Celtic legend Jimmy Johnston's obsession with E.T. revealed in TV film
LION of Lisbon Jimmy Johnstone’s lifelong fascination with the inside story on alien beings is revealed in a TV documentary about the Celtic legend.
It seems Johnstone was as at ease discussing the search for life on Mars and beyond as he was tormenting rivals on the right wing.
Best pal Ian Henderson has revealed the Scotland star, a member of the Celtic team that beat Inter MIlan to lift the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967, went to his grave convinced that we are not alone.
He said: “Jimmy always had a great interest in extra-terrestrial affairs.
“I found out about it when we first met in the 1960s.
“He was a big reader and would watch any programme on the subject — particularly going back to the days of so-called cover-ups in America. He had a strong belief in alien landings. Anything he could find on the subject, he would digest like a meal.
“Jimmy always wanted to know more and he was really convincing on the subject.”
Henderson said Jinky would scour papers for UFO stories and loved to bend the ears of Old Firm pals including aces Jim Baxter and Willie Henderson.
Once he was delighted to lap up the story of an unexplained craft spotted in West Lothian close to his wing counterpart Henderson’s home.
Ian said: “Willie lived in Broxburn and there had apparently been a landing nearby at Dechmont.
“Jimmy phoned wee Willie up and asked, ‘Did you see them, son?’.
“Willie replied, ‘See who?’ and Jimmy said, ‘The aliens — they’ve landed down the road from you’.”
Jinky first pulled on a Celts shirt in 1963 almost 50 years before he was voted greatest Hoops player of all time in 2002. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2001 and died at 61 after a five-year battle with the wasting illness.
But Ian, 66, said his ET passion helped him through his final days.
Related Stories
He said: “Towards the end he couldn’t turn the pages of a book, so we got him audio books.
“We would go to the library and ask for ones on aliens — not made-up ones, real ones. That stumped them. We spoke about it on the night he died. I was the last person with him apart from his wife Agnes. People think it must have been terrible sitting with him but he was in good humour.
“He was horizontal in a chair and couldn’t move his arms or legs, but he was smiling and joking, even though his voice was just a whisper.
“He called me Jonah — he said if anything was going to go wrong, I’d be at the centre of it. So he says, ‘Jonah, what are you laughing at?’.
“I said, ‘I was just thinking about that poor lad from Aberdeen who’s been abducted by aliens three times — did you ever find out who brought him back the first two?’
“He was calling me all the names under the sun.”
Said Henderson: “He never imposed his beliefs on anyone. I think it was all linked to his spiritual beliefs.
“He was very religious and believed in a power higher than himself. If you believe in that, it follows that you could believe in extra-terrestrial life.”
Producer Purple TV’s documentary traces the wing wizard’s rise from humble roots in Uddingston, Lanarkshire, to glory days with Jock Stein’s Celtic.
It also tells of his battle with the bottle, his love of singing and his struggle with MND.
His story is told through reconstructions of key moments from his playing days featuring grandson Jack, 16, and interviews with Agnes, 68, his kids, pals and teammates — including fellow Lisbon hero John Clark, who all recalls his deep interest in ETs.
Ian met Jimmy when he played in local bands — and revealed his footie pal loved a turn at the mic.
He said: “We used to rehearse across the road from Thorniewood’s stadium in Uddingston and Jimmy would come in and start singing. He was really good.”
Decades later, they travelled to the US where Jinky took part in MND drug trials in a desperate search for a cure for the crippling nerve disease. Ian was with him when he learned there was no hope.
Ian added: “We were in New York when he got the call about his terminal diagnosis.
“He said he just wanted to be alone for 20 minutes.
“He didn’t jump up and down or anything, he just said a prayer.
“You didn’t hear Jimmy Johnstone moan. He would lift everyone else.”
On one trip back from the States, Jimmy revealed his obsession with a different kind of little green men.
Ian said: “We were flying back via Ireland on Aer Lingus as Jimmy was terrified of flying and the bishop had blessed the plane.
“I woke up as we approached Dublin to hear Jimmy regaling a couple from the US heading to Ireland with tales about leprechauns.
“He was heck of a convincing.”
JIMMY Johnstone is on BBC Alba tonight at 9.30pm.
Watch ALL the goals from the Premier League before anyone else for FREE plus all the latest news, fixtures and results and live match commentary all on the go with the new Sun Football App – click here to download
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErKynZpOke7a3jqynqKqkZLOwu9ObmKWkX2aFeYSXcW5om5WhwaqvjLCgp59dobKosc2dZKOhnaLGbrbOoaWsrJ%2BjsrR5zpuqnqujnryvedaiq6FllWLBbr7Er5yapJWZeqq6jK2tZp6Zobpw