podcast thread (image) Special Pod: The 1989 Mo Johnston Bombshell

[Bluedell 5,627]

Was Stewart Weir in charge of sport at the Herald when they were forced to apologise for lying that Barton was religiously discriminated against? 

[JohnMc 2,754]

It will be good to hear the Mo Jo story from a Rangers supporter's perspective. Too much of the narrative has centred around the apparent anger and resistance of Rangers supporters towards the transfer, those people did exist, but they were a small percentage they shouldn't dominate the story the way they seem too. 

 

I worked as printer at that time. We were a union shop, everyone had to join a trade union when you worked there, printing, along with most skilled trades at that time, was heavily unionised. There was a big dispute between the main print unions and Rupert Murdoch and his papers, The Times, Sunday Times, News Of The World and The Sun. They'd opened a print plant in east London and Kinning Park in Glasgow and had deliberately employed non-union printers and associated trades. There were pickets every night and a lot of anger and resentment. In another forum I'd explain the long term consequences of the dispute, but for this story the point of it is to explain why The Sun was banned from our work. 

The Sun carried the exclusive story of Johnson's signing on its front page. None of the other papers had the story. We were a small-ish printers in Glasgow filled with bluenoses, none of who had any idea this had happened. Around mid-morning a delivery driver told one of the guys and no one believed him, we all thought it was a wind-up. Then towards lunchtime it came on the Radio Clyde news, we were dumb struck, it seemed impossible. It wasn't so much that we'd signed an RC, John Spencer had been at the club for a few years too much tabloid fanfare and I never heard anyone say a bad word against him. But Spencer was different, he was a Rangers supporter, Mo Johnson definitely wasn't. I think if we'd signed a Brazilian or a Spaniard or Italian most Rangers fans would have shrugged and waited to see if he was any good. But we all knew Maurice Johnston. Most of the Rangers supporters in my work that day burst out laughing; this was the biggest get-it-up-you we could possibly give Celtic, it was hilarious. They'd literally paraded him as their player a few weeks before and he was treated like the prodigal son returning by their support. Now he was sitting beside a grinning Souness saying how much he was looking forward to pulling on the light blue. It seemed unreal. 

The Celtic support went into meltdown. The board, Billy McNeill and of course Johnson himself were called for everything. In my opinion they struggled to accept the signing far more than the Rangers support did. For many of them the thought that a Glasgow raised, Catholic schooled, Celtic supporting player would consider signing for Rangers seemed impossible. That the highest profile, and arguably the one of the best, just had, rocked their very foundations. It's not hyperbole to say that I'm not sure they've ever really recovered from it. I think much of the hatred so many of them have for us and the apparent need to demonise and stereotype us stems from that signing. 

I knew Rangers supporters who were very unsure about it too. Most I knew had a problem with the person, rather than his religion. Johnson had a criminal record, something that would have once discounted you from playing for Rangers, he'd a reputation for being a playboy, there were substantial rumours of illegitimate children around the city not being acknowledged by him, he'd been charged with serious assault after a fight in a nightclub, and of course, he was an ex-Celtic player and someone seen as being 'one of theirs' by everyone at Rangers. Could a player with that upbringing really give 100% to our club? 

The answer was an emphatic yes. I watched his Scottish debut in a friendly at Broomfield against the deeply unreconstructed Airdrie. Five minutes in the Section B boys began a chant of 'who's the Fenian in the blue', which drew smiles from many in our support, but was rejoined with the first chant of Mo, Mo Super Mo, from us. Johnson demonstrated what we'd bought that day. He worked harder than McCoist, he was faster and more mobile, he was a selfless player as well, playing with his back to goal or leading the line he'd drag defenders wide for others to break through, he never gave defenders a minutes peace. Scoring the winner a few months later against Celtic at Ibrox sealed the deal for any remaining doubters of his commitment. 

His legacy is worth exploring at some point too. After signing Johnson literally nobody was off limits to Rangers. I've heard rumours of Souness asking Gough to tap up Paul McStay at Scotland matches to see if he was interested in crossing the city, Celtic knew no one was beyond us now and that messed with their phycological make-up. They'd always relied on the best young Catholic players gravitating to them and being paid less and treated more poorly than others in the past, now they knew that couldn't happen. Wages starting going up at Parkhead, putting a strain on the famous biscuit tin, Rangers started to be linked with every player, helping us dominate the back pages driving the Celtic support into even deeper apoplexy, and so began a run of dominance for Rangers almost unmatched in Scottish football history.  Signing 'wee Mo' played a big part in that. 

On almost every level the signing was a masterstroke and a big success. Johnson was a very good player who contributed a lot to the side particularly in his first season. I'd argue his signing forced McCoist to work on his game and develop into one of the best players in our history. I'd also argue that signing Johnson so damaged Celtic that they've never got over it, whilst we now look back on it as just another big signing. 

Ironically, our other big signing that summer, was probably even more important to our continued success. Trevor Steven was a sublime footballer who provided so many of what we now call 'assists'. The other big realisation of course is that 30 years ago we were signing some of the best players available in the UK, how times have changed. 

[pete 2,499]

Great read mate. I can never remember what I did the day before never mind 30 years ago.

[Frankie 8,570]

19 hours ago, Bluedell said:

Was Stewart Weir in charge of sport at the Herald when they were forced to apologise for lying that Barton was religiously discriminated against? 

No idea but I guess the editor will often have the final say on stories. 

 

I'm hoping to have Stewart on again as part of a wider discussion about the Scottish media so we can certainly ask him about how such stuff finds the light of day. 

 

In the meantime, hopefully this pod is an interesting one. 

[pete 2,499]

I will admit to listening in tonight and this is a must not miss podcast. Stewart Weir and Colin Armstrong put up a fantastic pod. Really not to be missed! I can't wait until Wednesday to hear it again.

[Frankie 8,570]

 

[Frankie 8,570]

 

[buster. 5,199]

Enjoyed the podcast,..thank's to all who played a part in it, especially Colin.

Thought it good to have a semi-independent voice involved, it lends more credibility to that type of conversation IMO.

 

The Maurice Johnston signing passed me by as I was in the Australian Outback at the time and there was no internet cafe's to catch up on things when reaching Darwin 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2019 by buster.

[JohnMc 2,754]

Best Pod yet, excellent work all involved. Big well done!

[JohnMc 2,754]

1 hour ago, buster. said:

Enjoyed the podcast,..thank's to all who played a part in it, especially Colin.

Thought it good to have a semi-independent voice involved, it lends more credibility to that type of conversation IMO.

 

The Maurice Johnston signing passed me by as I was in the Australian Outback at the time and there was no internet cafe's to catch up on things when reaching Darwin 

 

 

 

 

To be fair to Darwin there weren't any internet cafes anywhere in 1989!