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Review
Undoubtedly one of the best natural talents Scotland has ever produced, winger Willie Johnston also has one of the most controversial stories to tell. It's a compelling read, giving an insight into the lifestyle of players in the 1960's, 70's and 80's and the culture of heavy drinking and smoking. The story in itself is fascinating even for the neutral observer and I would recommend it as a must-read for any football fan. --Sporting Life<br /><br />An infectious character and an extraordinary career. Drama followed him everywhere! --The Scotsman<br /><br />Johnston pulls no punches in an honest autobiography. --Virgin Media
An infectious character and an extraordinary career. Drama followed him everywhere! --The Scotsman
Johnston pulls no punches in an honest autobiography. --Virgin Media
An infectious character and an extraordinary career. Drama followed him everywhere! --The Scotsman
Johnston pulls no punches in an honest autobiography. --Virgin Media
Product Description
2008 is the 30th anniversary of one of the blackest episodes in Scottish football history, when Ally McLeod's tartan army went to Argentina to win the World Cup and returned with nothing but a bloody nose after exiting at the first round stage. The ignominy was all the more because winger Willie Johnston, one of the most important members of the Scottish squad, was sent home in disgrace after failing a drugs test. In this book, Willie Johnston lays bare the truth about what happened in Argentina and how he was made a pariah by the Scottish football authorities. He would never win another cap and was deemed persona non grata for many years.Willie's career as a silky, classy player who jinked his way down the wing to create goal after goal, and score the odd one too, took him from Glasgow Rangers, where he helped the club win the only European trophy in their history, the Cup Winners Cup in 1972, netting the winning goal in the final, to West Bromwich Albion, Vancouver Whitecaps, Birmingham City, Hearts and of course Scotland, for whom he won 22 caps. At all his clubs he became a cult hero. He still commands huge crowds wherever he goes.Johnston he was perhaps the most controversial player of his times. Stricken with a legendary temper, he was dismissed from the field of play on a record 22 occasions in his career, and the Argentina episode hangs over him still. Indeed controversy seemed to follow Willie about the place. He once raced naked around the Hawthorns for a bet, teased opponents by sitting on the ball in matches and was sent off at gunpoint not once - but twice! - in his career. "Sent Off At Gunpoint" tells Willie's incredible story in full for the first time.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Willie Johnston's is very much a story worth hearing. But I feel it could have been told a little better than this.
The blame isn't Johnston's - it's the man he chose to write the book, Tom Bullimore. Bullimore is perhaps better known for his children's fiction and puzzle books. He may well be a firmly established writer in those fields, but I certainly don't think he shows any qualities as a biographer here. I think it's at times very biased and often even amateurish.
Then there are the photographs in the centre of the book. In these alone, I saw four very careless errors. In one, it states "Willie's first major trophy at age 17 - League Cup 1964", when in fact the picture clearly shows Johnston holding the Cup Winners' Cup 8 years later. In another, it states the "shameful incident in the Old Firm derby" when he was dismissed for supposedly headbutting Provan, when in fact that incident didn't involve Rangers at all - Johnston had moved to Hearts by then. As I said, these mistakes are from the photographs alone - God knows how many more are in the text.
Also, again factually incorrect, Bullimore says this is the first time Johnston has revealed all - isn't he aware of Johnston's first (auto)biography, "On the Wing!", published around 1986?
To me, Willie Johnston was one of the finest wingers this country has ever produced. He fully deserves a biography that does him justice, without bias or plain amateurism (or cock-ups). This book falls well short. Sorry, Bud.
The blame isn't Johnston's - it's the man he chose to write the book, Tom Bullimore. Bullimore is perhaps better known for his children's fiction and puzzle books. He may well be a firmly established writer in those fields, but I certainly don't think he shows any qualities as a biographer here. I think it's at times very biased and often even amateurish.
Then there are the photographs in the centre of the book. In these alone, I saw four very careless errors. In one, it states "Willie's first major trophy at age 17 - League Cup 1964", when in fact the picture clearly shows Johnston holding the Cup Winners' Cup 8 years later. In another, it states the "shameful incident in the Old Firm derby" when he was dismissed for supposedly headbutting Provan, when in fact that incident didn't involve Rangers at all - Johnston had moved to Hearts by then. As I said, these mistakes are from the photographs alone - God knows how many more are in the text.
Also, again factually incorrect, Bullimore says this is the first time Johnston has revealed all - isn't he aware of Johnston's first (auto)biography, "On the Wing!", published around 1986?
To me, Willie Johnston was one of the finest wingers this country has ever produced. He fully deserves a biography that does him justice, without bias or plain amateurism (or cock-ups). This book falls well short. Sorry, Bud.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Bought this for my husband, he was a really big fan of Willie Johnston. He enjoyed the book very much. It has opened his eyes to what a fantastic professional Willie was and how committed to the game and his various teams he was too. Anyone who has an interest in Willie or just good old fashioned football values will enjoy this.
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I remember the world cup in Argentina and when I saw this book though it would be interesting to read. Haven't got round to reading it yet, but hope to soon. a bargain at 73pence plus posting and packing.
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