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St. Johnstone F.C.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| St. Johnstone F.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | St. Johnstone Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | The Saints | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1884 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | McDiarmid Park Perth, Scotland (Capacity 10,673) |
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| Chairman |  Geoff Brown |
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| Manager | Derek McInnes |
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| League | Scottish First Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006-07 | Scottish First Division, 2nd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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St. Johnstone Football Club are a Scottish football club based in Perth. Although they are officially recorded as being formed in 1884, research has shown that they did not play their first game until February 1885. The club plays its home games at McDiarmid Park.
At the close of the 2006-07 season, St. Johnstone finished second in the Scottish First Division. For the second season running, this was the club's highest placing since being relegated from the Scottish Premier League in 2002. As only one club is promoted, St. Johnstone will again compete for the First Division title in the 2007-08 season.
Contents |
- For St. Johnstone's season-by-season stats, see here.
The club was formed by members of the local cricket team seeking to occupy their time once the cricket season was finished. The cricketers were kicking a football around the North Inch, a large public park beside the River Tay, and decided to get enough players together to form a team. This was in the autumn of 1884, and is generally acknowledged to be the date of the formation of St. Johnstone Football Club, although it wasn't until early in the following year that this team of footballers, playing on a casual basis, held an official meeting which led to the forming of the club as a separate, permanent entity rather than a "spin-off" of the cricket club.[1]
Football was beginning to become popular, and although there were several local teams playing the sport, it was St. Johnstone who would become the club most associated with the town which gave the club its name. In the Middle Ages, Perth was colloquially known as St. John's Toun because the church at the centre of the parish was dedicated to St. John the Baptist. Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God), the symbol associated with John the Baptist, is a part of the St. Johnstone club crest.[2]
The club members leased a piece of land adjacent to the South Inch, known as the Recreation Grounds, which became the club's first home. After several decades it became clear they had outgrown those grounds so, in 1924, they moved to the other side of Perth and built Muirton Park, which would serve as their home for the next sixty-five years.[3]
The club has had little success in national competitions to date. They have never won the top league, nor have they won either of the two major cup tournaments: The Scottish Cup or the League Cup. There have been two appearances in the final of the League Cup, losing first to Celtic 1-0 in 1969, and 2-1 to Rangers in 1998, with Canadian internationalist Nick Dasovic scoring for Saints. They have yet to reach a Scottish Cup final. The club have also appeared twice in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, losing 1-0 to Stranraer in 1996, and winning the trophy in 2007 with a 3-2 victory over Dunfermline. They also won the Scottish Consolation Cup in 1911-12.
In terms of the league, the club's highest-ever finish has been third place in the old First Division, which occurred on two occasions. The first was in 1970-71, when Saints finished behind Celtic and Aberdeen but ahead of Rangers. The team was mostly comprised of the 1969 League Cup team, managed by Willie Ormond, who eventually went on to manage Scotland. The club had some notable players during this period, who later went on to success at other clubs - such as Henry Hall, Alex MacDonald, John Lambie, John Connolly, and Jim Pearson.
This third-placed finish led to a European adventure in the UEFA Cup, beating German giants SV Hamburg and Hungarians Vasas Budapest before finally going out in Yugoslavia to NK Zeljeznicar Sarajevo. The club continued to play in the top division of the Scottish Football League until reconstruction in 1975, but were relegated from the new Premier Division in its first season.
McDiarmid Park's south stand is named the "Ormond Stand" in his honour.
It took Saints until 1983 to return - albeit for a single season - before setting a record through suffering two successive relegations in 1984 and 1985. They eventually found themselves bottom of the entire league in 1986 and skirted with financial oblivion, before local businessman Geoff Brown stepped in.
An unprecedented change in the club's focus occurred over the next decade or so, with the move from long-term home Muirton Park to the new purpose-built McDiarmid Park on the outskirts of the city, the first purpose-built all-seater stadium built in the United Kingdom. The new stadium was named to recognise the generous donation of land by local farmer Bruce McDiarmid. This plus the input of significant transfer funds and the appointment of manager Alex Totten spurred Saints through the leagues. They obtained promotion to the First Division in 1988. Saints then memorably won the First Division championship and promotion to the Premier Division in 1990 during the first season of football at McDiarmid Park.
Saints finished 1990-91 in 7th place, but their season was buoyed by an appearance in the Scottish Cup semi-final, in which they lost to Dundee United.
The following season proved to be Totten's last at the helm, an eighth-placed finish bringing to an end his five-year reign as manager. He was succeeded by John McClelland for the 1992-93 season. The Irishman didn't fare much better, however, leading the club to 6th place. Another semi-final cup appearance, this time the League Cup, sweetened the campaign slightly.
St. Johnstone's four-year run in the Premier Division came to an end in 1993-94, a 10th-placed finish sending them back to the First Division. McClelland left the club before the season ended, and was replaced by former Dundee United striker Paul Sturrock.
Under Sturrock's stewardship, more emphasis was placed on the club rearing its own players. This bore fruit in the form of Callum Davidson and Danny Griffin. Sturrock also introduced – at least in principle – the concept of morning and afternoon training sessions in an attempt to raise his squad to the peak of fitness.
In Sturrock's first full season in charge, Saints finished 5th in the First Division and reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup. In 1995-96, he led them to fourth.
League success returned in 1996-97 with the First Division championship and a return to the top flight.
The club more than held their own in the first season back. Their 5th-placed finish meant they became founder members of the SPL the following season.
Although Sturrock soon left for Dundee United, the club found a second 'golden period' in 1998-99 under new manager Sandy Clark, when the club finished third in the SPL behind Rangers and Celtic. Saints also reached the final of the League Cup and the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup in that season, losing to Rangers in both competitions. They lost to Rangers in five of the six meetings between the two clubs that season (including a 7-0 home defeat). Saints won 3-1 in the other game.[4] Their finishing position in the league meant Saints had qualified for the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup campaign. They started with a 3-1 aggregate win in the qualifying round over Finnish side VPS Vaasa, but were beaten 6-3 on aggregate by French giants Monaco in the first round proper. The return leg saw international stars such as Fabien Barthez, John Arne Riise and David Trézéguet playing at McDiarmid Park. St. Johnstone remain unbeaten at home in European competition.
After a period of steady decline, the club were eventually relegated from the Premier League in 2002, and remain in the First Division.
On November 8, 2006, St. Johnstone beat Rangers 2-0 at Ibrox to reach the semi-finals of the League Cup. Steve Milne scored both of the goals.[5] This was the club's first victory at Ibrox since April 1971. It was also the first time the club has beaten Rangers in a cup competition, and the first time that Rangers have been eliminated from a major cup competition at home by lower-division opposition. On January 31, 2007, Saints were knocked out of the League Cup at the semi-final stage by Hibs.[6]
On April 14, 2007, St. Johnstone were beaten 2-1 by Celtic at Hampden in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup.
On April 21, 2007, second-placed Saints won 3-0 at home to Queen of the South, while table-toppers Gretna played out a goalless draw against the visiting Clyde, which put the Perth club just one point (and seven goals) behind Gretna. As a result, the First Division championship was to be decided on the final day of the season.[7]
Seven days later, St. Johnstone were pipped to the First Division championship by Gretna, who had led the division for the majority of the season. Saints won 4-3 at Hamilton Academical,[8] but James Grady scored an injury-time winner for Gretna at Ross County.[9] The results maintained Gretna's one-point lead and they achieved promotion to the Premier League. Gretna's caretaker manager is former Saints player Davie Irons.
Owen Coyle, who had been St. Johnstone's manager since April 2005, left the club on November 22, 2007, to become manager of English club Burnley. Saints' next game, a Challenge Cup Final tie against Dunfermline three days later, saw them win their first cup since the Scottish Consolation Cup of 1911, with a 3-2 scoreline.[10]
Saints midfielder Derek McInnes was appointed as manager on 27 November 2007,[11] after Coyle's assistant, Sandy Stewart, who had been in charge in a caretaker-manager capacity for the Challenge Cup Final, decided to follow Coyle south to Burnley. McInnes will begin as a player-manager.
St. Johnstone share a Tayside rivalry with both Dundee and Dundee United. It was against the former on New Year's Day 1997 that they recorded their biggest league win in recent memory, 7-2.
- As of 3 December, 2007.
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- For recent transfers, see List of Scottish football transfers 2007-08.
- For a list of all St. Johnstone players with a Wikipedia article, see here.
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Agatha "Aggie" Moffat is Saints' former tea lady who became famous for a verbal assault on former Scotland international and Rangers manager Graeme Souness.
In 1990, when Rangers visited McDiarmid Park, the Glasgow club left their dressing room in such a state that, upon delivering the tea, Moffat was moved to ask, "Would you leave your home like that?"[12] This led to Souness enquiring as to Moffat's ability to tidy up.[13] Souness left Scotland the following year and hasn't returned to manage there since.
Moffat began working for the Perth club in March 1981 and spent over fifteen years with them. She even appeared in the club's squad photo for the 1993-94 season.
According to her husband, Bob, Moffat's proudest moment was when St. Johnstone gained promotion to the Premier Division after beating Ayr United 2-0 at Somerset Park in 1990. The players gathered in front of the couple at the end of the game and sang to them.[14]
- First Division champions (3): 1982-83, 1989-90, 1996-97
- Second Division champions (3): 1923-24, 1959-60, 1962-63
- Challenge Cup winners (1): 2007-08
St. Johnstone has had 22 managers in its history:
Derek McInnes (2007–)
Owen Coyle (2005-2007)- John Connolly (2004-2005)
- Billy Stark (2001-2004)
- Sandy Clark (1998-2001)
- Paul Sturrock (1993-1998)
John McClelland (1992-1993)- Alex Totten (1987-1992)
- Ian Gibson (1985-1987)
- Alex Rennie (1980-1985)
- Alex Stuart (1978-1980)
- Jim Storrie (1976-1978)
- Jackie Stewart (1973-1976)
- Willie Ormond (1967-1973)
- Bobby Brown (1958-1967)
- Johnny Pattillo (1953-1958)
- Jimmy Crapnell (1947-1953)
- David Rutherford (1936-1947)
- Tommy Muirhead (1931-1936)
- David Taylor (1924-1931)
- Jimmy Buchan (1920-1922)
- Peter Grant (1919-1920)
Prior to this, the team was picked by committee - a practice in wide use at the time.
The first shirt sponsors of St. Johnstone was Perth-based whisky distillers The Famous Grouse between 1986 and 1989. Below is a list of sponsors since that point.
- 1989-1991: Bonar
- 1991-1998: The Famous Grouse
- 1998-2002: Scottish Hydro-Electric
- 2002-2004: Scottish Citylink
- 2004-2006: Megabus.com
- 2006-present: George Wimpey
- Record home attendance: 29,972 vs Dundee (Scottish Cup; February 10, 1951) (at Muirton Park); 10,545 vs Dundee (May 23, 1999) (at McDiarmid Park)
- Record cup win: 13-0 vs Tulloch (September 17, 1887)
- Record cup loss: 12-0 vs Cowdenbeath (January 21, 1928)
- Most capped player: Nick Dasovic: 36 (Canada)
- Record league appearances: Drew Rutherford - 345
- Most league goals: John Brogan - 140
- Most goals in one season: Jimmy Benson - 38 (1931-32)
The average league-game attendance at McDiarmid Park for the 2006-07 season was 2,812, which is 26% of the 10,673 capacity and up 5.16% on the 2005-06 season.[15]
Past averages:
Source: Soccerbase.com
- ^ Official club website history section
- ^ St. John's Kirk website
- ^ Official club website history section
- ^ St. Johnstone 3-1 Rangers 1 - Soccerbase
- ^ Rangers 0-2 St. Johnstone - BBC Sport
- ^ St. Johnstone 1-3 Hibernian - BBC Sport
- ^ Gretna 0-0 Clyde - BBC Sport
- ^ Hamilton Accies 3-4 St. Johnstone - BBC Sport
- ^ Ross County 2-3 Gretna - BBC Sport
- ^ Dunfermline 2-3 St. Johnstone - BBC Sport
- ^ Derek McInnes appointed new St Johnstone manager
- ^ The Independent, February 18, 2003
- ^ A tribute to Aggie Moffat, the tough talking tea lady from St. Johnstone
- ^ An interview with Mr. Moffat
- ^ Soccerbase
- Blair A, Doyle B (1997). Bristling with Possibilities: The History of St Johnstone F.C..
- Bannerman, Gordon (1991). Saints Alive! St Johnstone Football Club Five Years on a High. Sportsprint Publishing, Edinburgh. ISBN 0 85976 346 3.
- Blair, Alastair (2003). St. Johnstone FC (Images of Sport). Tempus Publishing, Limited, 128pp. ISBN 0-7524-2183-2.
- Slater, Jim. Who's Who of St Johnstone 1946 to 1992.
- McLaren, G (2001). Of Saints & Foxes. G McLaren. ISBN 0905452992.
- The story of Sandy McLaren (St. Johnstone, Leicester City and Scotland national team goalkeeper) written by his son.
- with fixtures, results, league table and statistics