Johnson: Rodney (Rod)

1962-1968 (Player Details)

Centre Forward/ Midfield

Born: Leeds: 08-01-1945

Debut: v Swansea Town (a): 08-09-1962

5’9” 10st 12lb (1963)

A pupil of Cow Close School, Leeds, he played for Middleton Parkside Juniors and was rejected by Reading after trials, before joining United and winning England Youth honours. Johnson enjoyed a scoring debut at the age of seventeen and was also carried off, when Don Revie picked a crop of promising youngsters. Like many fine young home-produced players of the early Revie era Johnson suffered from the excess of talent at that time and his chances were severely limited as were many others on the fringe of the great team. After several years of faithful service several of them became valued players with other clubs. The others, Sprake, Reaney and Hunter became household names, but Johnson’s impact was made in the lower Divisions. He moved to Doncaster Rovers for £5,000 in March 1968, playing a significant role in their Fourth Division Championship success in the following season. He had one hundred and six games and one off the bench for Rovers, scoring twenty-three goals. He went to Rotherham United in December 1970, where he started one hundred and eight times as well as two from the bench and scored eight goals. He signed for Bradford City for £9,000 in December 1972. He made one hundred and ninety starts at Valley Parade as well as two from the bench and scored sixteen goals and was instrumental in helping City to promotion to the Third Division in 1976-77. He was captain of City and also player-coach. In 1976 he played the off-season in the NASL with Chicago Sting. After retiring from the professional game in 1979, he worked as an insurance salesman and joined Gainsborough Trinity in July 1979 and Garforth in September 1982, the latter as coach.