back (central defence) for the League Game at the piggery, and turns in a Man of the Match performance, like he had played there all season, as Rangers draw 0-0.
Sat May 1st.....Johnstone scores again inside the first minute in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden, and scores another later on, as Rangers wrap up the Treble with a 3-1 victory over Hearts.

Jock Wallace commented on Derek Johnstone after the Scottish Cup victory
"To my mind, he is the best player in Britain, and he is still only 22, he could be one of the all time greats".

Sat May 8th...Johnstone came off the bench for Scotland, replacing Centre Forward Willie Pettigrew, as Scotland defeated Northern Ireland 3-0 at Hampden
Sat May 15th...Johnstone comes off the bench to replace Left Winger Eddie Gray, as Scotland defeat England 2-1 at Hampden.

He was favourite to get the Scottish Player of the Year Award that season, but it went to John Greig.

According to Derek Johnstone himself, 1974/75 was the only season he played in midfield.

 

[Mustang mad]

By his own very high standards that he himself had set, yes, after 78' there was a decline.
By anyone else's standards he was not so bad at all, as most on here would have you believe.
In that summer of 78', Johnstone handed in a Transfer request, then later tore it up and was named as team Captain.
The 78-79 Season, John Greig's first season in charge, where Johnstone 'preferred' to play at centre back (and has subsequently been accused of lacking drive),
he still weighed in with 16 goals, which was only two less than top scorer Gordon Smith with 18 goals.
Rangers retained both the League Cup and Scottish Cup, and narrowly lost out on back to back Trebles.
He scored a last minute winner v St Mirren in the League Cup, as Rangers came from 0-2 down
to win 3-2, and Rangers went on to win the Trophy defeating Celtic in the Semi Final, and Aberdeen in the Final.
In the Scottish Cup, it was Derek Johnstone who dragged us to that Trophy, following that crushing defeat to Celtic in the League. It was Johnstone who scored the only goal of the game in the Semi Final replay v Partick Thistle, and again in the Scottish Cup Final it was two goals from Derek Johnstone, that finally saw us overcome Hibs 3-2 in the second replay (after two 0-0 draws).
In the European Cup, Johnstone starred in two of our most famous victories ever, in a 2-0 win v Juventus (9 of Italy's World Cup Squad), and he scored the second equaliser in the 3-2 win away to PSV Eindhoven (their first ever defeat on home soil in Europe).
So for a fat lazy bastard of a Centre Back, I think the Big Man did very well that season.
I cannot think of any Centre Back, anywhere, who had a return of 16 Goals in a Single season.

Rangers never recovered from that League defeat to Celtic in May 79'.

Even in John Greig's second season in charge (1979-80), where Rangers finished a disastrous 5th in the League, Derek Johnstone was far and away the top scorer with 21 Goals.
The closest to that was John McDonald and Bobby Russell with 8 Goals each.
The much loved Gordon Smith scored 7 goals in 47 games!
In Dec 79' Johnstone scored winning goals against Morton and Dundee Utd, in the League, which took his tally to 13 goals in 26 games (including 2 in Europe).
Jock Stein recalled Johnstone to the National team for European Qualifier against Belgium.
Before the month was out, he scored in the 1-1 draw with Celtic.
In the Scottish Cup, Johnstone scored an 86th min. winner against Dundee Utd in the Fourth Round, scored again in the 6-1 tanking of Hearts in the QF, then scored the winner against Champions in waiting, Aberdeen (who had already defeated us 5 times already that season) in the Semi Final.
Rangers cruelly lost the Final to Celtic in extra time to a deflected shot.

So that's two seasons where Johnstone is often severely criticised by many on here, but in my opinion, he was clearly our most significant player.

The only highlights of 80-81 was beating Celtic at the piggery with a last minute Alex Miller goal, and a 3-0 roasting v Celtic in November.
Johnstone did still collect another Scottish Cup Winners medal, when a Davie Cooper inspired performance saw us defeat Dundee Utd 4-1 in the Scottish Cup Final replay.
Six months later, Johnstone added another League Cup medal to his cabinet, when we defeated Dundee Utd again 2-1 in the League Cup Final.

Derek Johnstone is one of only two players who can lay claim to having played under Willie Waddell, Jock Wallace, John Greig and Walter Smith.

Superb stuff, thanks for this

 

[VelvetOrange]

Superb stuff, thanks for this

Superb stuff, thanks for this

Its a great post. My only issue with 78-79 is that Johnstones goals came when he was played up front. He wasnt banging them in as regular CH. His own vanity about that position was our undoing. Jackson and Forsyth were much better defenders around 78. Although the nightmare at Parkheid nailed us, it was the early months when we hardly scored or won matches cost us the title. (Imo of course!)

 

[Mustang mad]

Its a great post. My only issue with 78-79 is that Johnstones goals came when he was played up front. He wasnt banging them in as regular CH. His own vanity about that position was our undoing. Jackson and Forsyth were much better defenders around 78. Although the nightmare at Parkheid nailed us, it was the early months when we hardly scored or won matches cost us the title. (Imo of course!)

DJ was obviously a superb striker , and i assume this was his position coming through as a lad. Why then would he want to move back to CH? Surely the glory of scoring the goals would be more appealing?

 

[VelvetOrange]

DJ was obviously a superb striker , and i assume this was his position coming through as a lad. Why then would he want to move back to CH? Surely the glory of scoring the goals would be more appealing?

DJ as a striker is a legend. I'm not sure why he preferred CH. He wouldnt have played there in Barca 72 had Jackson been fit, although he might have got the no 8 jersey rather than Conn.
He had a great season in72-73 at CH and got capped for Scotland and had some amazing plaudits at the time but Rangers team was never as potent without the old McLean cross & DJ 'good morning' header as Alex MacDonald used to call it.

 

[Alex Venters]

DJ was obviously a superb striker , and i assume this was his position coming through as a lad. Why then would he want to move back to CH? Surely the glory of scoring the goals would be more appealing?

Less running and hard graft.
He was a lazy individual blessed with great talent. He wanted the easiest time possible on the pitch. There can be no other explanation.

 

[Mustang mad]

Less running and hard graft.
He was a lazy individual blessed with great talent. He wanted the easiest time possible on the pitch. There can be no other explanation.

Has DJ himself ever explained his thinking behind it? has he ever admitted being a bit lazy?

 

[MO_TxTruBlu]

Less running and hard graft.
He was a lazy individual blessed with great talent. He wanted the easiest time possible on the pitch. There can be no other explanation.

Got to disagree with you there.
There is another explanation, he was a damn good Central Defender.

You don't break into a Rangers team as a 16 year old, managed by Waddell, and trained by Wallace as a lazy individual.
Johnstone did not demand to be a Central Defender as a teenager, he was selected for that position, firstly by Waddell, as a 17 year old, then subsequently by Wallace, because as good as he was as a Centre Forward, he was probably even better as a Central Defender at that point in his career.
Despite his League Cup Final winner in Oct 70' and his equaliser in the Scottish Cup Final (as a Sub), Waddell gave Johnstone only 2 Starts and 3 Sub appearances in our final 20 Games of that 70-71 season.
Johnstone was still not considered good enough to start as a Striker by Waddell for most of that campaign.
Waddell did start the 71-72 League Cup campaign with Johnstone up front for the opening 6 LC qualifying games (4 Goals), but did not use him at all in our opening 12 League Games (not even as a Sub).
It was only after the injury to McKinnon in Nov 71', that Johnstone got back into the starting Line up......as a Central Defender.
McKinnon and Jackson was Waddell's preferred Central defensive partnership, in that 70-71 season, and for the start of the 71-72 campaign, until McKinnon's injury.
Both were out and out Centre Halves as we knew them back then.
Dave Smith, a cultured left sided midfielder, was then transformed into a Central Defender/Sweeper to partner Jackson in central defence.
A totally different type to McKinnon, Smith did not have the aerial presence of McKinnon, nor the tackling ability of McKinnon, but he did have the ability to read the game well, had the confidence and vision to carry the ball out the back, and to make an intelligent pass.
Johnstone had it all, he was fantastic in the air, and he was superb on the ground.
Of the 28 Starts that Johnstone got from the end of November onwards of that 71-72 campaign, Waddell selected Johnstone as a Central Defender in 8 of those Games, not because Johnstone was a lazy individual, but because even as an 18 year old it was obvious that this boy was an excellent Central Defender.
As was confirmed ultimately in his performance in our greatest ever triumph.
Within 12 months of that game, Willie Ormond gave the teenage Derek Johnstone 5 Caps for Scotland...as a Central Defender.
In Jock Wallace's first two seasons in charge, Derek Johnstone played close to 90 games in Central Defence, not because he was lazy, or demanding, which is something Mr Wallace would not stand for, it was because Johnstone was simply an outstanding Central Defender.

 

[MO_TxTruBlu]

16 Years old
100,000 plus in attendance
No Trophies in over 4 Years
50,000 go mental