John Greig

Football player infobox2
playername= John Greig


fullname = John Greig MBE
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1942|9|11
cityofbirth = Edinburgh
countryofbirth = Scotland
height =
currentclub = Rangers (Director)
position = Defender (Retired)
years = 1961-1978
clubs = Rangers
caps(goals) = 498 (87)
nationalyears = 1964-1971
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 044 0(1)
manageryears = 1978-1983 & 2004
managerclubs = Rangers

John Greig MBE (born September 11, 1942 in Edinburgh) is a former Scottish professional football player who, despite his boyhood allegiance to hometown team Heart of Midlothian, spent his entire career in Glasgow with Rangers as a player and later a manager.

Playing career

A determined, forceful player, Greig made 755 official appearances for Rangers (498 league appearances, 72 Scottish Cup matches, a club record 121 League Cup games and 64 in European Cup). He scored 120 goals for the club and won three domestic trebles.

Greig was captain when Rangers won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1972 beating 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, 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. He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) on the 15 November 1977.

He played for Scotland on 44 occasions, 15 as captain, between 1964 and 1971. Perhaps his finest moment in Dark Blue was his late winner in Scotland's 1-0 victory against Italy at Hampden Park on November 9, 1965.

Managerial career

Greig's playing career ended in 1978 when he was appointed manager of Rangers, replacing Jock Wallace. His time as Rangers' manager was not successful. The club failed to win the league championship during Greig's time as manager, finishing no higher than the second place achieved in his first season, 1978-79. There were sporadic successes. In his first season, Rangers performed creditably to reach the quarter-final of the European Cup, defeating Italian champions Juventus and becoming the first club to win in European club competition at PSV Eindhoven's Philips Stadion, before eventual elimination to Cologne. There was also the partial compensation of success in domestic cup competitions, with two Scottish Cups and two 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. However, these were isolated achievements, and Greig - under intense pressure from the Scottish media, Rangers supporters and the club's directors - resigned in October 1983, replaced by the returning Wallace.

After management

After leaving Rangers, Greig worked as a pundit for Radio Scotland and BBC television. He was re-employed by Rangers from 1990 as part of the club's public relations team. Dick Advocaat, manager of Rangers from 1998-2001, re-involved Greig in football coaching, and he continues to contribute to youth development. In 2003, he joined the Rangers board of directors.cite web | title="Past Managers: John Greig" | work= Rangers website | url=http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PastManagersDetail/0,,5~388917,00.html| accessdate=14 May| accessyear=2007] Greig was voted "The Greatest Ever Ranger" in 1999 by the Rangers supporterscite news|url=http://www.rangers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/WhosWhoDetail/0,,5~470538,00.html|title=John Greig MBE|publisher=Rangers official website] and is one of 71 players elected to Rangers' Hall of Fame.

In June 2008, he was awarded honoris causa, from Glasgow University along with Celtic legendBilly McNeil. This enables Grieg to use the title of Doctor, although he is unlikely to do so.

Honours

Player:
*UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1): 1972
*Scottish League Champions (5): 1963, 1964, 1975 1976, 1978
*Scottish Cup (6): 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1973, 1976, 1978
*Scottish League Cup (4): 1964, 1965, 1976, 1978
*Scottish Footballer of the Year (2): 1966, 1976

Manager:
*Scottish Cup (2): 1979, 1981
*Scottish League Cup (2): 1979, 1982

References

External links

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