Double Winning St Johnstone FC Thread

[PSJ.84]

1 hour ago, Radford said:

Everyone that lost faith in the manager wants him to prove them wrong but nobody will need the complimentary ticket brigade to highlight that if it happens. We'll all hold our hands up.

Nail on the head 

[Fife Saint]

You always get supporters who believe unwavering loyalty gets them their most bestest fan badge. Must be even easier when you don't clock up thousands of miles, spend thousands of pounds and give up hundreds of hours following your club every season... Add in the complication of course of having a personal relationship with the manager too.
CLEARLY everyone will be happy with the last three results and our place in the table/points total but it's just burying your head in the sand to not be aware of the bigger picture...
xG-xGA Table:
Celtic +1.54
Rangers +1.49
Hibernian +0.75
Motherwell +0.09
St Mirren -0.28
Hearts -0.30
Kilmarnock -0.38
Aberdeen -0.40
Livingston -0.49
Dundee United -0.52
St Johnstone -0.84
Ross County -0.88
We were badly outworked at Kilmarnock and Livingston. We were getting absolutely nothing at Easter Road before the red card either.
The players showed yesterday how hard they can work though, so there is no excuse for not producing that every week now. The quality won't always be there but they've set the standard for work ethic.
Everyone that lost faith in the manager wants him to prove them wrong but nobody will need the complimentary ticket brigade to highlight that if it happens. We'll all hold our hands up.

'Pretend stats' tbf

[andrewh]

5 hours ago, Radford said:

You always get supporters who believe unwavering loyalty gets them their most bestest fan badge. Must be even easier when you don't clock up thousands of miles, spend thousands of pounds and give up hundreds of hours following your club every season... Add in the complication of course of having a personal relationship with the manager too.

CLEARLY everyone will be happy with the last three results and our place in the table/points total but it's just burying your head in the sand to not be aware of the bigger picture...

xG-xGA Table:

Celtic +1.54
Rangers +1.49
Hibernian +0.75
Motherwell +0.09
St Mirren -0.28
Hearts -0.30
Kilmarnock -0.38
Aberdeen -0.40
Livingston -0.49
Dundee United -0.52
St Johnstone -0.84
Ross County -0.88

We were badly outworked at Kilmarnock and Livingston. We were getting absolutely nothing at Easter Road before the red card either.

The players showed yesterday how hard they can work though, so there is no excuse for not producing that every week now. The quality won't always be there but they've set the standard for work ethic.

Everyone that lost faith in the manager wants him to prove them wrong but nobody will need the complimentary ticket brigade to highlight that if it happens. We'll all hold our hands up.

Aye but what do Eric and Robert think?

[Mr Heliums]

On 06/11/2022 at 12:27, East Fife 1903 said:

Hi, i came across this photo while trying to get some info on my Grandad. His name was Tam Ballantyne and he played for St Johnstone in 1932-33 season .ive no other info if he played longer or if he signed for someone else. Any news i could get would be greatly appreciated. I was absolutely buzzing when i found this picture .

Ballantyne was an inside left, signed on a free by newly-promoted Saints from Aberdeen in June, 1932. (He'd featured mainly in the reserves at Aberdeen, but had played some first-team games as the season had gone on. He'd joined the Dons at the start of season 1931-32 from a spell in the United States.) He had a brother, Johnny Ballantyne, an inside-forward for Partick Thistle.

Ballantyne lasted a year at St Johnstone, making 23 league appearances in a season that saw Saints finish fifth in the top flight. In his debut against Third Lanark in August, he was described as a 'veritable box of tricks', the 'best forward on the field in working the ball' and an 'energetic inside man whose knowledge of half-back play was valuable'. The Daily Record said his 'artistry and deceptive feinting were a delight'. Of Ballantyne, the Dundee Telegraph wrote, 'the general consensus was that Tom Muirhead has in this fellow one of the best inside forwards in the country. Ballantine [sic] knows when to hold the ball; he knows when to part with it, and, what is perhaps more important, he knows exactly how to deliver it."

He switched to inside-right for the Dewar Shield tie against Montrose the following Wednesday and scored the opening goal.

His strengths lay in his intelligence and his technical skill; his weakness that he wasn't direct enough. In an early game against Partick Thistle – where he lined up against his brother in the same position – he was described as 'an astute tactician', with 'smart touches', but one who didn't carry much of a punch.

By the time Saints lost to reigning champions Motherwell at the start of September, his form had waned. There were grumblings about the effectiveness of both Saints' inside-towards (Ballantyne on the left and Benzie on the right) for 'lacking guile and subtlety'. 'Much of their clever stuff,' wrote one journalist about their performance against Well, 'got nowhere'. Even in the win a couple of weeks later against Clyde, one reporter wrote that Ballantyne's passes had a penchant for going astray, and he had 'an inclination to hold onto the ball too long on occasions'. Another, more pointed, report described him as 'going in circles with the ball'.

He scored the third goal against Cowdenbeath in mid-September ('the best of the game'), but that wasn't enough to impress some watchers. A 'great many' of his passes were misplaced and he was a 'poor shot' despite his goal. Still, he was praised for his astuteness, and there was a suggestion he'd thrive at inside right.

He shone in September's 0-0 friendly against Arsenal, in front of a record Muirton crowd, and was also prominent in the next game against Airdrie. He scored in the 7-1 victory against Morton, where, along with the rest of the forward line, he earned 'bouquets'. Still, one pundit complained that he was much too direct with his passes: you can't please everyone.

There was heavy competition for places in the Saints forward line – at one time nine players fighting for five roles – and while it was claimed Ballantyne and Benzie were being given an extended opportunity to make good, by mid-October Benzie was no longer first pick, and on December 3, Ballantyne was rested for the game against Queen's Park, returning on Christmas Eve against Third Lanark 'to little effect'.

With Harry Ferguson, and latterly Bobby Davidson, doing well in the inside-left role in the absence of Ballantyne, he was tried in a fresh position – pushed out to the wing against East Stirling, where he did well enough to suggest that 'with further experience he would be able to pull his weight'. He played on the wing for most of his remaining games for Saints.

You'll probably be disappointed that your grandad played a major role in a cup victory over East Fife almost exactly 90 years ago, in January, 1933. After a draw at Muirton, Ballantyne was brought back into his favoured inside-left position for the replay and was the instigator of an exciting comeback, scoring the equaliser as Saints won 2-1. It was a triumphant moment in what was otherwise a spotty second half of the season. He was at inside-left for a final time in the last-eight loss to Hearts and was succeeded in that position by Bobby Davidson, who a year or two later went on to big things at Arsenal.

Ballantyne was in and out of the side for the rest of the season, but wasn't retained. I'm not sure what happened to him – I suspect it might have been the end of his professional career; there was a mention of an 'R Ballantyne', a 'former Saints inside-left', playing in that position in for the reserves against Motherwell late in 1934. That would have been him, but as Saints lost 8-1, perhaps best to pretend it wasn't.

What should be highlighted is that he was at Saints at an amazing time: the beginning of its first golden period – a time when international honours were at last coming to the club. Plus he was signed by the great Tommy Muirhead, who knew how to spot a player. Lots to be proud of.

Incidentally, you can pinpoint almost to the hour when that picture you posted was taken: late morning of the first day of training on Tuesday, July 19, 1932. The photo features only nine players– those who lived in Perth at the time. (Another three joined training that afternoon, but missed this snapshot.)

Edited November 9, 2022 by Mr Heliums

[East Fife 1903]

Thank you very much Mr Heliums ,thats awesome .there is a picture on Saints on this day (twitter)from 1932 a 2-1 win against Partick Thistle which shows my grandad in action.i tried to put it up on here but failed miserably ,can someone pleasè try put it up here for me to share, it would be greatly appreciated.

[Johnstoun]

22 minutes ago, East Fife 1903 said:

Thank you very much Mr Heliums ,thats awesome .there is a picture on Saints on this day (twitter)from 1932 a 2-1 win against Partick Thistle which shows my grandad in action.i tried to put it up on here but failed miserably ,can someone pleasè try put it up here for me to share, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[East Fife 1903]

11 minutes ago, Johnstoun said:

 

Thank you vey much.

[Banty fi Methil]

Guys do any of you out there in the St.Johnstone community have archive photos that you can share of the 1932 season in which our Grandfather played? we only have this action shot that my little brother posted, and the information give to us is been amazing stuff I didn't know, brought a tear to my eye

[Mr Heliums]

41 minutes ago, Banty fi Methil said:

Guys do any of you out there in the St.Johnstone community have archive photos that you can share of the 1932 season in which our Grandfather played? we only have this action shot that my little brother posted, and the information give to us is been amazing stuff I didn't know, brought a tear to my eye

This is your grandad on the left with David Sherlaw, another new signing, in July 1932, at the start of training.

 

And this is him at the front of the pack, with fellow St Johnstone players, August 1932:

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Mr Heliums

[Banty fi Methil]

tyvm for this its appreciated

[PauloPerth]

5 hours ago, Mr Heliums said:

Ballantyne was a left-half, signed on a free by newly-promoted Saints from Aberdeen in June, 1932. (He'd featured mainly in the reserves at Aberdeen, but had played some first-team games as the season had gone on. He'd joined the Dons at the start of season 1931-32 from a spell in the United States.) He had a brother, Johnny Ballantyne, an inside-forward for Partick Thistle.

Ballantyne lasted a year at St Johnstone, making 23 league appearances in a season that saw Saints finish fifth in the top flight. In his debut against Third Lanark in August, he was described as a 'veritable box of tricks', the 'best forward on the field in working the ball' and an 'energetic inside man whose knowledge of half-back play was valuable'. The Daily Record said his 'artistry and deceptive feinting were a delight'. Of Ballantyne, the Dundee Telegraph wrote, 'the general consensus was that Tom Muirhead has in this fellow one of the best inside forwards in the country. Ballantine [sic] knows when to hold the ball; he knows when to part with it, and, what is perhaps more important, he knows exactly how to deliver it."

He switched to inside-right for the Dewar Shield tie against Montrose the following Wednesday and scored the opening goal.

His strengths lay in his intelligence and his technical skill; his weakness that he wasn't direct enough. In an early game against Partick Thistle – where he lined up against his brother in the same position – he was described as 'an astute tactician', with 'smart touches', but one who didn't carry much of a punch.

By the time Saints lost to reigning champions Motherwell at the start of September, his form had waned. There were grumblings about the effectiveness of both Saints' inside-towards (Ballantyne on the left and Benzie on the right) for 'lacking guile and subtlety'. 'Much of their clever stuff,' wrote one journalist about their performance against Well, 'got nowhere'. Even in the win a couple of weeks later against Clyde, one reporter wrote that Ballantyne's passes had a penchant for going astray, and he had 'an inclination to hold onto the ball too long on occasions'. Another, more pointed, report described him as 'going in circles with the ball'.

He scored the third goal against Cowdenbeath in mid-September ('the best of the game'), but that wasn't enough to impress some watchers. A 'great many' of his passes were misplaced and he was a 'poor shot' despite his goal. Still, he was praised for his astuteness, and there was a suggestion he'd thrive at inside right.

He shone in September's 0-0 friendly against Arsenal, in front of a record Muirton crowd and was also prominent in the next game against Airdrie. He scored in the 7-1 victory against Morton, where, along with the rest of the forward line, he earned 'bouquets'. Still, one pundit complained that he was much too direct with his passes, showing that you can't please everyone.

There was plenty competition for places in the Saints forward line – at one time nine players fighting for five roles – and while it was claimed Ballantyne and Benzie were being given an extended opportunity to make good, by mid-October Benzie was no longer first pick, and on December 3, Ballantyne was rested for the game against Queen's Park, returning on Christmas Eve against Third Lanark 'to little effect'.

With Harry Ferguson, and latterly Bobby Davidson, doing well in the inside-left role in the absence of Ballantyne, he was tried in a fresh position– pushed out to the wing against East Stirling, where he did well enough to suggest that 'with further experience he would be able to pull his weight'. He played on the wing for most of his remaining games for Saints.

You'll probably be disappointed that your grandad played a major role in a cup victory over East Fife almost exactly 90 years ago, in January, 1933. After a draw at Muirton, Ballantyne was brought back into his favoured inside-left position for the replay and was the instigator of an exciting comeback, scoring the equaliser as Saints won 2-1. It was a triumphant moment in what was a spotty second half of the season. He was at inside-left for a final time in the following round's loss to Hearts and was succeeded in that position by Bobby Davidson, who a year or two later went on to big things at Arsenal.

Ballantyne was in and out of the side for the rest of the season, but wasn't retained. I'm not sure what happened to him – I suspect it might have been the end of his professional career; there was a mention of an 'R Ballantyne', a 'former Saints inside-left', playing in that position in for the reserves against Motherwell late in 1934. That would have been him, but as Saints lost 8-1, perhaps best to pretend it wasn't.

What should be highlighted is that he was at Saints at an amazing time: the beginning of its first golden period – a time when international honours were at last coming to the club. Plus he was signed by the great Tommy Muirhead, who knew how to spot a player. Lots to be proud of.

Incidentally, you can pinpoint almost to the hour when that picture you posted was taken: late morning of the first day of training on Tuesday, July 19, 1932. The photo features only nine players– those who lived in Perth at the time. (Another three joined training that afternoon, but missed this snapshot.)

Fair play mr Heliums, that’s a brilliant effort.  Can imagine there must be a fair bit of nostalgia for the two methil lads reading that. 

[FrankChickens1]

No place in Aus WC squad for McGowan. Over to Spoony

[PSJ.84]

19 minutes ago, FrankChickens1 said:

No place in Aus WC squad for McGowan. Over to Spoony

Not too clued up on the players in the Australia squad who don’t have links to The SPFL/Scotland, but they must be of a decent standard. Would’ve thought somebody as versatile and as experienced would be ideal for a World Cup, not to mention the personality he’d bring. Ultimately, won’t complain about him getting the extra rest though. 
 

Everything crossed for Spoony. 

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

It's not really a shock that McGowan hasn't been called up. He hasn't featured in any squads for quite a while. 

For what it's worth Cammy Devlin has been selected. 

Canada announce their squad on Sunday apparently. 

 

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

Remi potentially available tomorrow 

[PauloPerth]

Has Spoony really got much chance? I don’t follow Canadian football or who they have playing for them, so don’t really have a clue.

But the fact that Spoony has been out for so long and won’t have had any involvement with the national team since returning from injury, must be against him.

Would be great to see if he is at the WC though.

Edited November 8, 2022 by PauloPerth

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, PauloPerth said:

Has Spoony really got much chance? I don’t follow Canadian football or who they have playing for them, so don’t really have a clue.

But the fact that Spoony has been out for so long and had only just been selected  for their team shortly before injury, must be against him.

Would be great to see if he is at the WC though.

Ive got it in my head the Canada coach praised how great he is for the "team spirit", i think after he flew out to one of their games despite being injured. 

Quite often see players put into WC squads for that reason, even if theres slightly better players available, so i think hes got a decent chance.

[PauloPerth]

Just now, RandomGuy. said:

Ive got it in my head the Canada coach praised how great he is for the "team spirit", i think after he flew out to one of their games despite being injured. 

Quite often see players put into WC squads for that reason, even if theres slightly better players available, so i think hes got a decent chance.

Probably a good move to keep himself in the manager’s thoughts whilst he was out.

I seem to recall he mostly came on as a sub for them, is that right? 
 
Fingers crossed for him 

[RandomGuy.]

4 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

Probably a good move to keep himself in the manager’s thoughts whilst he was out.

I seem to recall he mostly came on as a sub for them, is that right? 
 
Fingers crossed for him 

10 caps, 4 starts, 403 mins

From a quick look

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

There's been clips of a few of the Brazilian players celebrating with their families when it was confirmed they were in the squad and they were going absolutely wild. They were players who were almost certs to be in the squad as well so it just shows how much it means to professional footballers to go and play at a world cup. 

The same I imagine applies to David. Especially after his injury. To make the squad and get to go and be part of it will be incredible on it own. If he does enough to impress the manager to get some playing time then even better. That would be next level brilliant again!

Gives us someone to cheer on as well.