John Dennis Downie (born July 19, 1925) was a Scottish football player. He was born in Lanark, Scotland. He played as a forward. Downie was purchased by Manchester United from Bradford Park Avenue in 1949 for a British record of £18,000 and played his last game for the club in 1953. Downie scored 37 goals (including 5 FA Cup Goals) in 116 appearances for the club.
Downie also played for Luton Town, Hull City and Mansfield Town.
After retiring from football, he worked as a newsagent in Bradford. Downie now lives in Tynemouth and regularly goes to watch local teams North Shields and Whitley Bay.
He was an easy going Scot and made a valiant stab at a well-neigh impossible assignment, that of replacing the brilliant and vastly popular local lad Johnny Morris in Matt Busby's dazzlingly attractive post war side.
The newcomer an exceptionally talented inside forward in his own right, cost a club record £18,000 when he was recruited from Bradford park Avenue in March 1949. However, he was confronted instantly by intimidatingly vast expectations and there were occasions when unsympathetic Old Trafford regulars, dismayed by the departure of their hero, gave poor Downie a rough ride. Downie displayed abundant mettle as the Red Devils (Manchester United) became League champions in 1951/52.
That term he netted 11 times and set up plenty of goals for Jack Rowley and Stan Pearson, and he made a telling contribution too when Manchester United finished as runners up in both 1948/49 and 1950/51. However, with precocious youngsters such as John Doherty clamouring recognition for his place became insecure and after failing to convince Busby that he should switch to wing half he joined Luton Town for £10,000 in August 1953.