George Johnston (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 March 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Glasgow, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | 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. | |||
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.
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.[1] He was part of Cardiff's 1965 Welsh Cup-winning team.[2] 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.[1]
He made his debut for Arsenal on August 19, 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.[3] In total he made 25 appearances and having scored 3 goals for Arsenal.[4]
Signed as a replacement for Fred Pickering, he 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.[3] 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.[1]
He settled in Cardiff and worked for a marine engineering company.[5]
Honours
with Cardiff City
- Welsh Cup: 1965
References
- 1 2 3 Hayes, Dean (2006). The Who's Who of Cardiff City. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-462-0.
- ↑ "Welsh Cup Final 1964/65". Welsh Football Data Archive. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- 1 2 Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 101. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
- ↑ Harris, Jeff & Hogg, Tony (ed.) (1995). 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.