Simply Fulham’s best-ever player, Johnny Haynes was one of British football’s outstanding inside-forwards and was capped for England on 56 occasions, 22 times as captain.
Known as ‘The Maestro’, he was idolised by Fulham supporters and remained at the Cottage throughout his career despite offers from bigger clubs.
He easily holds the Club aggregate appearance record with 658 games. His tally of 158 goals was also a record until Gordon Davies passed it in 1989.
Haynes dictated most games he played in with his magnificent tactical brain, control and passing ability. He was a perfectionist who was as hard on himself as he was on others, and was famous for his withering looks to colleagues when they had failed to read his play on the field.
Haynes played in two losing FA Cup Semi-Finals for the Whites in 1958 and 1962. He also helped them to promotion to Division One in 1959 and did more than most to keep them there until 1968.
His greatest game for his country came against Russia in 1958 when his hat-trick helped England to a 5-0 victory. He was also inspirational when Scotland were beaten 9-3 at Wembley in 1961. The great Pele described Haynes as “the best passer of the ball I've ever seen.”
Briefly Caretaker Manager of the Club in November 1968, he headed to South Africa to continue playing in August 1970, before moving to Edinburgh in 1984.
Haynes tragically died in October 2005 at the wheel of his car. He has since had the Stevenage Road Stand renamed in his honour, while a statue was also commissioned which sits proudly outside the Cottage gates.
