“MND doesn’t care which football team you support. It can affect every family, every background” – James Johnstone reflects on his father’s battle with motor neuron disease ahead of “Jinky’s Journey” event

On Bank Holiday Monday, 4 May 2026, MND Scotland and Celtic FC Foundation will host “Jinky’s Journey”, a 7mile walk from Viewpark to Celtic Park celebrating the life and legacy of the late Celtic Football Club legend Jimmy “Jinky” Johnstone, who was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in 2001. 

Jimmy was born in Viewpark, North Lanarkshire. He signed with Celtic Football Club on 8 November 1961 at just 17 years old. He went on to make 515 appearances with the Club, scored 130 goals, and made 23 appearances for the Scotland national team. 

Among his achievements are nine championship medals: four in the Scottish Cup, five in the League Cup, and notably, the European Cup in 1967. A statue of Jimmy sits pride of place outside Celtic Park.  

Ahead of the “Jinky’s Journey” event next month, his son, James, speaks about his father’s experience with MND, the impact it had on their family, and what the upcoming event means to him. 

James said, “My dad was always on the move. Even after retiring, he was always training. When I was young, he’d take me to places like Wooddean Park in Bothwell during pre-season. The Celtic players would sneak off the main pitch to have a kickabout with us kids. As a wee boy, standing on that pitch with professional players is something I’ll never forget. Dad loved those moments. He loved people. He loved making folk happy.” 

James added, “People think of him as this superstar, but to me, he was just my dad. Funny, stubborn, always up for a laugh. He could turn any dull day into a story. I miss those wee things more than anything.” 

Jimmy was diagnosed with MND in 2001 and lived with the disease for five years before passing away in 2006, aged 61.   

For James, then in his early thirties, the news came as a devastating shock. He said, “We’d never really heard of MND. When we started looking into it and saw the word ‘incurable,’ your heart just drops. Everything changed so quickly.” 

Jimmy first experienced pins and needles in his arms, a gradual loss of balance, and then increasing weakness that made daily tasks difficult.  

Speaking about his dad, James said, “He’d fall and couldn’t get back up. Then his speech started to go. Watching him lose the ability to speak, walk, or even drink without help was heartbreaking. He was just a shadow of himself, and that was hard to see.” 

He added, “One minute he was still doing light training, still trying to keep fit. Then suddenly, there were specialists involved, tests, and referrals. We didn’t know how serious it was until we were told the truth. And you’re sitting there thinking, how can someone so strong, so full of life, have something like this? It didn’t feel real.” 

“It’s strange how quickly it takes over. One week, he’s walking with a bit of trouble, the next, he’s needing help standing up. You watch him trying to pick up a glass, trying to button a shirt, and he can’t. You never forget that. It breaks you a bit each time.” 

“When his legs went, that was the moment I think we all realised the reality. My dad was known for his movement, his agility. To see him unable to stand was the hardest blow.” 

Motor neuron disease (MND) is a rapidly progressing terminal neurological illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This causes muscle weakness and wasting. MND can rob someone of the ability to walk, talk, swallow and breathe. The average life expectancy of someone with MND is just 18 months from diagnosis. There is no cure or meaningful treatment. 

James went on to say, “My dad hated being a burden. He hated asking for help. Even when he needed someone to hold a cup to his mouth, he’d apologise. That’s the thing people don’t see – the emotional part. He wasn’t just losing strength. He was losing independence, and that crushed him more than anything.” 

“He stopped going to events because he didn’t want people seeing him like that. He didn’t want people feeling sorry for him.”  

The Johnstone family faced an additional challenge as, even in the toughest moments, fame followed Jimmy. James said, “When he passed, the sheer number of people wanting to attend his funeral was unbelievable. We were grateful, but it meant grieving in public, not in peace. We never really got that quiet moment to say goodbye.” 

“It’s hard enough watching your dad fade away. We wanted to protect him, but at the same time, we knew how much people loved him. It was a balancing act between privacy and respect.” 

“There were folk who went above and beyond. People like Willie Haughey. He really took my dad under his wing. Willie helped to organise an extension being built at the house so my dad could access the bathroom and bedroom more easily when his mobility was poor. The funds where raise from a fundraising night which was held for my dad. Willie helped us a lot financially, including paying for my dad’s funeral costs and for his headstone. He never asked for anything in return.” 

“There’s also Jim ‘Simmy’ Simonette at the Jimmy Johnstone Academy (JJA) in Cathkin Park. The JJA was set up in honour of my dad. It’s where Third Lanark used to play. This is where my dad’s first game with Celtic took place. The work they have done there is amazing. Willie Haughty helped fund the Academy so the boys can go in and train. When they celebrate, they hold their hand up in the air, the same way my dad used to when he scored.” 

“Then there’s also Willie Henderson, one of my dad’s best pals. Willie’s from a Rangers background, but none of that mattered. He still speaks about my dad at events. He supported us through everything. That’s friendship. That’s humanity.” 

“The community was unbelievable too. When we needed a stairlift and equipment, everyone rallied together, from neighbours, pals, and people from the pub, people we didn’t even know. It showed us how much dad meant to people.” 

On Bank Holiday Monday, 4 May 2026, Celtic FC Foundation and MND Scotland will host ‘Jinky’s Journey’. Supporters, fans, and the MND community are invited to sign up and join the route from the Jimmy Johnstone Memorial Garden in Viewpark to Celtic Park. 

James, his mother, sister, son, daughters will be joined by fans and supporters to help raise vital funds for Celtic FC Foundation and MND Scotland.  

Speaking ahead of the event, James said, “Jinky’s Journey is about more than football. It’s about bringing people together: Celtic fans, Rangers fans, people who don’t even follow football. MND doesn’t care who you support. It can affect every family, every background.” 

The funds raised from the event will be shared equally between MND Scotland and Celtic FC Foundation to support the Foundation’s Lions Lunch Breaks projects, which provides support for those living with dementia and their carers, and to support MND Scotland’s support services for people living with the disease in Scotland and fund vital MND research. 

James added, “For us, seeing people walk in my dad’s name means everything. It gives hope to families going through what we went through.” 

“When I think of my dad now, I don’t just think of the footballer. I think of the laughs, the holidays, the daft jokes, the family moments. MND took all of that away far too quickly. But events like this remind us that he’s still here in a way – through the stories, the memories, the people who still love him. That’s what keeps us going.” 

MND Scotland would like to thank James and his family for their support and looks forward to welcoming them next month at Jinky’s Journey.  

James and his family want to thank everyone who will be taking part in the event: “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. This isn’t about Celtic or Rangers, it’s about motor neuron disease and remembering my dad. We’re so grateful for every single person supporting this”. 

If you would like to support James by donating to his JustGiving page, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/james-johnstone-number-7

To register for the event, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/jinkys-journey-tickets-1981310444876