Johnny was a TV star for all of 45 minutes
Scotland’s game against San Marino at Hampden this evening will be televised live.
It’s unlikely to break any audience records, and you suspect even diehard fans will be easily tempted away to another game.
In April, 1952, the second half of a schoolboy international against England was shown live on TV at the same time as the full teams were competing at Hampden Park.
Watching their boys in action wasn’t easy for families north of the border, but Johnny Lawlor’s family were determined to see the 15-year-old striker in action.
“My mum and dad actually hired a television to watch me play,” recalled Johnny.
“Unfortunately, we lost 1- 0, and I missed a chance to score from close range. But it was an amazing experience to play in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley.
“Just six weeks ago, I received a package from a friend of mine.
“It contained a match programme for that game. I don’t know how he got it, but it’s amazing to have a copy nearly 70 years after it took place.
“We didn’t come back home until the night after the game. We were taken on a bus to see the sights of London before it drove north.
“Not long after that, George Taggart and I signed for Kilmarnock Amateurs.
“I also played for the Scotland Under- 18s and won the Triple Crown by beating Northern Ireland and Wales.”
Several other members of the team had professional careers – Ralph Brand was signed by Rangers, Doug Baillie went to Airdrie and goalie Chic Brodie joined Manchester City.
Johnny played one game of junior football before his long career as a professional.
He said: “Just before I signed full- time with Kilmarnock, I was told to report to Shawfield.
“I was to play in the final of the Central League Cup for Shettleston.
“It was a case of playing a junior game just in case you wanted to be reinstated at that level, but I wasn’t expecting a cup winner’s medal.”
Johnny played 11 times for Kilmarnock’s first team before leaving to do National Service.
He said: “I joined the army on the same day as my good friend, Davie Wilson of Rangers.
“It was the day of the Munich air disaster – February 6, 1958 – when we arrived in Aldershot.
“Jimmy Sirrel was a coach at Aldershot FC and he asked Kilmarnock manager Willie Waddell if I could be released to play for them.
“I spent two seasons there and we reached the fourth round of the FA Cup. We were beaten by Stoke City in a second replay at Molineux.”
“Stirling Albion manager Danny Mclennan then came to watch me playing against Fulham and persuaded me to sign.
“We got to the League Cup semi- final, only to lose 2-1 to Hearts when Willie Wallace scored for them in extra-time.”
Johnny scored a spectacular goal that gave the Binos a memorable victory over Celtic, but a late-season slump resulted in relegation from the top flight.
It meant the players going from £ 20- a- week as full- timers to a wage of just £ 6 during the season and £4 in the summer.
Johnny went on: “During that time I spent a summer with Hamilton Steelers in Canada.
“Relegation meant I went part-time and took a job as a salesman with the gas board.
“I later sold safety equipment and set up my own business supplying it.”
Seven other clubs made use of Johnny’s trickery and eye for goal.
There were spells with Dumbarton, Falkirk, ES Clydebank, Alloa, East Fife, Stranraer and Hamilton Accies before retirement in 1969.
Johnny, now 82, was there when Scotland’s most-capped player first took a bow.
He said: “Hamilton Accies were beaten 10- 0 by Celtic in the League Cup quarter-final.
“I’ve heard Kenny Dalglish joke that Jock Stein took a chance on him because there was a 10-goal advantage going into the second leg.
“I scored before he came off the bench, but we still lost 4-2.”