Davis Love III

This is an email that I wrote into St Johnstone a month ago. It was passed on by the SLO to the CEO and Board of Directors. I haven't heard anything back since - but here's a look for anyone who is interested. Hopefully it covers enough general points that will resonate with all supporters. --------------------- When the horrors of the global pandemic struck four years ago, many feared for the immediate future of Scottish football and its professional clubs that were instantly faced with an existential crisis during the harsh reality of lockdown. Gratefully, our game and its beloved institutions survived that dark time, but we are in the midst of a far subtler emergency that I believe has the potential to be destructive to St Johnstone FC and other equivalent sides across the country. The devastating impact of COVID was unavoidable, but the introduction of VAR was entirely self-inflicted and will surely prove to be more damaging in the long-term. Supporters rallied around their clubs during the pandemic, buying season tickets without any hope of actually using them. Fans then made their way back into grounds with renewed enthusiasm once restrictions were lifted. Just last year, SPFL Chief Executive Neil Doncaster said, when championing crowds per-capita: "Attendances in Scotland have significantly outperformed other countries of a similar size for some time now, and the financial importance of gate receipts to our clubs was starkly underscored during the pandemic, when matches were played behind closed doors." He wasn't wrong. But that progress will be irretrievably lost once those very same supporters who backed their clubs to the hilt turn their back on a game that no longer resembles the one they grew to love in the first place. And it didn't have to be this way. Scottish football injected itself with poison in 2022 when 41 of 42 SPFL clubs voted for the introduction of VAR. This was despite seeing the years of controversy that have beset far larger and better-funded leagues and competitions. But clearly, the SFA desired it to ensure their referees would remain eligible to officiate in UEFA and FIFA tournaments alongside a keenness to appear to be in vogue with other major national associations across Europe. And the clubs must have rather fancied it too - hence a willingness to both vote for and agree to fund the operation of a system that has ripped the soul from the game. This could have been avoided - had those same clubs asked supporters for their thoughts in the first place. But, true to form, fans were ignored and excluded from the conversation. Who asked for this? Did any regulars in the stands at McDiarmid Park cry out for the introduction of VAR? We were never once consulted - and it was the same case at every other club across the league. Perhaps because they didn't want to hear the likely answer. During the second-leg of the playoff final against Inverness Caledonian Thistle, two years ago, when Premiership status was in the balance, I rationalised the prospect of relegation to a friend by declaring that at least we wouldn't have VAR in the Championship. Seeing VAR play out on TV for years was enough evidence for me that it would be disastrous in Scotland - but experiencing it inside grounds has only reinforced how much of a disease this is for football as a spectator-sport. Why does it exist? We're told that it improves decision-making and cuts out obvious refereeing errors from the game. And maybe it does - to an extent. The SFA just last week stated: "89.3% of on-field decisions are considered correct by Referee Operations, increased to 97.6% when including VAR interventions." That's an improvement of a miserly 8.3.% - but at the cost of many thousands of pounds for each club in the Premiership and the antagonising of an entire customer base. I must say, that doesn't sound like a particularly great deal. We only have to look at our own games this season - and especially during recent weeks to see how little impact VAR has made when it comes to making "correct" decisions. Mistakes are still happening - because officials are human. Other calls are subjective and debatable - because that's the nature of football. When you think about it, that sounds just like how the game was anyway. The only difference is that we have that same situation but with the added expense for clubs and the absolutely horrific experience it offers supporters inside grounds. And that's the key point. Forget about whether decisions are right or wrong, it's the impact on fans that makes the continuing existence of VAR truly unforgivable. Football is special for two reasons. Its simplicity and the emotion it generates. VAR fundamentally compromises both. It negatively impacts the speed and spontaneity of the game. There used to be no greater thrill and joy than seeing your team score a goal. But that has been diminished by the knowledge that someone in a booth in Glasgow may just find a reason to chalk it off. No incremental increase of "correct" decisions can justify that. And it won't improve, either. That much is clear. Recently, the Premier League’s Chief Football Officer Tony Scholes admitted: "Where the VAR experience is poor is the in-stadium experience for the supporter. It’s nowhere near good enough. We know it’s not. It affects supporters’ enjoyment of the game, and we know it needs to change." This comes from the most lucrative league on the planet that has all the resources and facilities - and even they can't get it right after five years. If they're unable to find a workable solution, what chance has the SPFL Premiership got? VAR cannot be reformed. It can't be fixed. Compared to the likes of the Premier League, which is a made-for-TV product, Scottish football is primarily an in-person spectator sport. Why did clubs - St Johnstone included - decide that wasn't worth protecting? You have fans in stadiums spending hundreds of pounds a year for season tickets or anything between £25 and £30 for a matchday ticket left in the dark during games and paying for an experience that is demonstrably worse in every way than it was 18 months ago. How can that be tolerated? SFA Head of Referee Operations, Crawford Allan spoke about the need for VAR as there is so much money at stake at the top-level of the game. Will that include the funds lost when attendances and season ticket sales plummet as fans walk away from a sport that continues to hold them in contempt? That is exactly what will happen - and it should terrify anyone who cares about the health of St Johnstone and other clubs. But it doesn't need to be this way. VAR only exists due to the indulgence of the clubs who pay for it. The first club who stands up and questions why we're actually doing this will earn itself kudos with its fanbase and the wider public. But it's not just a way to curry favour with supporters - it's becoming essential to ensure our club and the game remains healthy. I implore the board at St Johnstone to take that step. Moreover, what I believe is now a minimum requirement for Saints and all clubs is to address their supporters on the future of VAR. Clubs neglected to communicate with fans before it was introduced. That was a failure. Not doing so now that we've all had to live through its presence would be an even greater dereliction of duty. Heads cannot be buried in the sand because this will not go away. Until this glaring reality is confronted - the only future will be continued frustration, emptier stands and lower revenue. The game will be weaker. St Johnstone FC will be in a worse place for it. And for supporters like me - for whom going to the football and following Saints has meant everything for decades - the depressing prospect of being forced to walk away from that relationship will only become more real.

I really shouldn't have bothered replying to him, but I couldn't resist... ------------------------- Hi Ian, I really hate to do this, but so much of what you have said needs to be addressed. Somehow, you have managed further to antagonise, insult and patronise supporters with this attempt at an explanation. Now, there is no question that there are complexities and financial realities to situations like this, I think most people who have contacted you will fully understand that. However, this is where we need to look at what you've said, both the content and (perhaps even more so) its tone. 1. "The Club has considered the attendances of Season Ticket holders and supporters at Old Firm matches in recent Seasons, and despite various incentives which have been offered, Home Support attendances have been modest, to say the least." - In other words, it's the fault of you loyal, season ticket paying fans (and regular match paying fans) who have forced us to make this decision. Contemptuous, to say the least. Surely a better, more forward-thinking response to these attendance numbers would be consulting with supporters to find out why exactly these fixtures aren't attractive and what could be done to make them more appealing, instead of further alienating them and making the problem irreparably worse. 2. "You may not be aware, but as this is a Cup game, the pricing of the tickets requires to be agreed with the opposition. Further to that, the ticket receipts are split 50/50, with the home Club incurring the Operational costs." - No, none us have heard of the Scottish Cup or know how anything works, clearly, but then again, adopting that same patronising tone, maybe you don't know either, seeing as the SFA Handbook 22/23 (page 196, 33.3.3) notes that: "The Home Club shall be entitled to make a deduction of 20% from the gross receipts" helping to cover those operational costs, with receipts then split 50/50. 3. "You will appreciate that we endeavour to ensure that the Club is run sustainably. If we were to restrict pricing to say £20 per adult ticket, this would have resulted in a net loss." - Several things here. 1. Presumably, much of these additional costs are due to policing/stewarding to accommodate the away support, so where then is the logic to increase their numbers even more across the stadium, surely making the exercise even more costly? 2. I wonder what running sustainably will mean if/when, let's say 500 season ticket holders don't bother renewing in the summer due to this fallout, or another 500 fans on top of that who frequently pay-per-game decide to keep their money for other activities. What's sustainable about that? Ultimately, Ian, you/the club have got this very wrong. The decision itself was misguided and visionless, how it was presented was tone-deaf, and the response to it since has been offensive, patronising, and trying to deflect from the reality. Layering stupidity with arrogance is a dangerous cocktail and I'm afraid that this whole sorry episode has reeked of it. People make mistakes, organisations get things wrong, but the failure to acknowledge that and show zero contrition will only cause lasting-damage.

I also dispatched a (lengthy) email... ---------------------------- Hi Ian, Apologies for adding to what I suspect has been a deluge of emails into your inbox, but I had to say something after the statement that was released by the club regarding the upcoming Rangers cup game. Consider this my personal contribution to the mysterious consultation with "supporter groups" that apparently took place before the announcement. I'm not going to point fingers at individuals, so let's call it a collective decision. Like the overwhelming majority of supporters, I was bitterly disappointed by the ticketing policy and pricing that was announced by the club. Saddened, frankly, by what I view as extraordinarily misguided thinking that is foolishly and needlessly damaging to the connection between the club and supporters. As you rightly noted when speaking to the local press during the summer, the fans backed a struggling team last season and have continued that support with an uptake of season tickets that is far beyond what the club enjoyed prior to the pandemic - during which many of us still spent significant funds to watch games from home. Much of that supporter growth has been generated organically by the Fair City Unity group, who have themselves campaigned on matchday pricing at football and have improved the atmosphere at McDiarmid and engaged with increasing numbers of young fans. Turning their section over to away supporters in this manner is a slap in the face to that progress. So, why jepordise all of that for (maybe) earning a few extra quid from a fixture that was only made possible by the luck (or misfortune) of a draw? With a little bit of imagination, perhaps we could have made this a proper cup tie, a Saturday evening occasion for supporters to buy into, instead of a soulless cash grab that has only turned people against the club at a time when results have improved on the park. Has it been worth it? I suspect this will prove far more costly than any short-term revenues generated by the game. I view the allocation of all home supporters to the Main Stand without any genuine consultation as being unjustifiable, but the pricing of all seats in the stadium is disgraceful. Against Dundee United on Monday, an adult and two kids can access the East Stand for £17. A couple of weeks later, that same family trio would be expected to spend £70 in January during the worst cost of living crisis in generations. That is a laughable, borderline criminal increase of 311%. Three. Hundred. And. Eleven. Percent. For regular Main Stand seats, adult tickets are £25. That was also the figure when Celtic visited for a quarter-final of the cup in March 2020. For this game, it will be £30. Where is the justification for the extra £5 (25% increase) put on both sets of supporters? Customers are fickle; they will search for the best product/value. If fans are treated simply like customers, as they absolutely have been here, then it should come as no shock when they respond accordingly. But it doesn't need to be this way. Having a collaborative, communicative and connected relationship with supporters can nurture something lasting. But this decision - and the manner in which it has been handled - has stupidly doused weedkiller on that growth we have seen. Let's hope it doesn't erode the roots. The Scottish Cup means a considerable amount to our fans, me included, but I (a longtime season ticket holder) won't be attending this game. And I don't say this lightly, because I care deeply about the club, but I sincerely hope the home end is empty on the 21st. It's everything this decision and the thinking behind it deserves. And I hope the considerable away end is quiet too, because St Johnstone doesn't deserve the money of the Rangers fans either. It's high-time for football clubs (and sadly the one I love) to consider what is right/acceptable rather than what they believe they can get away with. Blind loyalty only goes so far. I'm not sure what's worse - not having the vision to see how this would go down, or actually knowing that would happen and still thinking it's appropriate to proceed anyway. Situations like this can easily develop into a negative atmosphere that hangs around long after the event. That would be an unfortunate happening, but one that is entirely self-inflicted. Repeating what I said earlier; has it been worth it?

I made the horrendous mistake of watching one of those for the first time in months today. When the rouser-in-chief laughed off the idea that we've underachieved this season, I almost choked on my chocolate digestives. Had to replay the moment and his gormless laugh so many times that the Saints TV video player put up a warning.

Abraham Lincoln was campaigning to be American President. Florence Nightingale had just opened her Training School and Home for Nurses at King’s College London. Arthur Conan Doyle was a baby, and Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was a sensation. The year was 1860. But quietly, there was another significant event taking place on the banks of the Firth of Clyde at Prestwick. Eight elite golfers gathered to identify the successor Champion Golfer to the late St Andrews professional Allan Robertson, who had been the undisputed player of his day. The Open Championship was born. Throughout most of the subsequent 160 years – barring occasional international conflict and the one time they had no trophy to present – the championship has been an indelible part of the ancient game, evolving with the times, but retaining a reverence for those legendary names immortalised on the Claret Jug, that iconic symbol of excellence first awarded when the Open ventured east to the Old Course in 1873. Musselburgh – then home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers – completed that original rotation. And it wouldn’t be until the 1890s – reflecting the growing popularity of the sport in England – that the Open headed south of the border at Royal St. George’s. But not since 1977 – when Turnberry made its explosive debut in the dusty sunshine – have we seen a re-injection of freshness quite like that we are witnessing for the 148th playing of golf’s original major. For just a second time, the Claret Jug has crossed the Irish Sea. Royal Portrush is the magnificent stage for what is set to be a hugely atmospheric and charged event. For all intents and purposes, this is a new venue for the Open. Commemorating the triumph of Fred Daly at Hoylake in 1947, the R&A brought the championship to the Emerald Isle. England’s Max Faulkner made history by winning in County Antrim in 1951, but 68 long years have passed since the championship was held in Northern Ireland. Only Peter Alliss and Norman Drew remain of that 98 man field. It’s been a tumultuous and unlikely journey. Like anything related to Northern Ireland, it has been a complicated one. But the extraordinary demand for tickets – this Open has been effectively sold out for months – and widely acclaimed Dunluce Links promises to make for an unforgettable week. Rory McIlroy is the favourite – both in the local and literal sense – returning to a layout where he shot a remarkable 61 in 2005. He was just 16. It remains the most memorable round of his life. But despite enjoying one of the most consistent seasons of his professional career – including victories in the Players Championship and Canadian Open – he has disappointed in the majors of late. Winning the Open on home soil would be the pinnacle for the lad from Holywood. Brooks Koepka is the antithesis of McIlroy – he possesses a stunning ability to raise his game for the most critical weeks while simultaneously disappearing in regular events – and is impossible to discount. The American – whose early forays into the paid ranks were in Europe – has either won or finished second in five of the last six major championships. His progression has been an instant teleportation into greatness. Etching his name on the Claret Jug would be a reaffirmation of that. World number two Dustin Johnson is the archetypal modern golfer – athletic and powerful – but he has perhaps lacked the finesse at times on the seaside courses of the British Isles, his best result coming eight years ago at Sandwich, when Portrush resident Darren Clarke completed an emotional late breakthrough. Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas and noted links aficionado, Rickie Fowler will be among the other Americans fancied here. Not to forget former winner Jordan Spieth – who has looked a somewhat vulnerable figure in competition, despite the occasional flash of his past brilliance. Matt Kuchar leads the tour in shattered public relations. Twice winner of the Irish Open, Jon Rahm loves this part of the world – producing a masterclass at nearby Portstewart two years ago – and the Spaniard boasts the requisite tools to succeed, displaying both the imagination and skill set to become an Open champion. European hopes can also be pinned on a much-improved Henrik Stenson and the defending Francesco Molinari, who has lost somewhat of an edge since his loss at the Masters in April. It has been 27 years since an Englishman won the Open – even the state of Iowa has claimed more Claret Jugs in that time – but there will be optimism that the likes of Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Eddie Pepperell could follow in the footsteps of Nick Faldo. The unfailingly intense Matt Wallace divides opinion – but he has recorded impressive finishes at both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Tiger Woods’ stratospheric triumph at Augusta does seem a long time ago, with the 15-time major champion not building on those breathtaking scenes in the spring, playing a reduced schedule and producing little of note in the months since. But the ultimate strategist retains an affinity for the purest form of the game – as underlined by his performance 12 months ago at Carnoustie – and will expect to play well at Portrush. The path back to Royal Portrush was a lengthy and bumpy one – it’s a success just being here – though it would be fitting if the ultimate destination on Sunday reflected the enormity of this occasion. Someone will become Champion Golfer of the Year. But really - it’s forever. From then to now and beyond. The Open Championship is timeless.

This is getting worrying now, missed his preview the last time round, 2 Majors in a row is detracting from the expectation of the event. Ha! You'll have to forgive me. Working in the golf media/industry, these weeks are always extremely busy with various things going off, and I've managed my time poorly in May and June. I kept meaning to complete my usual P&B topic introduction but just couldn't get round to it without staying up all night, which admittedly would have been decent practice for the next four days. However, I pledge to have one back for the Open at Portrush. Until then, enjoy the US Open!

Will have one up tomorrow! Ryder Cup is the longest week in golf. Until it starts. There is so much said, so much written, about very little!

Enjoyed looking back at the May 17th memories, images and videos. Part of that reminiscing brought me to this article that I wrote for the club website three years ago, marking the first anniversary of that extraordinary day and weekend. Apologies for the lengthy post, but here it is... As we celebrate the first anniversary of St. Johnstone’s maiden victory in the Scottish Cup, it is truly hard to believe that a full 12 months have now passed. Indeed, that is a bit of a cliché. People often say the same whenever a birthday comes round, or in the weeks building-up to Christmas. However, it would be fair to say that the 17th of May 2014 goes beyond that for all Saints fans. It certainly does for this supporter. The memories are so vivid and detailed - simply because they are relived in the mind on an almost daily basis. The sights, sounds and emotions can all be fully recalled as we reflect on that extraordinary day. The whole occasion was rather overwhelming. The ultimate dream throughout the years of following Saints was to win the Scottish Cup. It was the pinnacle. The cup final has always been *the* game of the season - the showpiece and marquee fixture - and the fact that Saints were part of it was certainly difficult to comprehend. It didn’t truly sink in until the teams came out for the warmup at Celtic Park. Like any football club, there have been so many highs and lows in the history of St. Johnstone. Relegations, promotions, European adventures and despairing nights at the likes of Berwick and Montrose, there had been everything you could imagine for supporters to look back on in the pubs and buses together. Well, almost. The one caveat to the history of the Perth Saints had been the absence of a major trophy. It led to ridicule from supporters of other clubs, and an enduring sense of underachievement and frustration from those wearing blue and white scarves. That tangible sense of exasperation only grew over the years with each passing defeat in a semi-final – eight of them featuring in the Scottish Cup. That was something dispelled after the semi-final against Aberdeen at Ibrox. There was a release of energy after years of pent-up disappointment under the rainy Glasgow sky; at the conclusion of that dramatic second half. As the talismanic Stevie May fired in those two brilliant goals, the demons of so many crushing afternoons had finally been exorcised. St. Johnstone had vanquished that eternal barrier and reached the showpiece. One thing that was always in the forefront of the mind in the days leading up to the final was a sense of good fortune. We were the lucky ones who would be present to see it. In 130 years of history, there were generations – tens of thousands of Saints supporters who never lived to witness their dream come true. That was certainly a powerful emotion for many in attendance. Very powerful. Personally, the prominence of that sentiment was partly the result of attending the final with a very close friend; whose father (a Saints supporter of decades) had sadly passed away just a few months prior. He would have so dearly loved to have experienced that momentous occasion in Glasgow. It was an all-too close reminder of the inherent cruelty and unfairness of life, but also of the importance that football can play throughout it for so many people. The magical escapism of the game. Pantomime for adults. Many in attendance were representing deceased friends and relatives. Sons and daughters standing for their parents, middle-aged men who had never forgotten their grandfather who introduced them to the terraces of Muirton, and even those familiar faces who had sadly long disappeared from the East Stand at McDiarmid. In a way, that almost placed a sense of responsibility onto the shoulders of the lucky 15,000 who were all privileged to be present inside Celtic Park on that afternoon. We were representing the history of the club and all those who had come to love and support it throughout the past century and beyond. Now all we needed was the team to actually go on and win it. Easier said than done, and there weren’t any real expectations as to what to expect from the match. Hopeful, at best. Perhaps that was a result of being unable to comprehend the idea of Saints somehow lifting the trophy. But it was possible. From a footballing perspective, there was certainly no reason why it couldn’t happen. It was the largest Saints crowd that anyone had ever seen. An historic total befitting the magnitude of the occasion. From all over the world, people bought into the final. That in itself was special to see, and it was an incredible experience to soak in the atmosphere of the Jock Stein Stand – which was soon to be christened the Steven MacLean End. Being an unashamed sentimentalist when it comes to everything St. Johnstone, there were a few tears at the start of the warmup as the team emerged from the famous tunnel on a rainy afternoon at one of the great arenas in football. The first of many, it has to be said. As the stadium began to fill and the anticipation grew, the nerves flourished in tandem. However, an unexpected sense of calm and acceptance came in the minutes leading up to kick-off – during the spectacle of thousands of Saints fans waving their scarves during the prolonged and spine-tingling Espana chant. It was mesmerising to be part of not just a support of that size – but of a crowd that was so vocally and fervent in their backing of St. Johnstone. It made the whole experience worthwhile. No matter what was to follow. Those few minutes were intoxicating and significant. And yes, there were some more tears. Throughout personal strife, illness and worry, St Johnstone, and the Scottish Cup dream, had always been a constant and thoroughly enjoyable distraction in life. And as the expectant 47,000 in the stadium rose from their seats to welcome the two Tayside clubs - as the team came out of that tunnel - in blue – it almost felt like that dream had in a way already been fulfilled. We were ready. So much about the day and the experience is vivid in the memory – but the actual match is a blur with only a few (admittedly pretty memorable) moments of genuine clarity. Thankfully we have the DVD to fill any blanks. One thing that is clear was the heart-stopping instant when Ryan Dow of Dundee United’s effort on goal clipped off the inside of Alan Mannus’ left-hand post, and – somehow – avoided rebounding off the goalkeeper’s back as the ball trickled along the line. It was inexplicable. And so the belief grew. As Steven Anderson – the dictionary definition of a stalwart – headed the ball into a gaping net to make that crucial breakthrough just before half-time, the scenes of celebration were beyond jubilant in the stands. Leading in the cup final. We didn’t quite know how to react to being in that position. The corner of a teary eye spotted Tommy Wright - whose exuberant celebrations had been a highlight of the cup run - charging down the touchline in impassioned and unrestrained delight. The manager was channelling the emotions that every fan was experiencing inside the stadium and beyond at that moment. During half-time, as supporters continued to digest Ando’s goal, the tannoy system began to play Bon Jovi’s Living on a Prayer. The lyrics: “Whoa, we're half way there” had never carried so much weight. The second-half was unpredictable and emotionally tumultuous for every fan. Dundee United came close to scoring on a number of occasions, while David Wotherspoon almost produced a wonder goal after weaving magically through an assortment of defenders, before Stevie May saw a celebratory moment of his own correctly chalked off for hand-ball. However, the star-striker would ultimately play a defining role in the final, as his pass deflected into the path of a determined Steven MacLean, who beat an onrushing Radoslaw Cierzniak to slot the ball into the goal in-front of the masses of St. Johnstone supporters; etching his name forever in the history of the club and Scottish football. As everyone around celebrated manically with the elusive trophy being all-but clinched, this particular supporter stood in stunned disbelief. Was this really happening? On the outside, it was certainly the least animated of goal celebrations. However, on the inside, it was anything but. Innumerable emotions flowed through the head as tears ran down the cheeks. It was a truly transcendent experience. The final-whistle was the cue for emotional embraces all round – with the dreams of thousands being collectively fulfilled at the same time as Dave Mackay triumphantly raised the oldest trophy in world football. It was the culmination of a journey for all supporters. For some it had been just a few years, while for others it had been decades. The parade on the Sunday was the proverbial icing on the cake. Getting into the town early, and seeing the crowds slowly build-up on the high street – the numbers surpassing even the most optimistic expectations – there was a sense of civic unity. St. Johnstone had brought the city and county together in collective joy. Those striking scenes were the conclusion of a remarkable few weeks in Perth. In the build-up to the final – the response from the city was truly something to behold. The displays, banners, flags, signs, bunting and even, of course, the giant grouse at Broxden Roundabout that was all kitted out. It was a shame to see it all have to come down. Strangely – and it may have been an uncommon experience – there was a quiet sense of sadness as the dust settled on that surreal weekend. It might have been a result of emotional exhaustion, but there was a feeling of emptiness on that Sunday evening. It was a wearied realisation that no matter what future successes are to hopefully come – this Scottish Cup victory would forever be the pinnacle for this generation of supporters. It would quite simply never be topped. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We were the privileged few to have been living witnesses of such an incredible weekend. It was a win for us in attendance – and all of those who had come before to follow the Perth Saints in previous eras at the Recreations Grounds, Muirton and McDiarmid. It was also a triumph for the generations of fans to come in future. This will be the date and achievement that they will celebrate and commemorate in future decades, in the same mould as Celtic’s European Cup victory in 1967. The Scottish Cup winning side – led by Tommy Wright – are our Lisbon Lions, and they will be rightly remembered and revered as such. It will forever be the date for all Saints supporters to look back on - present and future. 17th of May 2014. The greatest day.

Interesting to look back and reflect on those years. Remembering the impact of Stevie May - scoring 20 league goals in 2013/14 - and the understandable concerns supporters had when he left. Quite an effort during the following seasons to consistently better the league position and points tally in spite of losing a prolific striker and not replacing his individual success rate. Steven MacLean's 14 in 2015/16 the best we've seen. To have scored more goals - without the presence of a figure like May - in two of those seasons is quite remarkable. Just further underlines the immense job that the manager and players accomplished.

That's what I find particularly galling. And I was disheartened (and fairly disgusted) by some of the shouts from those in the crowd today, and reading comments made later online. Yes, it's been a disappointing season, and performances - especially at home - have generally been poor. The stats and trends make for grim reading as we move into the final months of the campaign. We can pick apart decisions made by the manager, the approach of the chairman, or players failing to take responsibility and show leadership on the pitch. All of those points are valid and have likely combined to leave us in the position we are now. And it's extremely concerning. But there seems to be an air of entitlement within some people. Belittling the successes of recent years due to a perceived slight on the style of play, or the apparent weakness of larger clubs during that time. Here's the thing. Dundee, Partick Thistle, Kilmarnock, St. Mirren, Falkirk etc haven't finished 6th-4th-4th-4th in consecutive seasons, enjoyed European nights, and won the Scottish Cup. Those are equivalent clubs with St. Johnstone, and their supporters haven't seen a sustained period of success like that for generations. We have. And I find it astonishing that individuals wish to discredit what has been achieved previously, just because it hasn't worked out this year. Tommy Wright deserves better. He's earned that right. Frankly, with a core home support of 2,500 home fans turning up regularly for the league matches, what can people really expect when it comes to player recruitment and attempting to compete with the likes of Hearts and Hibs, or even Motherwell and Kilmarnock. The people of Perth didn't adequately support the club during the good times, but they've sharpened their knives as soon as it turned sour. Frustration and disappointment has crossed into vitriol. And I find that harder to swallow than the struggles we've had in recent months.

That will be about right. Made his debut at New Douglas Park, ironically enough. Saints lost 1-0 after Alan Main somehow contrived to allow a weak shot sneak through his entire body.

I can only apologise! Been meaning to write something up for the U.S. Open on P&B - but I've been extremely busy this past week and it's been a struggle to find any time to come up with anything substantive. However, I'll endeavor to get back on track for the Open next month. Looking forward to seeing how Erin Hills plays over the next few days. I have spoken with a couple of golf travel journalists recently who have played the course, and they were positive, and generally speaking the players have been quite warm towards it. Rory is saying all the right things. He clearly feels comfortable with the layout and believes his game matches. Always go back to the Jack Nicklaus mantra of ruling out other players who complained about a setup at a major. McIlroy going for the same approach! For the USGA, coming after the sharp criticism of Chambers Bay and Oakmont, it's an important championship. They need a smooth one to restore a bit of goodwill. Fairways are wider than most PGA Tour venues, but the penalty for missing them is undoubtedly severe. Course is playing softer than the organisers would have ideally wanted, but the main challenge for the field will come from the weather and pin positions. Any significant wind is going to be problematic, as there isn't really any room to run the ball into greens. Like nearby Whistling Straits, it may look like a links, but it doesn't necessarily play like one. Seems to be a degree of flexibility with what the USGA can do with the pins, and from what I've seen/heard, they could place them in some pretty crazy places should they wish to manipulate the scoring. Key is finding a balance between difficulty and fairness. Simple rule of thumb for me is whether a course yields a low score to great play. If it doesn't, then there is something wrong with it. Hopefully they get that right. Expect we'll see a wide disparity in numbers, and a winning score somewhere in the mid single digits under par, and (fingers crossed) a U.S. Open without anything especially controversial, as they've seen saved recently by the quality of champions.

I would say that's an accurate observation. Watched an interview with William Friedkin a while ago, where he mentioned Z as being one of his favourite films.

If you're planning on watching the World Darts Championship over Christmas this year, don't forget to enter the annual Prediction League in the All Other Sports Forum! Signed photo of two-time champion Gary Anderson is the prize to the winner.