Craig Johnston
| Date of birth | 25 June 1960 |
| Place of birth | Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Nationality | English |
| Height | 1.80 m |
| Position | Midfielder/Forward |
Johnston was raised in Australia where he played for Sydney City and Lake McQuarrie before writing to Middlesbrough for a trial.
He joined Liverpool for £575,000 and quickly became a fan's favourite, scoring some great goals. With Liverpool he won the 1st Division Championship in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986 and 1988, the FA Cup in 1986, the League Cup in 1983 and 1984 and the European Cup in 1984.
Johnston chose not to play for Australia or South Africa and represented England at 'B' and Under-21 levels.
He surprisingly retired in 1988, going back home to Australia but typically returning to comfort the bereaved after Hillsborough.
His multi-faceted career since his retirement, has included designing the Predator boot.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 01 Feb 1978 | 01 Apr 1981 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977-78 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 1 | 2 |
|||
| 1977-78 | Middlesbrough | League Division One | 4 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1978-79 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 2 |
||||
| 1978-79 | Middlesbrough | League Division One | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1979-80 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1979-80 | Middlesbrough | League Division One | 29 | 1 |
5 |
||
| 1980-81 | Middlesbrough | FA Cup | 4 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Middlesbrough | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1980-81 | Middlesbrough | League Division One | 27 | 10 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | European Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | Intercontinental Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | League Cup | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 1981-82 | Liverpool | League Division One | 13 | 5 |
6 |
||
| 1982-83 | Liverpool | European Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1982-83 | Liverpool | League Cup | 6 | 1 |
|||
| 1982-83 | Liverpool | League Division One | 30 | 3 |
7 |
||
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | European Cup | 8 | 1 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | FA Charity Shield | 1 |
||||
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | League Cup | 11 | 1 |
|||
| 1983-84 | Liverpool | League Division One | 28 | 1 |
2 |
||
| 1984-85 | Liverpool | European Cup | 1 | 3 |
|||
| 1984-85 | Liverpool | Intercontinental Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1984-85 | Liverpool | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1984-85 | Liverpool | League Division One | 11 | ||||
| 1985-86 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 6 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 1985-86 | Liverpool | League Cup | 7 | 1 |
|||
| 1985-86 | Liverpool | League Division One | 38 | 3 |
7 |
||
| 1986-87 | Liverpool | FA Charity Shield | 1 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Liverpool | League Cup | 5 | ||||
| 1986-87 | Liverpool | League Division One | 27 | 1 |
3 |
||
| 1987-88 | Liverpool | FA Cup | 1 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1987-88 | Liverpool | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1987-88 | Liverpool | League Division One | 18 | 12 |
5 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Feb 1978 | Birmingham City v Middlesbrough | W | 1-2 | League Division One | |
| 27 Feb 1978 | Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 11 Mar 1978 | Middlesbrough v Orient | D | 0-0 | FA Cup | Quarter-final |
| 14 Mar 1978 | Orient v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | FA Cup | Quarter-final replay |
| 21 Mar 1978 | Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 27 Mar 1978 | Middlesbrough v Leicester City | L | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 11 Apr 1978 | Middlesbrough v Coventry City | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 25 Apr 1978 | Middlesbrough v West Ham United | L | 1-2 | League Division One | |
| 26 Aug 1978 | Southampton v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 29 Aug 1978 | Middlesbrough v Peterborough United | D | 0-0 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 05 Sep 1978 | Peterborough United v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Cup | 2nd round replay |
| 16 Sep 1978 | Middlesbrough v Queens Park Rangers | L | 0-2 | League Division One | |
| 18 Aug 1979 | Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough | W | 1-3 | League Division One | |
| 21 Aug 1979 | Middlesbrough v Manchester City | W | 3-0 | League Division One | |
| 25 Aug 1979 | Middlesbrough v Crystal Palace | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 29 Aug 1979 | Derby County v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 01 Sep 1979 | Manchester United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 04 Sep 1979 | Middlesbrough v Derby County | D |
1-1 Agg: 2-1 |
League Cup | 2nd round 2nd leg |
| 08 Sep 1979 | Middlesbrough v Norwich City | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 15 Sep 1979 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | League Division One | |
| 22 Sep 1979 | Derby County v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 25 Sep 1979 | Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest | L | 1-3 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 29 Sep 1979 | Middlesbrough v Aston Villa | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 06 Oct 1979 | Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion | W | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 10 Oct 1979 | Manchester City v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 13 Oct 1979 | Stoke City v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 20 Oct 1979 | Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 27 Oct 1979 | Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 03 Nov 1979 | Middlesbrough v Tottenham Hotspur | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 10 Nov 1979 | Everton v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | League Division One | |
| 24 Nov 1979 | Middlesbrough v Brighton and Hove Albion | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 01 Dec 1979 | Liverpool v Middlesbrough | L | 4-0 | League Division One | |
| 01 Mar 1980 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | League Division One | |
| 11 Mar 1980 | Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 14 Mar 1980 | West Bromwich Albion v Middlesbrough | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 19 Mar 1980 | Aston Villa v Middlesbrough | W | 0-2 | League Division One | |
| 22 Mar 1980 | Middlesbrough v Everton | W | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 02 Apr 1980 | Leeds United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | League Division One | |
| 05 Apr 1980 | Middlesbrough v Coventry City | L | 1-2 | League Division One | |
| 08 Apr 1980 | Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 19 Apr 1980 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 22 Apr 1980 | Bristol City v Middlesbrough | L | 3-1 | League Division One | |
| 03 May 1980 | Southampton v Middlesbrough | L | 4-1 | League Division One | |
| 06 May 1980 | Middlesbrough v Liverpool | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 19 May 1980 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | W | 5-0 | League Division One | |
| 16 Aug 1980 | Manchester United v Middlesbrough | L | 3-0 | League Division One | |
| 19 Aug 1980 | Middlesbrough v Leeds United | W | 3-0 | League Division One | |
| 23 Aug 1980 | Crystal Palace v Middlesbrough | L | 5-2 | League Division One | |
| 26 Aug 1980 | Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town | W | 3-1 | League Cup | 2nd round 1st leg |
| 30 Aug 1980 | Middlesbrough v Manchester City | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 06 Sep 1980 | Middlesbrough v Nottingham Forest | D | 0-0 | League Division One | |
| 13 Sep 1980 | Sunderland v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 20 Sep 1980 | Middlesbrough v Arsenal | W | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 27 Sep 1980 | Stoke City v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 04 Oct 1980 | Middlesbrough v Norwich City | W | 6-1 | League Division One | |
| 07 Oct 1980 | Liverpool v Middlesbrough | L | 4-2 | League Division One | |
| 11 Oct 1980 | Tottenham Hotspur v Middlesbrough | L | 3-2 | League Division One | |
| 18 Oct 1980 | Middlesbrough v Southampton | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 21 Oct 1980 | Middlesbrough v Leicester City | W | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 25 Oct 1980 | West Bromwich Albion v Middlesbrough | L | 3-0 | League Division One | |
| 01 Nov 1980 | Middlesbrough v Birmingham City | L | 1-2 | League Division One | |
| 08 Nov 1980 | Brighton and Hove Albion v Middlesbrough | W | 0-1 | League Division One | |
| 12 Nov 1980 | Leeds United v Middlesbrough | L | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 15 Nov 1980 | Middlesbrough v Manchester United | D | 1-1 | League Division One | |
| 22 Nov 1980 | Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers | W | 2-0 | League Division One | |
| 06 Dec 1980 | Middlesbrough v Aston Villa | W | 2-1 | League Division One | |
| 13 Dec 1980 | Leicester City v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 20 Dec 1980 | Middlesbrough v Tottenham Hotspur | W | 4-1 | League Division One | |
| 26 Dec 1980 | Coventry City v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 24 Jan 1981 | Middlesbrough v West Bromwich Albion | W | 1-0 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 14 Feb 1981 | Middlesbrough v Barnsley | W | 2-1 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 17 Feb 1981 | Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough | L | 1-0 | League Division One | |
| 21 Feb 1981 | Middlesbrough v Stoke City | W | 3-1 | League Division One | |
| 28 Feb 1981 | Arsenal v Middlesbrough | D | 2-2 | League Division One | |
| 07 Mar 1981 | Middlesbrough v Wolverhampton Wanderers | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | Quarter-final |
| 10 Mar 1981 | Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough | L | 3-1 | FA Cup | Quarter-final replay |
| 17 Mar 1981 | Norwich City v Middlesbrough | L | 2-0 | League Division One | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980-81 | England | Under-21 | 2 | ||||
| 1987-88 | England | A v B | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Sep 1980 | England v Norway | W | 3-0 | Under-21 | |
| 25 Feb 1981 | England v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-0 | Under-21 | |
| 14 Oct 1987 | Malta v England | W | 0-2 | A v B | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.