First spell at Rangers
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Born in Glasgow but raised in Fife and known by the nickname 'Bud',[6][7][8][9][10] Johnston began his career at local Junior club Lochore Welfare, also signing schoolboy forms with Rangers.[8] He joined the Gers full-time in 1964 aged 17[10] and soon made his debut against St Johnstone in the Scottish League Cup on 29 August 1964.[11] Two months later, following injury to the established outside left Davie Wilson, Johnston was named in the side for the final of that competition and received his first winner's medal after a 2–1 Old Firm victory over Celtic.[12][10][13] He was befriended by one of the team's key players, fellow Fife native Jim Baxter.[12]
The following season, Rangers and Celtic shared a cup triumph each, beating the other in the finals; Celtic gained revenge in the League Cup[14] before Rangers won the 1965–66 Scottish Cup 1–0 in a replay,[10] with Wilson playing at inside left in the matches to accommodate both him and Johnston in the team.[15] Ten days before the League Cup Final, on 13 October 1965, Johnston had made his debut for Scotland in a World Cup qualifying fixture against Poland, aged just 18;[7][10][16] the match would end with disappointment in a 2–1 home defeat, the opponents scoring both their goals in the last five minutes.[17]
In the 1966 Scottish League Cup Final between the same sides, it was Celtic who prevailed by another 1–0 scoreline.[18] Johnston also played in the surprise Scottish Cup defeat to Berwick Rangers in January 1967, suffering a broken ankle,[10][19] but recovered from the injury in time for the European Cup Winners' Cup Final on 31 May, in which Rangers lost out 1–0 to Bayern Munich.[10][20][21]
Over the next three seasons, Johnston's personal output was an impressive 65 goals from 137 appearances (as well as four caps for Scotland), but this yielded only one minor Glasgow Cup win during the period; arch-rivals Celtic had begun a period of dominance at that time,[12][22] and overwhelmed Rangers 4–0 in the 1969 Scottish Cup Final[23] less than a month after Johnston had scored a hat-trick against them in a cup tie at Celtic Park.[24] There was further disappointment as the club was twice eliminated from the latter stages of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup by English opponents, both of whom went on to win the trophy (Leeds United in 1968,[25] Newcastle United in 1969).[26] Johnston missed the home leg against Newcastle through suspension after he was sent off in the previous round against Athletic Bilbao.[27]
Celtic's domination of the Scottish league continued into the 1970s, and ultimately Johnston would end his spell at Ibrox without a championship medal. The 1970 Scottish League Cup Final went Rangers' way 1–0 over the familiar opponents, Johnston providing the cross for the winning goal,[10][28] but he was fined afterwards by manager Willie Waddell for showboating (sitting on the ball), which supposedly brought shame on the club.[12][7] The final of the 1970–71 Scottish Cup, yet another Old Firm clash, was won by Celtic after a replay.[29] A major off-field tragedy had also befallen Rangers that year when 66 supporters died in a disaster at the stadium.[30]
Johnston scored twice in the final as Rangers won the European Cup-Winners' Cup in 1971–72 by defeating Dynamo Moscow 3–2 in Barcelona.[12][10][31] By that time he was often playing as a striker alongside Colin Stein (the other scorer in the final) as formations were modified.[32]