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TENS of thousands of people will line the streets of Glasgow and Lanarkshire to pay their final respects to Celtic and Scotland legend Jimmy Johnstone.
His funeral will take place at 10am on Friday at St John the Baptist Church in Uddingston.
When the cortege leaves the church it will begin the six-mile journey from Lanarkshire through the east end of the city to Celtic Park.
The exact route has to be finalised, but the decision to go to Celtic Park was taken to give ordinary fans the chance to pay their respects because entry to the service will be restricted to mainly close friends and family.
Big names from football and showbiz are expected to attend the funeral, with singer Rod Stewart saying he will try to join the thousands paying tribute.
Tommy Gemmell, one of Jimmy's Lisbon Lions' team-mates, has even suggested the vast numbers who will want to say farewell to Jinky will far exceed the 10,000 who lined up to say goodbye to ex-Celtic and Scotland boss Jock Stein in 1985.
A Celtic spokesman said: "The club is liaising closely with the family to ensure as many people as possible will be able to pay their respects to Jimmy.
"This will take the form of a designated route the cortege will take following the service, from the church to Celtic Park."
Peter Rafferty, president of the Affiliation of Celtic Supporters' Clubs, said it will not just be Celtic fans who turn out to pay tribute to the winger, who was voted the Greatest Celt in an official club poll.
Mr Rafferty said: "You can see the amount of Rangers strips and jerseys at Parkhead and some of the Rangers' legends own thoughts about him.
"Jimmy was someone who overcame boundaries and because of that I think there will be a considerable amount of people at this."
Sunday's CIS Cup final against Dunfermline at Hampden will be preceded by a minute's applause and, as confirmed in yesterday's Evening Times, all the Celtic players will wear No 7 on their shorts as a mark of respect.

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Jimmy Johnstone, who died aged 61, was one of Scotland's greatest ever footballers; a winger of outstanding control, balance and dribbling abilities, he instilled fear and bewilderment in opposing defences.



Johnstone scored 130 goals in 495 games for Celtic, but must have made at least twice as many for his team-mates. Utterly elusive with the ball at his feet, he seemed to mesmerise even the most highly-regarded opponents, beating three, four or five defenders before passing the ball; he was invariably assigned at least two markers.

This made life easier for his team-mates (with one of whom, Bobby Lennox, he developed an almost uncanny understanding); even when he was not knocking inch-perfect scoring passes to their feet, he was creating space for them or giving them confidence by winning throw-ins and corners.

"Jinky" Johnstone, as he was known, was a "wee man"; there was also a minimum of upper-body or arm movement, and the apparent economy of effort seemed to contribute to the bamboozling effect he had on defences. His ability to go past defenders was his greatest asset, but he was also very fit and strong, and could sometimes act as an extra defender.

Although a joy to watch, Johnstone required careful handling. The great Celtic manager Jock Stein noted: "People might say I will be best remembered for being in charge of the first British club to win the European Cup or leading Celtic to nine league championships in a row, but I would like to be remembered for keeping the wee man, Jimmy Johnstone, in the game five years longer than he might have been. That is my greatest achievement."

James Johnstone, the son of a miner, was born at Viewpark, Uddingston, Lanarkshire, on September 30 1944 and educated at St John's Secondary School, Uddingston. At the age of about 12 he read a book by Stanley Matthews describing how much work had gone into the development of that great dribbling ability. Wee Jimmy set to working just as hard.

On leaving school he signed for Blantyre Celtic, moving to Glasgow Celtic in October 1961. He played his first full game for "the Bhoys" in March 1963, but really began to thrive only when Stein took over in 1965.

Stein had a genius for getting the best out of players, and Jinky responded to his subtle cajolery. On one occasion Johnstone, who hated flying, was goaded by Stein into a fabulous performance against Red Star Belgrade (he created three goals and scored two in a 5-1 demolition); the manager had told him that if Celtic won by three goals Johnstone would not have to travel to Belgrade for the return leg.

Johnstone was the most recognisable member of the "Lisbon Lions" who won the European Cup against Inter Milan in May 1967. Shortly afterwards he became the toast of all Europe when he starred in a benefit match against Real Madrid on behalf of Alfredo di Stefano.

Johnstone's international career was not as successful as it should have been, partly because part of the Hampden crowd would have preferred Willie Henderson to play on the wing. There are many who think that Scotland should have played both the great wingers. Jinky won 23 caps, scoring four goals, but was not used in the 1974 World Cup Finals in West Germany.

His being overlooked on that occasion might have had something to do with the misadventure that befell him shortly before the finals, when a night of relaxation with the Scotland squad, which was training at Largs, ended with Johnstone drifting out into the Firth of Clyde in a leaky rowing boat with no paddle. His rescue by the coastguard did not, however, prevent him starring in a 2-0 victory over England a few days later.

Johnstone was shocked to be let go by Celtic in 1975. Thereafter he drifted from one job to another, playing for brief periods for San Jose Earthquakes, Sheffield United, Shelbourne (of Dublin), Elgin City and finally returning to Blantyre Celtic. He had made no plans for, had hardly believed in, a life beyond football, and soon found himself in considerable difficulties - drinking too much, working as a navvy, piling up debts.

But the love of his family pulled him through that difficult patch and, much heartened by the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Lions' triumph, Johnstone was back in the public eye, and seemingly as chirpy as ever.

Robert Duvall, who consulted him when making a film about a small Scottish team winning the cup, declared "Wee Jinky Johnstone" the most remarkable character that he, in a lifetime spent in Hollywood, had ever come across.

In November 2001 Johnstone was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. He became an active campaigner for stem cell research.

Jimmy Johnstone married, in 1966, Agnes Docherty; they had a son and two daughters.
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Footballing legends and ordinary fans today came together for the funeral of Jimmy Johnstone. The player, voted the Greatest Ever Celt by supporters, died on Monday after a long battle with illness. Prominent among the mourners were Jimmy's teammates the Lisbon Lions. As his coffin travelled past Celtic Park, the supporters lined the streets to bid him farewell.

Age may have wearied some of the Lisbon Lions, but there was a time they bestrode the football fields of Scotland and of Europe. Today they gathered to say farewell to a prince among them.They were not alone. Footballing greats came to pay homage.

Former Celtic manager Martin O'Neill said: "He bears a big legacy, no doubt about it, a member of the fantastic team that won, first British side to win the European Cup in '67 so it's a big day not only for Celtic but obviously for Scotland."

It was also a big day for the fans, who payed respect in their thousands. Jimmy Johnstone was of them and throughout his life remained among them. There were those who saw him, those who had heard of him and those who aspired to be as good as him.

At the funeral mass the widespread sadness of his passing was remembered.

Bishop Joseph Devine said: "It was very easy to sense a kind of tidal wave of sorrow across the land when people began to realise that he had died. Everyone was sad at the passing of the greatest ever Celtic player."

But amidst the sorrow, there was laughter at the memories and the stories.

Lisbon Lion Billy McNeill said: "The first time I laid eyes on Jimmy Johnstone it was whilst playing in a first team game at Celtic Park as a young player and when the ball went behind the goals at the Rangers end at Celtic Park this wee ballboy with a mass of red curly hair used to get the ball and start flicking it out. He was flicking it up 20 - 30 times. The team wasn't particularly sparkling then, not as good as the team today. We Neil Mauchin saw him and shouted: "quick get that ball off that wee fella before he embarrasses us further"!

Family friend Willie Haughey said: "Can I read a telegramme that the family received this morning that would have meant so much to jimmy? It's actually from his hero, it says "On behalf of all the members of this club, our deepest condolences at the death of Jimmy Johnstone... "from Alfredo Di Stefano and everyone at Real Madrid."

Then his former teammates helped carry his coffin for the beginning of its journey of tribute to Celtic Park.

Lisbon Lion Tommy Gemmell said: "The tribute to Jinky at Celtic Park is out of this world, absolutely fantastic what the fans have done,superb and thoroughly deserves it as well."

Outside the fans applauded Jimmy Johnstone, a quintessentially Scottish hero.








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