Peter Johnstone was born just over a month after Celtic Football Club was officially formed. Hailing from Cowdenbeath, he went on to work as a coal miner in Fife. It was during this time that Johnstone played football for a local side named Glencraig Celtic, having previously turned out for Buckhaven and Kelty Rangers, before the Bhoys snapped him up in January 1908.
Upon arriving at Celtic Park, fans immediately noticed his tall frame. He didn’t make his debut until 13 months later, but supporters would soon appreciate Johnstone’s football brain as his versatility saw him deployed at centre half, left half and inside left.
Johnstone started his career in attack and was highly effective from an advanced position. The following report featured in The Scottish Referee newspaper after Celtic’s 1-0 win at Pittodrie on 27 November 1909: When the Celts signed Peter Johnstone, of Glencraig Celtic, they made a most valuable capture, and this was further exemplified on Saturday, when the Fifer himself beat Aberdeen. It was purely an individual effort on the part of Somers’ successor, as he obtained the ball on the right wing, and then brushed past the home backs and beat Mutch with an unsaveable shot. Needless to say, Johnstone was warmly congratulated by his team mates, who were none too hopeful of even drawing the match. Johnstone has had the happy knack in recent matches of scoring when least expected, and bids fair to fulfil the best traditions of Celtic inside left wingers. He is improving every week, especially in controlling the ball, and once he hits on a satisfactory combination with D. Hamilton, then the left wing will be up to its old standard.
Johnstone had a good understanding with the legendary Jimmy Quinn. Though a good goalscorer when he burst onto the scene, he became more a great provider for Quinn, who, as the main finisher, took the headlines. In that sense, Johnstone perhaps got better recognition when he was moved to centre half in the 1913/14 season. Being asked to go from attack to defence and performing so well alongside ‘Sunny’ Jim Young and John McMaster, Johnstone joked that being a centre half was “the softest job I’ve had all season.” In fairness, Celtic only conceded 14 league goals during that campaign and won the league and cup double to boot, so there might have been some mileage to his jovial remark.
Lifting the title was nothing new to Peter Johnstone. He had already played his part in the famous six in a row era by helping Celtic to cap off that achievement in 1909/10. Silverware evaded his clutches in the following season, but the Scottish Cup was won by the Hoops in 1912, coupled with the Glasgow Charity Cup, which Celtic won 7-0 on corners after the Final against Clyde was drawn 0-0! Then, the aforementioned double in 1913/14 marked the third occasion that the club had taken both major domestic trophies (Scottish league and Scottish Cup) in the same season.
Johnstone and his Celtic teammates would retain the league title in 1914/15 and 1915/16, but the Scottish Cup was cancelled for those campaigns. The decision had been made due to the outbreak of WWI, however, the SFA still allowed the league campaign to go ahead, as well as smaller cup competitions such as the Glasgow Cup.
On 16 May 1917, Peter Johnstone was reported missing, presumed dead on the battlefield in France. It was only seven months earlier, in October 1916, that he collected his final medal with Celtic by defeating Clyde 3-2 in the Glasgow Cup Final at Parkhead. As a 28-year-old year old at that time, he re-joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, with whom he had volunteered, as Private 285250 in the 14th Battalion. Eager to do his bit on the frontline, Johnstone continued to play for Celtic during his military training and travelled overnight from England to do so.
Johnstone survived until his 29th birthday, when he was transferred to the 6th Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders, but sadly he wouldn’t live to see another.
Celtic, like all football clubs, were put under pressure to promote the war effort. At Willie Maley’s behest, an exhibition of trench warfare was held at the ground as part of the recruitment drive. Clubs such as Hearts saw a mass exodus and the establishment of a special battalion enabled supporters to enlist to fight alongside them. At Celtic Park, there wasn’t the same level of enlistment, however, the club more than played their part as William Angus, John McLaughlin, Leigh Roose, Archie McMillan, Robert Craig, Donnie McLeod, and Peter Johnstone all had played for Celtic and suffered injuries or worse in the killing fields of France and Belgium.
News of Johnstone’s passing was a big story in Scotland. All connected with Celtic were stunned. Though 16 May is the date given to Johnstone’s death, it is unclear as to the exact point that he passed away, it can only be narrowed down to a date between the 12th and 16th of May, during the Battle of Arras in 1917. This just goes to show the extent of the horrors on the battlefield.
A Celtic legend, Peter Johnstone was a huge loss to the club. He played 233 games for the Hoops, scoring 19 goals. His time at Parkhead delivered 13 trophies: four league titles, two Scottish Cups, three Glasgow Cups and four Glasgow Charity Cups.
A dedication to his memory is inscribed on Bay 8 of the Arras Memorial in the Fauborg d’Amiens Cemetery.
Peter Johnstone’s death was announced in Wednesday 6 June 1917 edition of the Daily Record.
The full text read:
It transpires now that the story of the death in action of Peter Johnstone, the Celtic half-back, which has been going round Glasgow for a fortnight or more, is only too true. Peter belonged to Glencraig, where his widow and family reside.
