Before venturing to the south coast, John Johnston had spent his entire football career within what is now Greater Manchester, peaking in the 1903 FA Cup Final, in which he was at right-half for Bury as they trounced Derby 6-0. So it was perhaps a reasonable assumption, on the part of the England selectors, that he was from Lancashire or thereabouts, but they were dissuaded from capping him when belatedly apprised of his Scottish origins. After 180 games for Bury in the Football League’s First Division, John chalked up 110 for Southampton in the Southern League – all at wing-half – and was in the side that reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1908.

He was noted for his distinctive gait and for his eccentric habit of forever having a blade of grass or some convenient substitute protruding from his mouth, while on the field, but, most importantly, for the way in which he coached the forwards from behind.

Following his four seasons at The Dell, John managed, initially while playing as well, at Stalybridge Celtic, guiding them to the Lancashire Combination title and taking them into the Southern League – somewhat incongruously, geographically – in 1914. He remained at the club for 20 years and then spent another 20 – from 1931 to 1951 – as chairman of the Stalybridge Amateur League, while also having a tobacconist’s and a sports-goods dealership in the town.