Craig Johnston

Craig Peter Johnston (born 25 June 1960) is a South African-born Australian former professional soccer player. He played as a midfielder in the English Football League between 1977 and 1988, for Middlesbrough and Liverpool. Nicknamed "Skippy", Johnston was a crowd favourite at Anfield, making 271 Liverpool appearances and scoring 40 goals. He was a key member of the 1986 "double" winning team. At the age of six, Johnston contracted osteomyelitis and came close to losing his leg and would have done if not for the expertise of an American specialist who was touring and lecturing in Australia at the time.

He began his career at Lake Macquarie City in Newcastle, New South Wales. Encouraged by his father Colin, who had trialled at Preston North End and Dundee United, aged 15, he wrote to several English clubs, with Middlesbrough replying. His parents sold their house to pay for the flight to England.

Career in England In his first match as a trialist, at half time and 3–0 down he was told by then manager Jack Charlton "you are the worst footballer I have ever seen in my life. You won't make a player while your arse still points to the ground". He was told to "hop it" therefore losing his room at the hotel for all the trialists. He stayed in a cleaned out coal shed behind the hotel. Refusing to give up, he trained alone in a car park near Ayresome Park where he was spotted by then Boro captain Graeme Souness.

Middlesbrough, managed by John Neal now, signed Johnston in 1977 making his first team debut for Middlesbrough, aged 17, in a 3–2 FA Cup victory against Everton. His league debut came on 4 February 1978 in a 2–1 victory over Birmingham City at St Andrew's and he scored his first goal later that season in a 2–1 home league defeat to West Ham United. Johnston scored 16 goals in 64 league games for Middlesbrough before moving to Liverpool in 1981 for £650,000

Johnston made his Liverpool debut in August 1981, coming on as sub for Ray Kennedy in the 1–0 league defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Johnston's first start came in the Intercontinental Cup fixture against Brazilian side Flamengo.

Johnston scored his first goal for Liverpool on 8 December 1981 against Arsenal at Anfield, during a League Cup fourth round replay. Johnston opened the scoring in the fifth minute of extra time in a 3–0 win. Johnston became a crowd favourite at Anfield during his long spell with the club. Ian Rush secured the win with a late third.

International career Despite Johnston's success in domestic football, he never played international football for Australia. Johnston attributed this to an unwillingness on Liverpool & Middlesbrough's parts to release him for international games they viewed as being unimportant and exhausting from a jetlag perspective (a challenge other Australian players of the era faced from their domestic clubs, such as Tony Dorigo), as well as a desire to stay established in the domestic team rather than disrupt this progress. Johnston also asked the Australian FA for financial support to travel home, which they rejected.

Early in his career in England he had described playing football for Australia as "like surfing for England."

Johnston was approached by Jock Stein in the early 1980s with a view to him playing for Scotland as he was eligible through his father. Johnston declined Stein's offer. and against the Republic of Ireland at Anfield in February 1981. Johnston was also eligible to represent South Africa.

Retirement After 270 appearances and 40 goals and just days before the 1988 FA Cup Final at Wembley against Wimbledon, Johnston announced his premature retirement from football to manager Kenny Dalglish. The story was leaked by a tabloid newspaper on the morning of cup final day, much to the player and club's anger.

In December 1987, Johnston's sister Faye became seriously ill and was admitted to a hospital in Morocco. She had suffered from butane gas inhalation from a faulty heater in her hotel. Johnston was at the club's Christmas party when hearing the news. He flew out and brought her back to London by air ambulance. He also brought his parents over from Australia. She woke on New Year's Eve, after three weeks in coma. "We all thought Faye would get better but she didn't. Time went on and we tried all sorts of things, took her to Malaysia, to neurologists… nobody could help. So I retired from football, it was a big decision. It was time to go home. Once back in Australia we realised that Faye wasn't getting better and apparently she never would."

Johnston made his 271st and final appearance as a red, as a substitute for John Aldridge in the final (who had just seen his penalty saved with Liverpool a goal down) thus ending up on the losing side. In 1991, when Graeme Souness was manager of Liverpool F.C, he asked Johnston if he would like to train with the team with a view to playing again. Liverpool still held Johnston's registration as a player. It didn't work out and Johnston moved on. After his retirement he was linked to clubs from all over the world.

He later designed another innovative boot called The Pig or, to give them their full title, the Patented Interactive Grip can come as a 'skin' that can be placed over the toe of an existing boot. The design earned him a nomination for British designer of the year, losing out to a multimedia designer.

Johnston also invented the Traxion sole for football boots and the software program the 'Butler,' a device that shows what has been removed from minibars in hotel bedrooms.

Johnston invested heavily in a football school idea for inner city children but failed to win expected business backing and went bankrupt. He was made temporarily homeless as a result.

Other activities Johnston was the creator of TV game show The Main Event, which aired for two years in the early 1990s in Australia and a season in the UK in 1993.

Though he travels the world with his business interests, Johnston remains based in Australia. He has been recognised at home for his achievements in England. On 18 June 2006, Johnston made an appearance as a guest on The Footy Show World Cup Spectacular in Germany revealing information on his career.

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Johnston wrote a 12-page letter to FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, in which he collected all criticism by players and coaches of the controversial Adidas-produced Jabulani ball, risking his reputation, and expecting to be blacklisted by the conservative governing body as a result of this letter.

In 2005, Johnston was inducted into the Football Australia Hall of Fame.

Johnston has now forged a new career as a photographer.

Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals

1977–78 First Division

1978–79 First Division

Newcastle KB (loan) 1978 Australia NSL

1979–80 First Division

1980–81 First Division

64!!16!!5!!0!!4!!0!!0!!0!!0!!0!!73!!16 Newcastle KB (loan) 1982 Australia NSL

1981–82 First Division

1982–83 First Division

1983–84 First Division

1984–85 First Division

1985–86 First Division

1986–87 First Division

1987–88 First Division

190!!30!!20!!4!!35!!3!!17!!2!!9!!1!!271!!40

267!!46!!25!!4!!39!!3!!17!!2!!9!!1!!357!!56

Honours Liverpool Football League First Division: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88 FA Cup: 1985–86; runner-up: 1987–88 Football League Cup: 1982–83, 1983–84 FA Charity Shield: 1982, 1986 European Cup: 1983–84

Individual Football Australia Hall of Fame: 2005