Terry Turner: 1969, a George Johnson goal v. Leeds

Even Arsenal supporters may not remember George Johnston but he did play in a match that still warms my heart even now.

George had been playing successfully for Cardiff City in Wales. He was their top scorer in a team that had the likes of John Charles and John Toshack. In March 1967 George came to Arsenal’s attention when he played against them in a benefit match for victims of the Aberfan disaster and scored two goals. Later that year Arsenal signed him for £20,000. George never really made it with Arsenal playing 21 times over just two seasons and ending up in the reserves, but he did have a moment and best of all that moment was against Don Revie’s Leeds United.

Now Revie’s team were talented, committed, and almost certainly the biggest cheats ever to grace senior football in England. Famously, when Brian Clough took over as their manager, he told them that everything they had achieved had been through cheating. They regularly used to get the better of Arsenal and, alongside most of the country, we Arsenal fans hated them. In the late 60s games between the two sides took on the nature of feuds with bad feeling running from match to match.

In May 1968 Leeds were sitting below both Manchester clubs and needed to win at Highbury to stand any chance of the title. The game itself was both brutal and thrilling. Arsenal went ahead three times and three times Leeds equalised. As the minutes ticked away Leeds threw everything at Arsenal and suddenly the ball broke to the little known and not much appreciated George Johnston. George had not been in the game and was actually on Arsenal’s transfer list but off went George with the ball, running at the Leeds defenders. Now I still find it hard to believe so I have checked my facts. Leeds defenders were all internationals, all as hard as nails. But George went past one, two, three, and then four of them, all desperately trying to stop him in any way they could. George somehow arrived about 15 yards out & smashed the ball past David Harvey into the roof of the net. Only 30 seconds of the match were left. The Leeds players collapsed, their dreams shattered. It was wonderful!

George went on to play for a few clubs but dropped out of league football at just 26 years of age but he achieved more in that 30 yard run than many more famous players of the time.

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