St Johnstone

Club
Background
Kits
Sources

Formed 1884

Elected to Scottish Division Two 1911. Membership rescinded 1917.

Founder member of the reformed Scottish Division Two 1921.

Background

The genteel county town of Perth is a far cry from the grim industrial communities of central Scotland where association football first took hold. Nevertheless, in 1884 members of a local cricket club decided to play football during the winter months. The following year they formally constituted St Johnstone FC, derived from Perth’s colloquial name of “St John’s toun.” A piece of land was leased and became known as the Recreation Ground, the club’s base until 1924 when they built Muirton Park, their home for the next 65 years.

In 1891, the Saints joined the Northern League where they remained for three seasons. Over the next 20 years they had spells in the old Central League and Central Combination as well until 1911 when they were elected to Scottish Division Two to fill the vacancy left by Port Glasgow Athletic, who had resigned. In 1915 the Second Division was suspended and sometime in 1917 the members appear to have been disenfranchised and the competition was officially dropped in 1920.

St Johnstone joined the rebel Central League, a competition whose rules allowed members to pay higher wages than those available in the Scottish Football League. A number of top players defected to the rebel clubs who proved so successful that in 1921, they were incorporated into the SFL as the new Second Division.

In 1924, St Johnstone were promoted to the First Division where they played until the outbreak of war in 1939, (apart from a spell back in the Second Division 1930-32) generally finishing respectably in the top half of the table. When the Scottish Football League was restarted in 1946 it was decided to restructure rather than simply take up where things were in 1939. St Johnstone, despite having finished eighth in Division One, were placed in the new Division “B.” It was not until 1960 that they won promotion, this time as champions of Division Two, there first senior honour. They lasted only two seasons but in 1963 they bounced back, once again as champions. For the next 12 years they managed to hold on to their place in the top flight. Their best spell was, arguably, under Willie Ormond when the team reached the Scottish League Cup Final for the first time in its history in 1969 followed by a third place in the Scottish Football League thereby securing a place in European competition for the first time. Ormond’s men performed with distinction, overcoming quality opposition from West Germany and Hungary before succumbing to Yugoslavian opposition.

The formation of the Premier Division in 1975 proved their undoing. Out of their depth in the more competitive environment the Saints were relegated in 1976 having won only three games, 21 points adrift.

In 1983 the Saints won the First Division title (now the second tier) but the next two seasons brought them close to bankruptcy and they plunged down the league to find themselves in Division Two (third tier) in 1985. With attendances slumped to fewer than 1,000 and Muirton Park crumbling, the board invited local business man Geoff Brown to step in as chairman. A share issue raised £150,000, sufficient to secure the club for the immediate future and in 1986 Brown bought Muirton Park for retail development. Thanks to the donation of land from local farmer, Bruce McDiarmid, a brand new 10,000 all-seated stadium was built in August 1989 and named McDiarmid Park.

By 1990, St Johnstone were back in the Scottish First Division (second tier) and in 1997 they stormed to the divisional championship, 20 points clear. They more than held their own in the Premier Division/Premier League, reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, the final of the League Cup and finishing in third place in 1999. As a result they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the second time. Although the club were relegated in 2002, they have remained a strong contender for a return to the top flight.