View source for John Greig

{{Short description|Scottish footballer (born 1942)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name        = John Greig<br /><small>{{nobold|{{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}}}}</small> 
| image       = Glasgow Rangers in Hiltonhotel te Amsterdam. John Greig, Bestanddeelnr 922-0132.jpg
| image_size  = 
| alt         =
| caption     = Greig in January 1969
| fullname    =
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1942|9|11|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Edinburgh]], Scotland
| height      =
| position    = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| youthyears1  = 
| youthclubs1  = United Crossroads
| youthyears2 = 1959–1959
| youthclubs2 = [[Whitburn F.C.|Whitburn]]
| youthyears3 = 1959–1961<ref name="autobio"/>
| youthclubs3 = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
| years1   = 1961–1978
| clubs1  = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
| caps1  = 498
| goals1  = 87
| nationalyears1 = 1963–1976<ref name=sfl76>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3JVAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=HKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2644%2C3817564 Under 9000 see Scots defeated], Glasgow Herald, 18 March 1976</ref>
| nationalteam1  = [[Scottish League XI]]
| nationalcaps1  = 14
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| nationalyears2 = 1963–1968<ref>[http://www.fitbastats.com/scotlandu23/player.php?playerid=95 Scotland U23 player Greig, John], FitbaStats</ref>
| nationalteam2  = [[Scotland national under-23 football team|Scotland U23]]
| nationalcaps2  = 3
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 1964<ref name=scot60s>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lITgDAAAQBAJ&q=%22scotland+XI%22+v+%22scottish+league%22&pg=PT215|title=Scotland in the 60s: The Definitive Account of the Scottish National Football Side During the 1960s|author=Ronnie McDevitt|year=2016|publisher=Pitch Publishing|isbn=978-1-78531-245-8}}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| nationalteam3 = [[List of Scottish Football League representative players#Scotland trial matches / SFL Centenary players|SFL trial v SFA]]
| nationalcaps3 = 1
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 1964–1975
| nationalteam4  = [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
| nationalcaps4  = 44
| nationalgoals4 = 3
| manageryears1  = 1978–1983
| managerclubs1  = [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]
}}

'''John Greig''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|CBE}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/65889468|title=King's Birthday Honours: Sarah Hunter and Ian Wright among those included|publisher=BBC Sport|date=17 June 2023|access-date=17 June 2023}}</ref> (born 11 September 1942) is a Scottish former professional [[Association football|football]] player and manager who played as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]]. He spent his entire career with [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]], as a player, manager and director. Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the club's supporters,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sport.stv.tv/greatest-team/players-managers/164241-john-greig/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406054407/http://sport.stv.tv/greatest-team/players-managers/164241-john-greig/|archive-date=6 April 2010|title=John Greig|publisher=STV|work=STV Sport|date=1 April 2010}}</ref> and has been elected to [[List of Rangers F.C. players#Hall of fame|Rangers' Hall of Fame]].

== Early life ==
Greig played his youth football with United Crossroads Boys Club in Edinburgh, under the supervision of Eric Gardiner, and supported [[Heart of Midlothian F.C.|Hearts]] as a boy. It is unknown if Hearts showed any interest in signing him. [[Bob McAuley]] signed Greig for [[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]] and despite his initial reluctance, Greig did as instructed by his father.<ref name="autobio">{{cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=z9MS1JhZ5tIC&q=john+greig+rangers+SCHOOLBOY+JOINED&pg=PT25 |author=John Greig |author2=Jim Black |title=John Greig: My Story| publisher=Headline Book Publishing| year=2005| isbn=978-0-7553-1354-9}}</ref> However, after viewing a match between Rangers and Hibernian at Easter Road, where he witnessed them beating Hibs 6–1, he was convinced the move was right.

==Playing career ==
=== Club ===
A determined, forceful player, recognised for his great leadership qualities, Greig made 755 official appearances for Rangers (498 in the domestic league, 72 in the [[Scottish Cup]], a club record 121 in the [[Scottish League Cup|League Cup]] and 64 in European tournaments). He scored 120 goals for the club and won three [[Treble (association football)#Domestic trebles|domestic trebles]]. Greig actually started his career with Rangers as a forward, prior to being moved back to midfield — playing initially alongside another Rangers legend in [[Jim Baxter]] — and finally to left back. It was therefore in those initial years that he scored the majority of his goals for the club.

Greig was captain when Rangers won the [[Cup Winners Cup|European Cup Winners Cup]] in 1972 beating [[FC Dynamo Moscow|Dynamo Moscow]] 3–2 in [[Barcelona]]. Although Greig's was an enormously successful playing career, his captaincy coincided with a period of sustained success for Rangers' city rivals, [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]], from the late 1960s until the mid-1970s. Greig's fortitude during that period further cemented his reputation as one of Rangers' most celebrated captains.{{cn|date=September 2025}}

He was granted a testimonial match in 1978 against a [[Scotland national football team results (unofficial matches)|Scotland XI]] as part of the national squad's preparations for the [[1978 FIFA World Cup]]; Rangers won 5–0 before a crowd of 65,000 at Ibrox.<ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=P8pAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=waUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2919%2C3920378 Greig gives Ally's team the blues], Glasgow Herald, 17 April 1978</ref>

=== International ===
Greig played for [[Scotland national football team|Scotland]] on 44 occasions, 15 as captain, between 1964 and 1975.<ref name = "SFA"/> He scored the late winner in Scotland's 1–0 victory against Italy at [[Hampden Park]] on 9 November 1965 and in 1967 achieved the distinction of captaining the Scottish side who beat England 3–2 — their first defeat as World Champions — at Wembley. Greig also represented the [[Scottish League XI]] 14 times.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.londonhearts.com/SFL/players/johngreig.html|title=SFL player John Greig|website=London Hearts Supporters' Club|access-date=27 November 2011}}</ref><ref name=sfl76/>

== Managerial career ==
Greig's playing career ended in [[1977–78 in Scottish football|May 1978]] when he was appointed manager of Rangers, replacing [[Jock Wallace]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Jock-Wallace/story-21329665-detail/story.html |title=Jock Wallace: Former players talk about their time with the legendary hard man |work=Leicester Mercury |date=29 June 2014 |access-date=27 September 2015  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928030343/http://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/Jock-Wallace/story-21329665-detail/story.html |archive-date=28 September 2015}}</ref> The club failed to win the [[list of Scottish football champions|league championship]] during Greig's time as manager, finishing no higher than the second place achieved in [[1978–79 in Scottish football|1978–79]]. Greig's team had come close to winning a domestic treble and performed well in Europe in that first season. Rangers reached the quarter-final of the [[1978–79 European Cup]], defeating Italian champions [[Juventus FC|Juventus]] and becoming the first club to win in [[UEFA#Competitions|European club competition]] at [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]]'s [[Philips Stadion]], before eventual elimination to [[1. FC Köln|Cologne]]. There was also the partial compensation of success in domestic cup competitions, with two [[Scottish Cup]]s and two [[Scottish League Cup|League Cups]] secured over the course of Greig's five full seasons as manager. Greig was also responsible for signing Rangers' greatest ever goalscorer [[Ally McCoist]] from [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]. However, these were isolated achievements, and Greig — under intense pressure from the Scottish media, Rangers supporters and the club's directors — resigned in [[1983–84 in Scottish football|October 1983]], replaced by the returning Wallace.

== Post-football career ==
After leaving Rangers, Greig worked as a pundit for [[BBC Radio Scotland|Radio Scotland]] and [[BBC television]]. He returned in 1990 as part of the club's public relations team. [[Dick Advocaat]], manager of Rangers from 1998 to 2001, re-involved Greig in football coaching during which time he contributed to youth development. In 2003, he joined the Rangers [[board of directors]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Greig joins Rangers board| publisher= BBC |website=BBC Sport | url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/3349993.stm| date=26 December 2003}}</ref> Greig resigned this position in October 2011, soon after the takeover of the club by [[Craig Whyte]].<ref name = "director resigned"/> Greig and [[John McClelland (businessman)|John McClelland]], who resigned at the same time as Greig, stated that they had been excluded from the [[corporate governance]] of the club since Whyte had taken control.<ref name = "director resigned">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/15333066|title=Rangers directors John Greig and John McClelland step down|publisher=BBC|website=BBC Sport|date=17 October 2011 |access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref> Greig later re-joined Rangers on 23 May 2015, when he was named the club's honorary life president with ambassadorial responsibilities.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11626687/Rangers-appoint-John-Greig-as-honorary-life-president.html |title=Rangers appoint John Greig as honorary life president |newspaper=Daily Telegraph}}</ref>

== Career statistics ==
=== Club ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan=3 | Scotland
! colspan=2 | League
! colspan=2 | [[Scottish Cup]]
! colspan=2 | [[Scottish League Cup|League Cup]]
! colspan=2 | [[UEFA|Europe]]
! colspan=2 | Total
|-
! Season !! Club !! League
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
|-
|[[1961–62 in Scottish football|1961–62]]||rowspan="17"|[[Rangers F.C.|Rangers]]<ref>[http://www.fitbastats.com/rangers/player.php?playerid=1441 Rangers player Greig, John], FitbaStats (also includes [[Glasgow Cup]], not shown in table)</ref>
|rowspan="14"|[[Scottish Football League Division One|Division One]]||11||7||1||0||2||1||1||0||15||8
|-
|[[1962–63 in Scottish football|1962–63]]||27||5||7||0||5||5||2||0||41||10
|-
|[[1963–64 in Scottish football|1963–64]]||34||4||6||2||10||0||2||0||52||6
|-
|[[1964–65 in Scottish football|1964–65]]||34||4||3||0||7||0||7||1||51||5
|-
|[[1965–66 in Scottish football|1965–66]]||32||7||7||0||10||1||0||0||49||8
|-
|[[1966–67 in Scottish football|1966–67]]||32||2||1||0||8||1||9||0||50||3
|-
|[[1967–68 in Scottish football|1967–68]]||32||11||4||2||6||0||6||1||48||14
|-
|[[1968–69 in Scottish football|1968–69]]||33||6||5||1||6||0||9||2||53||9
|-
|[[1969–70 in Scottish football|1969–70]]||30||7||3||2||6||0||4||0||43||9
|-
|[[1970–71 in Scottish football|1970–71]]||26||8||7||0||8||1||2||1||43||10
|-
|[[1971–72 in Scottish football|1971–72]]|| 28|| 8|| 6|| 1|| 6|| 0|| 8|| 0|| 48|| 9
|-
|[[1972–73 in Scottish football|1972–73]]||30||7||6||0||10||3||2||0||48||10
|-
|[[1973–74 in Scottish football|1973–74]]||32||6||1||0||10||2||4||2||47||10
|-
|[[1974–75 in Scottish football|1974–75]]||22||1||0||0||1||0||0||0||23||1
|-
|[[1975–76 in Scottish football|1975–76]]||rowspan="3"|[[Scottish Football League Premier Division|Premier Division]]||36||2||5||0||10||1||4||0||55||3
|-
|[[1976–77 in Scottish football|1976–77]]||30||0||5||0||11||1||2||0||48||1
|-
|[[1977–78 in Scottish football|1977–78]]||29||2||5||1||5||1||2||1||41||5
|-
! colspan=3 | Career total
!498||87||72||9||121||17||64||7||755||120
|}

===International appearances===
[[File:Ajax tegen Rangers. Aanvoerders.jpg|thumb|right|230px|Greig (left) exchanging pennants with [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]]'s [[Johan Cruyff]], January 1973]]
{{updated|4 March 2019}}<ref name = "SFA">{{SFA Profile|id=113786}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align: center"
|+ International statistics
|-
! National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
|-
| rowspan="12"|[[Scotland national football team|Scotland]]
|1964||5||0
|-
|1965||9||3
|-
|1966||6||0
|-
|1967||3||0
|-
|1968||5||0
|-
|1969||8||0
|-
|1970||3||0
|-
|1971||4||0
|-
|1972||colspan=2|—
|-
|1973||colspan=2|—
|-
|1974||colspan=2|—
|-
|1975||1||0
|-
! colspan=2|Total!!44!!3
|}

=== International goals ===
:''Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first''
<!---DO NOT DELETE REPEAT ENTRIES!!! REPEAT ENTRIES REPRESENT MULTIPLE GOALS IN A GAME!!!---> 
{| class="wikitable"
! Goal !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 27 May 1965 || [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium|Olympic Stadium]], [[Helsinki]] || {{fb|FIN}} || 2–1 || [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=823&matchID=57648 2–1] || [[1966 FIFA World Cup qualification|1966 World Cup qualification]]
|-
| 2. || 9 November 1965 || [[Hampden Park]], [[Glasgow]] || {{fb|ITA}} || 1–0 || [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=823&matchID=57645 1–0] || 1966 World Cup qualification
|-
| 3. || 24 November 1965 || Hampden Park, Glasgow || {{fb|WAL}} || 4–1 || [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=823&matchID=57644 4–1] || [[1965–66 British Home Championship]]
|}

== Honours ==
[[File:Johngreig.jpg|thumb|right|175px|Statue of Greig at Ibrox Stadium, part of the memorial to the [[1971 Ibrox disaster]]]]
Greig was appointed [[Member of the Order of the British Empire]] (MBE) on 15 November 1977. In June 2008, he was awarded [[honorary degrees|honoris causa]], from the [[University of Glasgow]] in recognition for outstanding achievement in football and continuing ambassadorship for the sport.<ref>{{ cite news | url=http://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2008/march/headline_69851_en.html | title=Honorary Degrees for Scottish football legends | publisher=[[Glasgow University|University of Glasgow]] | date=10 March 2008  }}</ref>

He was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2023 Birthday Honours]] for services to association football and the community in Scotland.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64082|supp=y|page=B9|date=17 June 2023}}</ref>

=== As a player ===
==== Club ====
;Rangers
*[[UEFA Cup Winners' Cup]]: [[1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup|1971–72]]
*[[List of Scottish football champions|Scottish League First Division/Premier Division]] (5): [[1962–63 Scottish First Division|1962–63]], [[1963–64 Scottish First Division|1963–64]], [[1974–75 Scottish First Division|1974–75]], [[1975–76 Scottish Premier Division|1975–76]], [[1977–78 Scottish Premier Division|1977–78]]
*[[Scottish Cup]] (6): [[1963 Scottish Cup Final|1962–63]], [[1964 Scottish Cup Final|1963–64]], [[1966 Scottish Cup Final|1965–66]], [[1973 Scottish Cup Final|1972–73]], [[1976 Scottish Cup Final|1975–76]], [[1978 Scottish Cup Final|1977–78]]
*[[Scottish League Cup]] (4): [[1963 Scottish League Cup Final|1963–64]], [[1964 Scottish League Cup Final|1964–65]], [[1975 Scottish League Cup Final|1975–76]], [[1978 Scottish League Cup Final|1977–78]]

==== Individual ====
*[[SFWA Footballer of the Year]]: [[1965–66 in Scottish football#Individual honours|1965–66]], [[1975–76 in Scottish football#Individual honours|1975–76]]
*Scottish Football Personality of the Year: [[1978–79 in Scottish football|1978–79]]<ref>{{ cite news | url = https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000578/19790601/196/0026?noTouch=true | title = NO HEADING | newspaper = Press and Journal | access-date = 7 May 2022 | date = 1 June 1979 | via = British Newspaper Archive }}</ref>
*[[Scottish Football Hall of Fame]] (inaugural inductee)
*[[Scottish Sports Hall of Fame#Football|Scottish Sports Hall of Fame]] (inaugural inductee)
*[[Ballon d'Or]]: [[1972 Ballon d'Or|1972]] (18th place)<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/europa-poy72.html | title = European Footballer of the Year ("Ballon d'Or") 1972 | date = 1 May 2005 | access-date = 25 October 2016 | first = Pierrend | website = [[RSSSF]] | last = José Luis}}</ref>

=== As a manager ===
*[[Scottish Cup]]: [[1979 Scottish Cup Final|1978–79]], [[1981 Scottish Cup Final|1980–81]]
*[[Scottish League Cup]]: [[1979 Scottish League Cup Final (March)|1978–79]], [[1981 Scottish League Cup Final|1981–82]]

==See also==
*[[List of one-club men in association football]]
*[[List of Scotland national football team captains]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Scottish Sports Hall of Fame|john-greig-mbe}}
* {{SFA profile}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20111120205907/http://www.rangers.co.uk/articles/20040210/john-greig_2255473_1555145 John Greig manager profile at Rangers FC]
* [https://aws.rangers.co.uk/club/history/hall-of-fame/john-greig/ John Greig Hall of Fame profle at  Rangers FC]

{{Navboxes
|title=Awards
|fg=navy
|bg=gold
|list1=
{{SFWA Footballer of the Year}}
{{Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame}}
{{Scottish Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Scottish Cup winning managers}}
{{Scottish League Cup winning managers}}
}}
{{Rangers F.C. managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greig, John}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Footballers from Edinburgh]]
[[Category:Rangers F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Rangers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Scotland men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League players]]
[[Category:Scottish football managers]]
[[Category:Scottish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League representative players]]
[[Category:Scotland men's under-23 international footballers]]
[[Category:Scottish Football League managers]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Directors of football clubs in Scotland]]