St Johnstone F.C.

Origins

St Johnstone FC was formed by members of a local cricket club seeking ways to occupy their time and keep fit once the cricket season had finished. The cricketers were kicking a football around the South Inch, a large public park beside the River Tay during the autumn of 1884. This is widely acknowledged to be the date of the formation of St Johnstone Football Club, although it was not until early in the following year that a group of footballers, led by John Colborn, held an official meeting that led to the formation of the football club as a separate entity rather than a 'spin-off' from the cricket club. Football was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland and, although there were other local clubs including Fair City Athletic, Erin Rovers and Caledonian Rangers (based at Perth railway station), it was St Johnstone that became the one most associated with the town. The name is traced back to the Middle Ages when Perth was colloquially known as 'St John's Toun' (or 'Saint Johnstoun') as 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, forms part of St Johnstone's club badge. Club members leased a piece of land adjacent to the South Inch, known as the Recreation Grounds, which became St Johnstone's first home ground. After several decades – and regular problems with flooding – it became clear they had outgrown the venue and so, in 1924, they moved to the…

St Johnstone has had 28 full-time managers in its history. The longest-serving manager was David Rutherford (11 years), although his tenure was interrupted by the Second World War. The club has, on average, appointed a new manager every 3.8 years. Willie Ormond and Bobby Brown both left "Saints" to manage the Scotland national team.

Prior to Peter Grant's appointment in 1919, the team was picked by committee – a practice in wide use at the time.

League

Scottish second-tier league titles Winners (8): 1923–24, 1959–60, 1962–63, 1982–83, 1989–90, 1996–97, 2008–09, 2025–26

Cup

Scottish Cup Winners: 2013–14, 2020–21 Scottish League Cup Winners: 2020–21 Scottish Challenge Cup Winners: 2007–08 B Division Supplementary Cup Winners: 1948–49 Scottish Consolation Cup Winners: 1910–11, 1913–14

Doubles

Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup: 2020–21