Mo Johnston
Scottish forward who crossed the Old Firm divide and scored at the 1990 World Cup.
Maurice John Giblin Johnston, a Scottish forward born on 13 April 1963, played and later coached football. His senior career began in 1981 with Partick Thistle. By November 1983, he had moved to Watford for £210,000, scoring 20 league goals in 29 games that season and helping the club reach its first FA Cup final, which they lost to Everton. After three more league goals early in the 1984–85 season, he returned to Scotland to join Celtic.
There he netted 72 times in 128 matches, winning the Scottish Cup in 1985 and the league title in 1986. In 1987, he transferred to French side Nantes, scoring 22 goals over two seasons. Though he initially said he would never return to Scotland, he later reconsidered—but instead of rejoining Celtic, he signed with Rangers in July 1989. This made him the second player since World War II to cross the Old Firm divide (after Alfie Conn) and the first openly Catholic to play for Rangers since World War I. The move angered fans on both sides; some Rangers supporters burned scarves, while Celtic fans called him Judas.
He won over many Rangers fans by scoring a late winner in an Old Firm derby in November 1989. With Rangers, he won two league titles and scored 46 goals in 100 games. In November 1991, Everton paid £1.5 million for him, where he formed a strike trio with Tony Cottee and Peter Beardsley, scoring seven league goals in 1991–92 and three more the following season—including a goal in a 3–0 win at Manchester United. After falling out of favour under Howard Kendall, he was given a free transfer in October 1993.
He then returned to Scotland with Hearts, scoring four goals in 31 appearances in his first season, but was released in February 1995 after a contract dispute. He joined Falkirk, scoring once that season and five times the next as the club was relegated. In 1996, he moved to the United States to play for the Kansas City Wiz (later Wizards) in Major League Soccer, scoring 31 goals in 149 regular-season games and adding a goal in 15 playoff matches.
He was part of the Wizards team that won the MLS Cup in 2000. For Scotland, Johnston earned his first cap in 1984 while at Watford, and went on to score 14 goals in 38 appearances, including one at the 1990 World Cup. He was expected to be in the 1986 World Cup squad but was dropped by caretaker manager Alex Ferguson after a late-night incident during preparations for a play-off against Australia. After retiring as a player in 2001, he coached in MLS, most recently as manager and later Director of Soccer at Toronto FC, leaving the club on 14 September 2010.
Quick Facts
- Full name
- Maurice John Giblin Johnston
- Born
- 13 April 1963
- Birthplace
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Height
- 1.75 m / 5 ft 9 in
- Position
- Forward
Facts from the source article.
Background
Johnston started his career in 1981 with Partick Thistle and scored 41 goals in two and a half seasons there. He moved to Watford for £210,000 in November 1983, scoring 20 goals in 29 league games and helping them reach their first FA Cup final, which they lost 2–0 to Everton. He began the 1984–85 season at Watford, getting three goals in nine First Division games before returning to Scotland. At Celtic, he scored 14 league goals in 27 games in his first season, 15 goals in 32 games in 1985–86 as Celtic won the league, and 23 goals from 40 games in 1986–87.
He moved to Nantes in 1987 and scored 22 goals in two seasons. After initially claiming he would never return to Scotland, he reconsidered and appeared at a press conference to announce he would sign for Celtic at the end of his contract with Nantes. In July 1989, he opted not to return to Celtic and instead joined Rangers. He was Rangers' first major Roman Catholic signing, angering both Celtic and Rangers supporters.
He won over many Rangers fans in November 1989 by scoring a late winning goal in an Old Firm derby. He signed for Everton on 18 November 1991 for £1.5M, scoring seven goals in 21 league games in 1991–92 and three goals in 13 games in 1992–93. He was given a free transfer in October 1993. He returned to Scotland with Hearts, making 31 appearances and scoring four goals in his first season, then was given another free transfer in February 1995.
He joined Falkirk, scoring one goal in the remainder of that season and five in the next as Falkirk were relegated. In 1996 he moved to MLS with Kansas City Wiz (later Wizards), scoring 31 goals in 149 games and adding a goal in 15 playoff games, and was part of the Wizards team that won the MLS Cup in 2000. He made his Scotland debut in 1984 and played regularly under Andy Roxburgh from July 1986. He was dropped from the 1986 World Cup squad after a late night incident during preparations for a play-off against Australia.
He played in all three of Scotland's matches in the 1990 World Cup, scoring a penalty against Sweden. He retired from international competition after their early elimination, briefly returned for Euro qualifiers in late 1991, got injured against Switzerland, and permanently retired in 1992 after 14 goals in 38 caps.
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