JOHN GILLIES - 15TH SEPTEMBER 1938 - 11TH APRIL 2010
I FIRST MET JOHNNY IN 1956 WHEN I JOINED THE KNIGHTSWOOD TOFFS. HE
WAS ALSO A RECENT RECRUIT, BUT ALREADY SHOWING INTEREST IN LOOKING AFTER TEAM AFFAIRS AND THIS EVENTUALLY LED TO HIM BECOMIING
TEAM MANAGER. HE WAS A GOOD FOOTBALLER AND MUCH INVOLVED AT THAT TIME AND VERY FIT. THIS ENERGY SERVED HIM WELL
IN RACING AND HE SOON BECAME THE GLASGOW JUNIOR CHAMPION. NATIONAL SERVICE FOLLOWED BUT JOHNNY RACED FOR THE TOFFS WHENEVER
HIS DUTIES PERMITTED AND RESUMED FULL TIME RACING FOLLOWING DEMOB. HE WAS ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THE GENERAL ORGANISATION
OF THE SPORT AND CONTRIBUTED A GREAT DEAL THROUGH HIS EFFORTS WITH THE TOFFS AND THE CONTROL BOARD.
JOHNNY WAS A COMICAL CHARACTER, WITH A VERY QUICK WIT AND A DISTINCTIVE
LAUGH WHICH WAS MUCH IN EVIDENCE ROUND THE TRACKS WHERE HE ENJOYED AND CONTRIBUTED MUCH TO THE MIRTH AND BANTER. HE
CONTINUED HIS CONNECTION WITH FOOTBALL AND JOINED THE COMMITTEE OF YOKER ATHLETIC JUNIOR F.C. THEY HAD RECENTLY PURCHASED
A DONKEY AS A MASCOT AND TO KEEP THE GRASS SHORT, AND JOHNNY WITH HIS LIKING FOR ANIMALS, PARTICULARLY DOGS WAS DULY APPOINTED
ITS OFFICIAL KEEPER. HE WAS QUITE PROUD OF THIS AND APPEARED WITH THE DONKEY IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS. HE WROTE A
REGULAR COLUMN ON CYCLE SPEEDWAY IN THE WESTERN NEWS COVERING A WIDE AREA FROM PARTICK TO CLYDEBANK THAT GAINED GOOD PUBLICITY
FOR THE SPORT.
JOHNNY, DOUG MAXWELL AND MYSELF CONTINUED OUR FRIENDSHIP AFTER RETIRING
FROM CYCLE SPEEDWAY AND ENJOYED MANY GOOD TIMES TOGETHER. I INTRODUCED HIM TO A NUMBER OF MY FRIENDS IN GOVAN AND EVEN
AFTER I LEFT IN 1971 TO LIVE IN ENGLAND, THOSE FRIENDSHIPS CONTINUED TO THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF ALL, INCLUDING SEVERAL GOVAN
AND PARTICK HOSTELRIES.
THERE WAS A BREAK WHEN JOHNNY SPENT A TIME WITH THE MESSERSCHMIDT AIRCRAFT
COMPANY IN GERMANY ON A CONTRACT AS AN AERO ENGINEER, AFTER PREVIOUSLY WORKING WITH ROLLS ROYCE AT HILLINGTON. UNFORTUNATELY,
HE DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH A WRIST, LOSING SOME CONTROL OF HIS FINGERS AND THAT FINISHED HIS CAREER AS AN ENGINEER.
THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE JOHNNY WAS MUCH INVOLVED IN GREYHOUND RACING AS AN
OWNER AND TRAINER OF DOGS AND ENJOYED SOME MODEST SUCCESS AT VARIOUS TRACKS. OTHER INTERESTS INCLUDED MUSIC, RANGING
FROM CLASSICAL TO COUNTRY & WESTERN AND HE HAD A HUGE COLLECTION OF RECORDS AND TAPES. HE WAS AN AVID READER
AND GOT THROUGH A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF BOOKS AT ALL TIMES.
JOHNNY WAS A VERY POPULAR GUY WITH ALL WHO KNEW HIM, INCLUDING MY CHILDREN
WHO LOVED HIS ANTICS WHENEVER THEY MET HIM. WE OFTEN STAYED WITH JOHNNY WHEN VISITING GLASGOW TO GO TO IBROX AND WERE
MADE VERY WELCOME AND SHARED MANY HAPPY TIMES. HE MAINTAINED HIS
CHEERFUL PERSONALITY AND FAMOUS SENSE OF HUMOUR UNTIL ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO WHEN HE SUFFERED A SEVERE STROKE. AFTER TREATMENT
IN HOSPITAL HE WAS CONSIDERED UNFIT TO STAY ALONE AND WAS TAKEN INTO A CARE HOME WHERE HE REMAINED UNTIL HIS UNTIMELY DEATH
AT THE AGE OF 71.
JOHNNY WAS A VERY DEAR FRIEND, A UNIQUE CHARACTER, AND SORELY MISSED BUT
FOND MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS REMAIN WITH MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO SHARED SO MUCH WITH HIM.
JIMMY COBAIN
