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Quotes
On Jinky
“One player who sticks in my mind is the little red haired wingers Jimmy Johnstone. He had such skill and was the kind of player I always enjoy watching.”
Pele on Jinky
“On my first day as Scotland manager I had to call off practice after half an hour, because nobody could get the ball off wee Jimmy Johnstone.”
Tommy Dochery (ex-Scotland Manager)
“Rangers like the big strong powerful fellows, with a bit of strength and solidity in the tackle, rather than the frivolous, quick moving stylists like Jimmy Johnstone, small, tiptoe-throughs the tulips type of players who excite people”
Willie Waddell, Rangers manager 1972, explaining why Rangers are so loved!
“They were such a good team. “And in those days we were all in the same boat – we didn’t have much. “It was all about playing football for the boys.”
Agnes Johnstone (wife of Jinky) on Jinky & the Lisbon Lions
“My father Jimmy was a scout and coach at Celtic when Jimmy first arrived at Parkhead and told me all about him.
“Bob Kelly and Jimmy McGrory both felt he was too small to make the grade but my father convinced them to stick with him and Jimmy would prove them wrong.
“I’m sure every Celtic fan is glad my dad made them persevere as he went on to be the best player the club has ever known.”
Billy Gribben, London.
“I still can’t get to grips with the news. You know what a player he was, but what a person. He was the kindest guy in the world. All the time he was lying there he never complained. I saw him on Friday and, like any time you met him, you left feeling a stronger person. Jimmy was so desperate to help other people with the same disease, he wanted a cure for it even though he knew he couldn’t be helped.”
Bertie Auld
“I admired Jimmy so much as a player, but I admired him so much more for the immense way he fought this terrible illness. May he rest in peace.”
Jim Craig
“I don’t think he knew what he was going to do next, so what chance did the opposition have?”
Tommy Gemmell on Jinky
“I put wee Jinky into a cab and said to the driver ‘Be careful, he’s second only to Jesus Christ here’. And the driver replied, ‘No, he’s in first place, Jesus is second’. He’s the biggest character I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a few.”
Hollywood actor Robert Duvall (on Jimmy Johnstone).
“Money could not buy Jimmy [Johnstone]’s talent,” said Craig. “He destroyed Terry Cooper, who was England’s left-back at the time, when we met Leeds United in the semi-final of the European Cup in 1970. A few years later, we went to Elland Road for a testimonial for Jack Charlton and Jimmy turned it on again. My father-in-law, James Farrell, got a tap on his shoulder during the game. It was Michael Parkinson, who asked `do you see this every weekend?’ `Of course’, was the reply. `God, you are so lucky,’ said Parky.”
Jim Craig
“For my first European match, I travelled as a linesman to France for Nantes’ UEFA Cup match against Whilst there, I was introduced to the legendary Just Fontaine, the leading goalscorer of all time in the World Cup Finals.
He asked where I was from and when I said Glasgow, Fontaine’s excited response was: ‘Ah, Glasgow Celtic!
Jimmy Johnstone – fantastique, fantastique.’
Willie Young, quotes the great Just Fontaine.
“People might say I will be best remembered for being in charge of the first British club to win the European Cup or leading Celtic to nine league championships in a row, but I would like to be remembered for keeping the wee man, Jimmy Johnstone, in the game five years longer than he might have been. That is my greatest achievement.”
Jock Stein.
“At his peak George [Best] was a better all-round player than Jimmy Johnstone, but for individual skill Jinky was streets ahead. Bestie was like the great Alfredo Di Stefano, similar in the way he could see things happening, but for pure ability there was no one like wee Jimmy, at his greatest he was unstoppable. I’m glad I only had to face him in training games. However, I count myself fortunate to have seen both in action when they were at the top. They were both incredible.”
Tommy Gemmell
“It’s a tragedy. We’ve lost a great pal and a colleague. He fought the disease with great courage and he stood up to it well. On the pitch he had the heart of a lion and the ability of a maestro. He was an unbelievable player, as good as any you will see. We have lost a magnificent player who created a lot of history for the club. I doubt very much if we’ll see his like again.”
Tommy Gemmell
“Growing up I had two real heroes, George Best and Jimmy Johnstone. One week I’d say Jimmy was the best and the next I’d say it was George.
“Unfortunately we’ve lost both of them.
“I don’t think many people will know I actually played with Jimmy at Dundee.
“It was the smallest right side of midfield the club ever had.
“People say he lived life to the full on and off the pitch – I lived life to the full with him just one day. We went out in Dundee and my liver is still recovering.
“It was only one day out but it felt like a week. Fact is my wife never spoke to me for a week afterwards but it was great fun. I’d never give that day back.
Gordon Strachan.
“But then Jinky was a bit special. People ask me if Jinky was better than Wee Willie Henderson but it’s not as simple as that.
“Wee Willie was probably a better provider. I think he made more use of the ball. He’d beat two or three men and get the ball over. He’d set up goals as well as score himself.
“But Jinky? The wee man would beat three players then turn around and beat them again – just for the hell of it.
“But if you wanted a breather, Jinky was your man. You gave him the ball and let him run around for a minute.
“And in big games, a minute was an eternity.
“But, oh, what a heart wee Johnstone had. Billy McNeill used to tell me stories about Jinky getting kicked by the South Americans.
“But the wee fella just bounced back and ran straight at them again.
Jim Baxter.
“Jimmy was a lovely wee man and was a team-mate and a friend to all of us. I was lucky enough to play alongside him but I have as much respect for the courageous way he handled his illness. He loved the Celtic fans. This news is devastating for everyone.”
Cesar
“Wee Jimmy was a fantastic player, someone everyone looked up to. His character and personality matched his ability as a player. He was a brilliant wee guy with a great sense of humour having loads of fun winding people up. If he was a legend to many supporters, he was also a legend to many players that played for Celtic as well. He was just a fantastic fella and obviously your thoughts go out to his family because he will be sadly missed, more importantly to the family than anyone else. He had fantastic ability. He was only about 5’5”, 5’6” and he could turn really on an old-fashioned sixpence and he used to tear people to shreds.
Kenny Dalglish
“It was wonderful to have played alongside Jimmy and he looked after me. He trained well, worked hard and had a great attitude towards the game. All football fans should watch the television over the next few days just to see how good he really was.”
Lou Macari
“It’s hard to find words that express how I feel at the moment. I’ve been thinking about it ever since I got a text from Murdo [Macleod] to tell me the news earlier this morning and it’s a very sad day. My first thoughts are obviously with Jinky’s family and friends because I know what a loss he will be. Most people will remember him as an incredible player and I know that’s true from watching the videos, but to me and a lot of other people, it was just as important that he was a really fantastic guy who had a nice word for everyone. I got on well with him from the start and, whenever I saw him, he would always be smiling. That’s how I’ll remember him. He was always there encouraging people around the club, and not just me. I’d see him speaking to some of the young lads and to the staff; it didn’t matter to Jinky. He was brilliant with everyone at Celtic and it was always a great occasion whenever he’d come into Celtic Park for a visit.”
Henke
The first time he came to prominence in England was against Leeds [in 1970] when he tore Terry Cooper apart in both games. Celtic won both games and qualified for the [European Cup] final. He had superb ball control, could take people on and because he was so quick no one could get near him. As brilliant as he was as a player, he was equally as good as a person. He was just a fantastic wee fella who is a sad loss to everyone. He is one of those type of people, even if they are not here you still think he is here, although he will be sadly missed. He’ll never be forgotten.”
Kenny Dalglish
“To be honest, I didn’t understand what an honour it was to wear the same number jersey as him when I first arrived at the club, but by the time I left I knew exactly why it was so special. I also know that, right ’til the end, Jinky was always fighting and I can only say how sad I am about this news. He’ll be very sorely missed.”
Henke
“He was an entertainer, so exciting. He used to come into the dressing room and he never had a bad word to say about anyone.”
Neil Lennon
“I met Jimmy along with the rest of the Lisbon Lions team when I first came to Glasgow almost six years ago. As we gathered round the table, it was obvious to me the respect and regard in which he was held by his team-mates. He was wonderful company that evening, with a subtle mixture of charm and humility, sometimes teasing everyone in sight, yet at other times deflecting the conversation away from himself and his legendary exploits, and making you feel as if you were his best friend. However, you still felt in complete awe of this footballing genius.”
Martin O’Neill
“My two idols growing up were George Best and Jimmy and unfortunately we’ve now lost both of them. He [Jinky] lived life to the full. Unfortunately I lived life to the full with him one day in Dundee too, and my liver is still recovering. I saw him at Christmas and he still had that sense of humour that everyone loved. He was a wonderful character. Physically he has died, but we have the memories and those never die. He will be with us all the time.”
WGS
“It is a sad time for the whole Celtic family. Jimmy was rightly regarded as the greatest ever Celt. Our thoughts are with Jimmy’s wife Agnes and his family and friends.”
Peter Lawwell
“Jimmy was a wonderful player and a wonderful character and we will always have the memories – they will never die. He radiated. If you were down, he made you feel better, that’s the kind of guy he was. He was a great advert for Scotland.”
WGS
“It was in 1971, on tour with the Faces, when I was invited to watch the squad in training. I met Jimmy and Jock Stein, and I have been a fan ever since. They should put up a statue the size of Parkhead for Jimmy. It couldn’t be big enough. He was special.”
Rod Stewart
“He was a genius who had a real sense of humour; a genius who played the game with a smile on his face. He crossed the great divide. There isn’t a Rangers supporter who would not give him credit for who he was. He was the greatest there ever was.”
THE PUNDITS
“Jimmy Johnstone was one of the best players you will ever see. Celtic fans will still remember the night he tormented Leeds – one of the finest club sides England has ever produced – at Hampden Park in a European Cup semi-final in 1970. He also did it against a world-class full-back in Terry Cooper, who was at the peak of his career.”
Alan Hansen
“I never met him, but my dad got a book signed by him and wrote a message in it that was positive about how I played, which meant a lot. My dad used to watch Celtic train and study his methodology, then tell me and I would practice with that in mind.”
Pat Nevin
“He was some man for a wee man, was Jimmy Johnstone. The greatest-ever Celt was an icon of the game, the epitome of the tanner ba’ player who learned his trade on the streets, perfecting the balance of an acrobat, the poise of a high-wire walker.”
Chick Young
“Jinky would have been special wherever he played – and he did it at the highest level with Celtic every season playing against Europe’s best teams and reaching two European Cup finals. He will be remembered as one of the greatest players ever to play for Celtic and it is an accolade he truly deserves.”
Pat Nevin
“They adored him, you know. The Celtic fans, obviously, but even supporters of Real Madrid, who feast on football wizardry, watched in awe as he hypnotised them at Alfredo Di Stefano’s testimonial match in the Bernabeu nearly 40 years ago.”
Chick Young
“Gie’s the ba’ Big Man” Jimmy Johnstone said to Jim Craig during a game.
“When will I get it back?” said Craig.
“When I am finished with it I suppose,” boldly replied Jinky.
THE POLITICOS
“Jinky was an inspirational footballer. He always played with pride and passion and his death is a great loss to the footballing community and to Scotland as a whole.”
First Minister Jack McConnell
“Jinky was loved and admired by millions of football fans. His death, after a tremendously brave battle against an awful illness, will be mourned not just in Glasgow, but in cities and towns all across the world. This is a very sad day indeed.”
Glasgow Lord Provost Liz Cameron
THE SFA (Crocodile Tears Dept.)
“Jimmy Johnstone was a legend, a unique footballing talent who was a superb entertainer, the finest of his generation. He had his run-ins with authority, both at club and international level, but he was simply too good to leave out of any side. He will be sadly missed.”
Rangers
“I was in a meeting with school teachers when I was given the news and I was lost for words. There was a tear in my eye. Jimmy and I stayed in touch after we finished playing – just like I still do with Billy McNeill. I often phoned Jimmy and his spirit was tremendous despite his predicament.”
John Greig
“There is a huge rivalry between both clubs but everybody appreciates quality players. Celtic fans mourned Jim Baxter and I have no doubt there will be a lot of Rangers fans mourning Jimmy Johnstone.”
Sandy Jardine
“In terms of his playing ability he was as good as any player I came up against. His was a special and unique talent. From a Rangers perspective, although our support always want the team to better their rivals, they appreciate talent. I know that in the Rangers support of a certain generation, there was a real appreciation for the talent of Jimmy Johnstone – he was that good.”
John Greig
Jimmy Johnstone speaks:
“You’ve got to entertain and to that you’ve got to practise at it. And that’s what’s missing.”
On Lisbon
“I’m proud that I was part of the greatest club in the world. To be the first British team to win the European Cup, but more so to be part of the greatest Celtic team ever, that’s something else, isn’t it?”
“Picture it, who were we? We were nobody, just a bunch of guys. Here we were, in Lisbon, playing against the mighty Inter Milan. If you remember, they had won the European Cup and the World Championship twice.”
“We all got drunk, I think. For a week after it, we just got drunk.”
‘We knew within ourselves, our own ability and we started to believe in ourselves but we never, ever for a minute thought that we would win the European Cup.’
Jinky, 1995
On the Largs rowing-boat episode
“I was fishing.”
On Ireland
“Your hospitality, your Guinness and your girls were unbelievable. Jock Stein used to say it took us two months to get over it.”
On being diagnosed with MND (2001)
“I don’t want to put a long face on it. I am being positive about the whole thing. I have my wife Agnes, three children and six grandchildren, and they are all that matter to me.”
On being unable to attend the 20th anniversary commemoration for big Jock (2005)
“I regret not being able to be at Celtic Park with the rest of the guys. But the important thing was to be there in spirit. Jock was everything to a lot of us. He certainly got the best out of me.”
On the fans and the Club
“I was always aware I was an entertainer. The crowd provided the expectation, the hair on the back of my neck would go up and I loved the applause. The pitch was my stage. The whistle meant it was showtime. That is why I admired Matthews. The way he took people on and beat them, that was entertainment to me and that is all I wanted to do.
“Without the fans, you are nothing and what I am most thankful of is that I got a chance to realise my talent at Celtic, because it is a special club, supported by special people.”
On Playing Rangers and Superstition
“I never had a specific ritual before the match. I would just go out looking for an early touch. The worst bit was about 10 minutes before the kick-off, but once out on the park, a lot of the nerves would go. Bobby Lennox would have his lucky suit. By the end, you could almost see your face in the arse of his trousers. We were a very chirpy dressing room.”
On Watching Real Madrid at Hampden
“The match remained the biggest single influence on my career. It was like a fantasy staged in heaven. I had never seen football like it, nor would I ever again. I’ll recite the names of that Madrid forward line till the day I die.”
On Di Stefano testimonial
‘Without a shadow of a doubt that was my best game for Celtic. With a quarter of an hour to go, none of them would come near me.’
Jinky on Alferdo di Stefano’s testimonial speaking in 1995.
