St Johnstone F.C.

History

St Johnstone FC was formed by members of a local cricket club who sought activities to keep fit after the cricket season ended. During the autumn of 1884, the cricketers kicked a football around the South Inch, a large public park beside the River Tay, which is widely acknowledged as the date of the club's formation. Early the following year, a group led by John Colborn held an official meeting that established the football club as a separate entity rather than a spin-off from the cricket club.

Although other local clubs existed, including Fair City Athletic, Erin Rovers and Caledonian Rangers, St Johnstone became the club most associated with the town. The name traces back to the Middle Ages when Perth was colloquially known as St John's Toun because the church at the parish centre was dedicated to St John the Baptist. Club members leased land adjacent to the South Inch called the Recreation Grounds, which became the first home ground.

After regular flooding problems, the club moved in 1924 to Muirton Park, which served as home for 65 years. St Johnstone debuted in the Scottish Cup in 1886–87, losing 7–1 in a first round replay to Erin Rovers after a 3–3 draw at home. They replaced Port Glasgow Athletic for the 1911–12 Scottish Division Two season, finishing fifth with ten wins and eight defeats.

Players

In October 2013, the club inducted the first five members into its Hall of Fame, recognising significant contributions to the club. The inductees were John Brogan, Joe Carr, Willie Coburn, Roddy Grant and Henry Hall, with the inaugural event held at Perth Concert Hall. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, David Wotherspoon became the first St Johnstone player to appear in a World Cup match, making a substitute appearance for Canada in a group stage loss against Morocco on 1 December.

Managerial history

Over the years, St Johnstone has been led by 28 different full-time managers. David Rutherford holds the record for the longest spell, 11 years, though World War Two interrupted his time in charge. On average, a new boss has taken over every 3.8 years. Two former Saints managers, Willie Ormond and Bobby Brown, later went on to lead the Scotland national side.

Statistics

The record home attendance at the Recreation Grounds was 12,000 against Clydebank in Division Two on 14 April 1923. At Muirton Park, the record attendance was 29,972 for a Scottish Cup match against Dundee on 10 February 1951. At McDiarmid Park, the record attendance is 10,545 for a Premier Division match against Dundee on 23 May 1999. The record win is 13–0 against Tulloch in the Perthshire Cup on 17 September 1887, and the record loss is 11–1 against Montrose in the Northern League on 1 April 1893.

The longest unbeaten sequence is 21 league matches in 2008–09. The record transfer fee paid is £400,000 for Billy Dodds from Dundee in 1994, and the record fee received is £1,750,000 for Callum Davidson to Blackburn Rovers in 1998. The most capped player while with the club is Nick Dasovic with 26 caps for Canada. Liam Craig holds the record for appearances with 442, and John Brogan is the top scorer with 140 goals.

Jimmy Benson scored 44 goals in 1931–32, the most in one season, and Willie McIntosh scored six goals in a League Cup match against Albion Rovers on 9 March 1946. St Johnstone have qualified for the UEFA Europa League on eight occasions, reaching the third round in 1971–72, their debut season.