Johnny Lynch Player Profile

Biography

Johnny Lynch’s Dundee career lasted 16 years on paper but he could have doubled his 193 appearances had his career not been interrupted by the Second World War and had he not shared the goalkeeping duties with a number of custodians.

Lynch made his debut as a seventeen year old to cover for the injured Bill Marsh and he was thrown into the deep end against Rangers at Ibrox on August 24th 1935. Despite the 4-3 defeat he let no one down and made five appearances in his first year and twelve in his second.

By his third season Dundee manager Andy Cunningham saw the potential in the nineteen year old Lynch and allowed the long serving Marsh to sign for Kilmarnock in December 1937 after a thirteen year Dens Park career.

Lynch was now Dundee’s number one keeper and missed just six games before Dundee went into abeyance for the Second World War. In that time however Dundee were relegated for the first time in 1938, one point behind the six sides in front of them and with the highest ever points total for a relegated side of 32, equaled by Dundee in 1976 and not beaten until Dundee’s total of 34 in 2005!.

After failing to get promotion before war broke out, finishing sixth in 1938/39. Dundee found themselves in the second tier when league football resumed in August 1945.

By then new managing-director George Anderson had recruited Hull City goalkeeper Reuben Bennett and Lynch just played sporadically as the Dark Blues won back-to-back B Division championships to get promotion (the Scottish League declared the first two season's back unofficial due to the number of players still being demobbed and the fact it was under the auspices of the Southern League rather than the SFL). Johnny rejected a move to Cardiff City and only played in cup matches in the 1945/46 season but played eight times the following year and was in the goal when the second Scottish League B Division title was secured with a 5-2 home win over Raith Rovers on April 23rd.

However at the start of the 1947/48 season Reuben Bennett was injured and Lynch started the campaign in a 5-0 home win over Third Lanark in the League Cup. He kept his place the following week for the first league game away at Morton and established himself as the Dark Blues’ No. 1 as Bennett moved onto George Anderson’s coaching staff.

Dundee’s first season back in the top tier was a successful one, finishing fourth in the Scottish League A Division and the highlights included a 4-1 win over Celtic at Dens where there were violent scenes on the terracing with widespread bottle-throwing by disgruntled Celtic fans.

The following season Dundee got off to a flier with just one defeat in the first ten matches and by November found themselves in the League Cup semi-final. Lynch missed the Hampden semi with Rangers through injury where they lost 4-1 but by New Year’s Day Dundee lay just a point behind the Ibrox side at the top of the league.

Dundee were putting together a real championship challenge and with Lynch back in the side for the visit of Rangers on January 3rd, a 3-1 victory sent The Dee to the top of the A Division.

Dundee maintained their momentum in both league and cup and only exited the Scottish Cup after a disappointing semi-final 2-1 defeat to Clyde at Hampden but they went it into the final game of the season at Falkirk needing just a point to be Champions of Scotland for the first ever time.

However in an excess of zeal, the ebullient Dundee manager, George Anderson locked his players in the dressing-room for an hour before kick-off and by the players own post match admissions, it reduced them to a bag of nerves which saw the opening period a cagey affair in front of 17,000 sun-drenched fans at Brockville.

Lynch lined up for his 30th appearance of the season at Brockville on April 30th 1949 and although the Dark Blues made heavy weather of the opening stages, they looked to have got the vital breakthrough three minutes before half time when they were awarded a penalty.

However the normally reliable Alex Stott, Scotland’s top scorer with thirty-eight goals, saw his spot kick saved by George Nicol and in the second half things got worse when Falkirk scored two goals in an eight minute spell. With twelve minutes left Stott pulled one back but any hopes of a revival were quickly dashed by another two Falkirk goals shortly afterwards.

Rangers won 4-1 at Albion Rovers to snatch the title and everyone connected with Dundee FC were devastated. Rangers would win the treble for the first time in their history; the first time in was completed in Scottish football history and it could so easily have been the Dark Blues after two cup semi-finals and a League championship runners-up place.

The 31-year old Lynch was in goal at the start of the next season but he now had competition from a youngster signed at the start of the season from Carnoustie Panmure. Bill Brown made his debut to cover for the injured Lynch on January 14th away at Clyde and the future Scotland keeper continued as back up for Lynch when he was unavailable over the next 12 months.

In January 1951 Dundee drew Dundee United in the first round of the Scottish Cup and Johnny played in the all-ticket tie at Dens where 38,000 witnessed an exciting 2-2 draw. In the replay at Tannadice four days later, Johnny kept a clean sheet as Billy Steel scored the only goal to send the Dark Blues through against the B Division side.

After settling a dispute with the Club the previous year, Lynch had turned in some brilliant performances for The Dee and there was even talk in the press of a potential call up for Scotland. In the next match against St Johnstone however, in the second round of the Scottish Cup, Johnny missed the game due to the death of his father and he was unable to regain his place from Bill Brown.

At the end of the season, after sixteen years at Dens, Johnny was given a free transfer and the career of one of Dundee’s longest serving players came to an end. The following year Dundee would win their first silverware in 41 years when they brought the League Cup to Dens meaning Johnny missed out once again on a major honour.

He will however be remembered as a popular keeper from the Dark Blue’s ‘nearly team’ who almost brought the League championship to Dens and were close to becoming the first Scottish team to do the treble.