Maurice "Mo" Johnston, the first-ever coach for Major League Soccer's newest entry, Toronto FC, has seen it all.
Once an international star for Scotland, the 43-year-old has played on both sides of the Atlantic. He has been the standardbearer in the move by Glasgow Rangers, one of soccer's most storied clubs, to end their longstanding Protestants-only recruitment policies. He has played in France and the English premiership and made the transition from player to coach.
And now he is trying to do what no one has managed, take soccer interest from the grass roots to the box office for FC who open play next spring at the National Soccer Stadium at Exhibition Place.
"For anyone that isn't sure about soccer, come on game day. Watch one game. I guarantee you'll be sold," he said. " I honestly believe, getting the right players and getting the right combination of Canadians here, it's going to be huge."
Johnston was born into a middle-class family in Glasgow. "I fell into the game when I was born. At nine months, I was up, kicking a ball." His father, Jimmy a former player and a Protestant, was devoted to Rangers. Johnston's mother was Catholic and despite countless trips to watch Rangers, Johnston found himself rooting for Glasgow Celtic, the team with whom he would star for three years beginning in 1984.
Johnston played three years for Celtic and scored 55 goals before leaving for Nates in France. After two years there, he was ready to come home and declared a preference for Celtic. Last-minute negotiations however induced him to play for his father's team, Rangers.
The rivalry between the two teams is so well-worn, they are known in tandem as The Old Firm. Celtic fans were outraged by what they viewed as the defection of one of their own. Meanwhile, Ranger fans who hadn't had a prominent Catholic player since the Second World War burned their scarves and season tickets. "I had bodyguards for nine months, 24 hours a day," Johnston said, "but the people at Glasgow Rangers embraced me and things were cool."
Johnston would stay there for three seasons before moving to Everton in England. "I've always been a bit of a vagabond. I like to meet new people and go to new places."
He played with Hearts and Falkirk in Scotland before signing in 1996 with Major League Soccer's Kansas City Wizards.
"I loved being in America from the beginning. I loved people not knowing who I was," he said. "You can talk to people. But when you want to, you can get away. In Scotland or England, you can't do that."
Johnston played in Kansas City from 1996-2001 as a forward/midfielder and was a three-time All-Star.
"He was extremely passionate," said Bob Gansler, his longtime coach in Kansas City. "As a player, Mo was a winner, whatever the team needed, for him to be up or back, he did it."
Johnston retired after the 2000 season and eventually turned to coaching. In October 2005, Johnston was named interim head coach of the MetroStars. He guided the team to a 2-0-1 mark and the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. He was fired by the club in June after the club stumbled to a 5-4-8 mark.
Johnston promises a hard-driving, committed team for Toronto FC next season.
"Winning is acceptable, losing is not," said Johnston, who ought to know. "I grew up with it and I won't accept second best."
