Johnston Bert Image 1 Sunderland 1935

Description

Falkirk, Stirlingshire born centre half Bert Johnston began his football career with Scottish junior outfit Alva Albion Rangers from where he joined First Division Sunderland in 1930, making his Football League debut at West Ham United in April 1931. He was a fringe player for much of his first four seasons at Roker Park as understudy to Jimmy McDougall, but he broke into the first team on a regular basis from January 1933 and with McDougall having joined Leeds United, he missed only four games as Sunderland finished runners up in the League Championship in 1934-35.

In 1935-36, they went one better, winning the League Championship although Johnston missed most of the first half of the campaign and only made 11 appearances during the season. Described as “big and brawny, up to all the tricks of centre forwards who find him a real stumbling block”, Johnston played in their FA Charity Shield win over Arsenal in October 1936, and at the end of the season, having played 7 FA Cup ties to get there, Johnston was part of Sunderland’s team that beat Preston North End in the 1937 FA Cup Final at Wembley, when he had a famous duel with Preston’s Frank O’Donnell, from which Johnston emerged victorious.

His reward was an international call up for Scotland, Johnston winning his only cap in their 5-0 win over Czechoslovakia at Ibrox in December 1937. Having never scored for Sunderland in 167 appearances, his playing career was curtailed by the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, although he later worked as a coach for Sunderland between 1951 and 1957.