Jimmy Johnstone dies

Celtic great Johnstone dies at 61

Johnstone was part of the Celtic side that won nine titles in a row
Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone has died at the age of 61 after a long battle with motor neurone disease.
Johnstone was a member of Celtic's Lisbon Lions team, who became the first British side to win the European Cup when they beat Inter Milan in 1967.

Johnstone scored over 100 goals for Celtic, won 23 caps for Scotland and in 2002 was voted Celtic's greatest player by supporters of the club.

He was diagnosed with the motor neurone condition in November 2001.

His son James Johnstone, 35, said: "My dad passed away at 6am this morning. It hasn't even begun to sink in yet for the family."

Born in Viewpark, Lanarkshire, Johnstone made his debut for Celtic in 1963.

His dazzling dribbles earned him the nickname 'Jinky' and he became part of the team that won nine consecutive Scottish League titles between 1965 and 1974.

The highlight of his career came when Celtic came from a goal behind to defeat Inter Milan in the European Cup final.

His manager Jock Stein, who died of a heart attack in 1985, said Johnstone - with whom he had several run-ins - was "better than Stanley Matthews".

After leaving Parkhead, he played for San Jose Earthquakes, Sheffield United, Dundee, Shelbourne and Elgin City before retiring from football.

Johnstone became an active campaigner for stem cell research after he was diagnosed with the condition.

Motor neurone disease affects the nerve cells that send electrical signals from the brain, causing the muscles to waste away.

About 1,200 people are diagnosed in the UK each year and sufferers have a life expectancy of two to five years.

God rest you Jinky. A true Celtic legend.

YNWA

:ball: PP

I see he played for Shels - I don't remember that. How many games did he play ?

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaIVMWEsBFU

Quote:

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Many people would say that the Red Star match was Jinky's finest but the wee man's favourite game was the Alfredo di Stefano testimonial in Madrid against the mighty Real. Celtic had just Jimmy, oh Jimmy Johnstone, oh Jimmy Johnstone on the wing. won the European cup and were invited to play in the match. Johnstone put on a superb show and had the 125,000 Reals fans chanting Ole, Ole, every time he went past a man.

He simply tore them to shreds and at one point in the match none of the Real players wanted to go to tackle him for fear of being embarrassed in front of so many people so Jinky just stood with the ball at his feet out on the wing. Celtic won the match 1-0 with Jinky dribbling the ball from just outside his own box to set up Bobby Lennox for the goal and at the final whistle he held the ball aloft in one hand and the crowd roared with delight. Later that evening di Stefano asked if Jinky would pose for a group photograph along with himself, Puskas, Santamaria and Gento, the greats of European football.

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http://www.jinkysoars.co.uk/jinky.htm

RIP

R.I.P Jinky.

Legend...................

God rest You Jinky. we'll never forget

Singing Dirty Old Town:
http://media.putfile.com/Jinky-sings-Dirty-Old-Town

Celtic TV is free tonight for everyone with programmes dedictated to Jimmy.

Larsson:

“It’s hard to find words that express how I feel at the moment,” Larsson said. “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.

“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.”

Great man on a great team for a great club. We wont see his like again.

God bless you Jinky, gone but never forgotten.

Its why go to the footie, to be entertained.

He was a great entertainer.

RIP

RIP Jimmy. Great memories.:)

Didn't he have a short spell with Shels a good few years ago???

Thanks for all the great moments...

Sandy Jardine said he would be mourned by genuine Rangers fans who remember him playing in the same way that genuine Celtic fans who saw Jim Baxter play mourned him when he died. In a way that is the best tribute anyone could pay him, given the divided nature of fitba in Glasgow.