Jeff Johnson (footballer)
Jeffrey David Johnson (born 26 November 1953) is a Welsh former footballer. In addition to his club career – playing over 400 games in the Football League, he also represented his country at youth and under-23 level.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jeffrey David Johnson[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 26 November 1953[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Cardiff, Wales[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Clifton Athletic | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1973 | Manchester City | 6 | (0) |
| 1972 | → Swansea City (loan) | 38 | (5) |
| 1973–1976 | Crystal Palace | 87 | (4) |
| 1976–1981 | Sheffield Wednesday | 180 | (6) |
| 1981–1982 | Newport County | 34 | (2) |
| 1982–1985 | Gillingham | 88 | (4) |
| 1985–1986 | Port Vale | 10 | (1) |
| 1986–? | Barrow | ? | (?) |
| Total | 443 | (22) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
He began his career at Manchester City in 1970, and played on loan at Swansea City in 1972, before joining Crystal Palace the following year. He moved on to Sheffield Wednesday in 1976, and was voted Player of the Year in 1980, and helped the club to win promotion out of the Third Division in 1979–80. He signed with Newport County in 1981, before moving on to Gillingham the next year. He joined Port Vale in June 1985, and played a minor role in the club's promotion out of the Fourth Division, before he joined non-league Barrow in May 1986.
Career
Johnson started his professional career with Manchester City in 1970, when Joe Mercer was finishing his six-year reign. He made six First Division appearances in 1970–71, 1971–72 and 1972–73. He also had a lengthy spell on loan at Swansea City, playing 38 games in the Third Division. In December 1973,[3] Johnson rejoined his former Manchester City manager, Malcolm Allison, at Crystal Palace in December 1973.[4] Palace suffered relegation from the Second Division in 1973–74. Palace were four points off the promotion places in 1974–75 and three points shy of the promotion places in 1975–76, although Palace reached the FA Cup semi-final that year. Johnson made 26 league appearances that season and played in four out of eight games in the cup run.[5] Johnson left Selhurst Park in July 1976,[3] and moved on to Len Ashurst's Sheffield Wednesday,[4] who finished six points behind Palace in 1976–77, who occupied the third and final promotion place. Jack Charlton then took over at Hillsborough, and Wednesday dropped to 14th in 1977–78 and 1978–79. Johnson was voted the club's Player of the Year in 1979–80, as Wednesday won promotion in third place. The club adapted comfortably to the Second Division in 1980–81, though at the end of the season, Johnson dropped back down a division to sign with Newport County, and was reunited with Len Ashurst at Somerton Park. Newport posted a 16th-place finish in 1981–82.
He then moved on to Keith Peacock's Gillingham, and became a key first team player at Priestfield Stadium.[6] Gillingham finished 13th in the Third Division in 1982–83 and eighth in 1983–84, before missing out on the promotion places by one place and four points in 1984–85. He joined John Rudge's Port Vale in June 1985, making his debut on 17 August 1985 in a 1–0 defeat at Exeter City.[1] He suffered a setback in October 1985 when he broke his foot.[1] Unable to regain his first team spot with Port Vale, who went on to win promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86, he was given a free transfer in May 1986, to Northern Premier League club Barrow.[1] After leaving the game he spent many years as a taxi driver in Manchester.[7]
Career statistics
Source:[8]
| Club | Season | Division | League | FA Cup | Other | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Manchester City | 1970–71 | First Division | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 1971–72 | First Division | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 1972–73 | Third Division | 38 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 5 |
| Crystal Palace | 1973–74 | Second Division | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| 1974–75 | Third Division | 36 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 1 | |
| 1975–76 | Third Division | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 36 | 2 | |
| Total | 87 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 98 | 5 | ||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 1976–77 | Third Division | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| 1977–78 | Third Division | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 45 | 2 | |
| 1978–79 | Third Division | 38 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 51 | 4 | |
| 1979–80 | Third Division | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| 1980–81 | Second Division | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 1 | |
| Total | 180 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 211 | 9 | ||
| Newport County | 1981–82 | Third Division | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 |
| 1982–83 | Third Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 39 | 2 | ||
| Gillingham | 1982–83 | Third Division | 31 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 37 | 4 |
| 1983–84 | Third Division | 32 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 2 | |
| 1984–85 | Third Division | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| Total | 88 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 99 | 5 | ||
| Port Vale | 1985–86 | Fourth Division | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Career total | 443 | 22 | 28 | 2 | 49 | 4 | 520 | 28 | ||
Honours
Individual
- Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Player of the Year: 1980
Sheffield Wednesday
- Football League Third Division third-place promotion: 1979–80
Port Vale
- Football League Fourth Division fourth-place promotion: 1985–86[9]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 154. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ^ "Jeff Johnson". www.adrianbullock.com. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ a b Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel (1990). Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited. p. 330. ISBN 0907969542.
- ^ a b "Jeff Johnson". Holmesdale Online. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
- ^ Purkiss, Mike; Sands, Nigel (1990). Crystal Palace: A Complete Record 1905–1989. The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited. p. 245. ISBN 0907969542.
- ^ Triggs, Roger (2001). The Men Who Made Gillingham Football Club. Tempus Publishing Ltd. pp. 173–5. ISBN 0-7524-2243-X.
- ^ Ellis, Adam (31 March 2016). "Where Are They Now? Port Vale Fourth Div promotion winners 1985/86". The Football League Paper. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
- ^ Jeff Johnson at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
- ^ Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.