Tommy Johnston Explained

Tommy Johnston
Fullname:Thomas Bourhill Johnston
Birth Date:18 August 1927
Birth Place:Loanhead, Scotland
Death Place:Shoalhaven, Australia
Position:Striker
Years1:1949–1951
Clubs1:Kilmarnock[1]
Caps1:19
Goals1:17
Years2:1951–1952
Clubs2:Darlington
Caps2:27
Goals2:9
Years3:1952
Clubs3:Oldham Athletic
Caps3:5
Goals3:3
Years4:1952–1954
Clubs4:Norwich City
Caps4:60
Goals4:28
Years5:1954–1956
Clubs5:Newport County
Caps5:63
Goals5:46
Years6:1956–1958
Clubs6:Leyton Orient
Caps6:87
Goals6:70
Years7:1958–1959
Caps7:36
Goals7:22
Years8:1959–1961
Caps8:93
Goals8:51
Years9:1961
Clubs9:Gillingham
Caps9:35
Goals9:10
Totalcaps:425
Totalgoals:256

Thomas Bourhill Johnston (18 August 1927 – 4 September 2008) was a Scottish professional footballer who scored 256 goals from 425 appearances in the Scottish and English Football Leagues.

Johnston was the Football League Second Division top scorer for the 1957–58 season with 43 goals for Leyton Orient and Blackburn Rovers.[2] He was Orient's all-time top scorer and in 1999 was voted their greatest player of all time.[3]

He had a withered arm, a legacy of an injury received while he was a miner, and always played with this arm bandaged.[4] Johnston and his family emigrated to Australia in 1972, and he died in Shoalhaven, New South Wales, on 4 September 2008.[3]

The south stand at Orient's Brisbane Road ground was named the Tommy Johnston Stand in his honour, and his ashes were interred there.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kilmarnock player details: Johnston, Tommy . FitbaStats . Bobby Sinnet & Thomas Jamieson . 17 April 2020.
  2. Web site: Football League Div 1 & 2 Leading Goalscorers 1947–92 . James M. . Ross . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) . 20 June 2019 . 17 April 2020.
  3. Web site: Tommy Johnston . Leyton Orient F.C. . 4 September 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080914202544/http://www.leytonorient.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10439~1384275,00.html . 14 September 2008.
  4. Book: Jackman, Mike . Blackburn Rovers: the official encyclopaedia . Breedon Books . Derby . 1994 . 132 . 1-873626-70-3 .
  5. Web site: The Happy Wanderer returns home . Leyton Orient F.C. . 17 October 2009 . 19 October 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091019120415/https://www.leytonorient.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10439~1828526,00.html . 19 October 2009.