Rangers legend Derek Johnstone coming to Saltcoats for event
Derek Johnstone will be visiting the Saltcoats Masonic Hall on Sunday, June 30. The one-of-a-kind event, which runs from 2pm to 6pm, will allow attendees to take photos with the Ibrox legend and former Scotland international, as well as question him during a Q&A session. He will also share memories from his brilliant career, which comprised over 350 games for the Glasgow giants over two consecutive terms spanning 14 years. Johnstone joined Rangers as a schoolboy, then at 14, in 1968, before turning professional in 1970.
He made his debut that same year and scored twice in a victory over Cowdenbeath, though his early career will best be remembered for the winning goal he scored in the League Cup final against rivals Celtic just weeks after his debut. Despite struggling for a regular start, competing with the legendary Colin Stein, in his early years, Johnstone was a starter in the Rangers team who won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Barcelona in 1972. Following this, he became a mainstay in the side throughout the 1970s and took part in a number of historic campaigns for the club.
In 1975, he helped break Celtic’s nine-year dominance as Scottish champions, gaining the Gers a domestic treble the following year – a destiny they repeated only two years later.
Despite filing a transfer request in 1978, new manager John Greig persuaded Johnstone to remain in Glasgow, despite interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, and named him club captain. That same season, Greig won two cups, which was the pinnacle of his career. Johnstone then left Glasgow for Chelsea in 1983, but he struggled to establish a regular starting position at Stamford Bridge, and after a brief loan spell at Dundee United, he returned to Ibrox in 1985. However, he would only return to the club for a year before retiring from football.
Read more on sportchannel.co.uk
Leave a Reply