Willie Johnston (1960 to 1972 & 1980 to 1982)

An explosive outside-left (often with a temperament to match), Johnston's preferred position was through the centre where he could play to devastating effect.

At the age of 17, Willie made his Rangers debut in August 1964. Courted by Manchester United, Johnston opted to remain closer to his Fife home and so on leaving school he signed for Scot Symon's Rangers.

In only his fifth competitive first team appearance, Willie won the League Cup as two Jim Forrest goals defeated Celtic 2-1 at Hampden Park.

More silverware was to follow in season 1965/66, Celtic again defeated when Kai Johansen’s long range strike settled the Scottish FA Cup Final replay.

Although a frequent goal scorer from the wing, a more central striking role would see this part of his game reach new levels in seasons 1967/68 & 1968/69 where he would score 20 and 29 times respectively. During the latter of those two campaigns, Willie would net twice at Parkhead in a 4-2 League win before going one better when he scored an Old Firm hat-trick in the semi-final of the Glasgow Cup.

Of course, Willie's greatest day arrived in Barcelona on 24th May when his two goals, either side of half time, saw Rangers race into a 3-0 lead in the Final of the 1972 European Cup Winners Cup. Whilst Moscow Dynamo would reduce that deficit to a solitary goal, Johnston's double secured the European trophy so desperately craved following some near misses (Willie had personally tasted defeat in the 1967 final to Bayern Munich).

'Bud', more than most, suffered in terms of the brutal on-field challenges of the period and his readiness to engage in some (at times understandable) retaliation saw him clash more and more with the Scottish football authorities. During his 21 years in the professional game, he was red carded on 19 occasions.

In only the second League match of season 1972/73, Johnston was dismissed in the 2-1 win over Patrick Thistle at Ibrox (a game in which he scored the winning goal), eventually receiving a 9 week ban for his latest misdemeanour. By then, the player had long grown disillusioned of perceived unjust treatment and had reached the conclusion that his future lay outside Scotland. Within three months, Johnston was on his way to the Midlands where he joined West Bromwich Albion.

It seemed inconceivable on that famous night in May that both goal scorers (Colin Stein and Willie Johnston) would have left Rangers before the year was through.

Johnston signed for WBA in December 1972 having secured the Scottish Cup, 2 League Cups and legendary status courtesy of that Barcelona triumph. The League and its surroundings may have changed but the appreciation of Johnston remained the same. Idolised at The Hawthorns, the charismatic Scotsman was soon lighting up English football. Willie would later enjoy an equally profitable spell in front of an adoring Canadian audience with Vancouver.

Both Stein and Johnston would return to Rangers for a second spell, Willie having the much longer wait and not climbing the famous marble staircase until August 1980 when John Greig signed his former team-mate for a bargain £40,000 fee. Ironically, Johnston's second debut came against Patrick Thistle.

Within two years, he had moved on to Heart of Midlothian to team up with another ex team-mate, Alex MacDonald. He remained at Tynecastle until 1985.

Sadly, one incident defined his life and times with the Scotland national team, sent home early from the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina after failing a drugs test. Johnston always maintained the substance which caused him such grief had been taken for medicinal purposes but the SFA could not be persuaded to back their player despite 13 years of unblemished international service behind him. There seemed little doubt that the player had been hung out to dry.

The formidable act of Stein & Johnston continues to this very day, entertaining supporters in the VIP and hospitality areas on Ibrox matchday's.

by Rick Plews