Willie Johnston

First spell at Rangers

Born in Glasgow but raised in Fife and known by the nickname 'Bud', Johnston began his career at local Junior club Lochore Welfare, also signing schoolboy forms with Rangers. He joined the Gers full-time in 1964 aged 17 and soon made his debut against St Johnstone in the Scottish League Cup on 29 August 1964. Two months later, following injury to the established outside left Davie Wilson, Johnston was named in the side for the final of that competition and received his first winner's medal after a 2–1 Old Firm victory over Celtic. He was befriended by one of the team's key players, fellow Fife native Jim Baxter. The following season, Rangers and Celtic shared a cup triumph each, beating the other in the finals; Celtic gained revenge in the League Cup before Rangers won the 1965–66 Scottish Cup 1–0 in a replay, with Wilson playing at inside left in the matches to accommodate both him and Johnston in the team. Ten days before the League Cup Final, on 13 October 1965, Johnston had made his debut for Scotland in a World Cup qualifying fixture against Poland, aged just 18; the match would end with disappointment in a 2–1 home defeat, the opponents scoring both their goals in the last five minutes. In the 1966 Scottish League Cup Final between the same sides, it was Celtic who prevailed by another 1–0 scoreline. Johnston also played in the surprise Scottish Cup defeat to Berwick Rangers in January 1967, suffering a broken ankle, but recovered from…

Johnston was brought up in Cardenden, working as a miner after leaving school. He now lives in Kirkcaldy. The Port Brae Bar pub in the town was run by his son Dean until a dispute with the Belhaven Brewery led to the pub being boarded up, locking Johnston's collection of memorabilia inside.

Rangers

Scottish Cup: 1965–66, 1980–81 Scottish League Cup: 1964–65, 1970–71 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1971–72; runner-up: 1966–67 Vancouver Whitecaps

1979 NASL Soccer Bowl