Loved Saint & Greavsie growing up. RIP Ian.
I liked this tale written at the time he was at Liverpool..
There was a Methodist church in Liverpool and someone had put up an advertisement on a board outside the church: JESUS SAVES!. By the next morning there was a piece of graffiti added to the notice by an anonymous Liverpool supporter: St JOHN SCORES ON THE REBOUND!
There was a Methodist church in Liverpool and someone had put up an advertisement on a board outside the church: JESUS SAVES!. By the next morning there was a piece of graffiti added to the notice by an anonymous Liverpool supporter: St JOHN SCORES ON THE REBOUND!
RIP Saint... I recall the home game V Leeds in 71 when we won 3-1. St John got the third, Quinton Young terrorized on the wing and we beat Leeds for the first time in Division one.
Him and Greavsie were magic so funny RIP Ian.
Always remember Jimmy having him laughing out loud!!
Always remember Jimmy having him laughing out loud!!
Who would of thought Jimmy Greaves would out live St John ?
Rest in peace Ian, a true gent of the game.
Rest in peace Ian, a true gent of the game.
Memory not the greatest but I recall him playing for Liverpool at Highfield Rd - must have been the late 60s I think. Brian Lewis clattered him with a resulting free-kick. After having treatment he got up, walked past the ball and floored Lewis (who was in the wall) and then just walked off without waiting for the ref to send him off.
Remember my dad used to love Saint & Greavesie and it was always entertaining even to me as a youngster.
Their coverage of the Cup Final was great too.
RIP Saint
Their coverage of the Cup Final was great too.
RIP Saint
I remember him being at Coventry (I may well be wrong) but left just after Noel Cantwell got the sack. Think he felt Cantwell had been treated unfairly and that's why he left.
Ian St John was a great player in his Liverpool days bit over the hill when he came here but still okay think he might have been on the coaching staff h with Tony Waiters and did leave in the wake of the Cantwell sacking.
Also remember him getting sent off at HR fighting with Brian Lewis.
Also remember him getting sent off at HR fighting with Brian Lewis.
That was a Boxing Day game. I was with my dad and uncle on the Spion Kop, us kids down the front. Lewis had been roughing St John up for awhile during the game and St John lost it and delivered a hook a boxer would of been proud of, Lewis was out cold for several minutes. They met up years later and obviously it was mentioned, and both wrote about it in articles and books. My dad a big boxing fan admired the Scots punching power !
That's sad. A very likeable guy who went on to have a good career in media. Saint and Greeves' was a trail blazer to the football panels to come, now ruined by MOTD. We are losing so many now. RIP
Yep, it’s been a bad couple of years for losing players who were the backdrop to many people’s formative years. The humour on the Saint and Greavsie show was excellent. Loved their approach to THE Cup Final. And, he may have been at the end of his career with City, but how much could we do with a forward capable of scoring 3 goals in 18 appearances in the top flight?
That’s how I remember the sequence of events. He was a decent player for us, but was in the twilight of his career.
Didn't know this story, but found it on Google. Also a reference to Shankley getting ISJ to put polish on his balls to say LEwis squeezed and bruised them. He got let off and received no suspension! RIP Ian.
December 26, 1967
Match: Football League, First Division, at Highfield Road, kick-off: 15:15.
Coventry City – Liverpool 1-1 (1-1).
Attendance: 42,209.
Referee: Mr. M.A. Fussey; linesmen: Messrs. K.V. Kelsall and K.E. Teaves.
Coventry City: Bill Glazier, Mike Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Brian Lewis, Maurice Setters, David Clements, Gerry Baker, Ernest Machin, Bobby Gould, Ian Gibson, Ronnie Rees.
Substitution: Mick Coop for Baker after 85 min.
Liverpool: Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Gerry Byrne, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tony Hateley, Ian St John, Peter Thompson.
Substitution: Geoff Strong for Hunt after 53 min.
Sent off: Ian St John (31 min.).
The goals: 0-1 Hunt (14 min., assist: Hateley), 1-1 Baker (32 min., assist: Bruck).
Images from Coventry Evening Telegraph: December 27, 1967.
December 26, 1967
Match: Football League, First Division, at Highfield Road, kick-off: 15:15.
Coventry City – Liverpool 1-1 (1-1).
Attendance: 42,209.
Referee: Mr. M.A. Fussey; linesmen: Messrs. K.V. Kelsall and K.E. Teaves.
Coventry City: Bill Glazier, Mike Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Brian Lewis, Maurice Setters, David Clements, Gerry Baker, Ernest Machin, Bobby Gould, Ian Gibson, Ronnie Rees.
Substitution: Mick Coop for Baker after 85 min.
Liverpool: Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Gerry Byrne, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tony Hateley, Ian St John, Peter Thompson.
Substitution: Geoff Strong for Hunt after 53 min.
Sent off: Ian St John (31 min.).
The goals: 0-1 Hunt (14 min., assist: Hateley), 1-1 Baker (32 min., assist: Bruck).
Images from Coventry Evening Telegraph: December 27, 1967.
This is the game I mentioned earlier. StJohn stuck one on Lewis and he was out cold for minutes. He walked off before the ref had a chance to order him off. He got off it due to what you refer to in your comments.Didn't know this story, but found it on Google. Also a reference to Shankley getting ISJ to put polish on his balls to say LEwis squeezed and bruised them. He got let off and received no suspension! RIP Ian.
December 26, 1967
Match: Football League, First Division, at Highfield Road, kick-off: 15:15.
Coventry City – Liverpool 1-1 (1-1).
Attendance: 42,209.
Referee: Mr. M.A. Fussey; linesmen: Messrs. K.V. Kelsall and K.E. Teaves.
Coventry City: Bill Glazier, Mike Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Brian Lewis, Maurice Setters, David Clements, Gerry Baker, Ernest Machin, Bobby Gould, Ian Gibson, Ronnie Rees.
Substitution: Mick Coop for Baker after 85 min.
Liverpool: Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Gerry Byrne, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tony Hateley, Ian St John, Peter Thompson.
Substitution: Geoff Strong for Hunt after 53 min.
Sent off: Ian St John (31 min.).
The goals: 0-1 Hunt (14 min., assist: Hateley), 1-1 Baker (32 min., assist: Bruck).
Images from Coventry Evening Telegraph: December 27, 1967.
Another tale I liked was
Graffiti seen outside a church sign somewhere in Anfield
What would you do if Jesus came to Liverpool?
Move Ian St John to inside right and play 4-3-3'
Memory might be playing tricks on me, but when Cantwell got the sack a lot of people thought St John would be offered the job and was surprised when he left so quickly after Cantwell.
My recollection exactly and thought he was a big influence in the dressing room. However, he was clearly upset with how Noel Cantwell was exited.
On the plus we began the Mercer & Milne period with two awesome signings to kick off with.....I do also wonder what would have happened if Brian Clough have made his verbal acceptance of the managers job into a formal contract
Got given a saint and greavsie book many years ago with various stories from the pair of them.
Greavsie came across as quite bitter but Ian St. John had some great stories about his time at Liverpool under Shankly.
Greavsie came across as quite bitter but Ian St. John had some great stories about his time at Liverpool under Shankly.
Amazing photo.Didn't know this story, but found it on Google. Also a reference to Shankley getting ISJ to put polish on his balls to say LEwis squeezed and bruised them. He got let off and received no suspension! RIP Ian.
December 26, 1967
Match: Football League, First Division, at Highfield Road, kick-off: 15:15.
Coventry City – Liverpool 1-1 (1-1).
Attendance: 42,209.
Referee: Mr. M.A. Fussey; linesmen: Messrs. K.V. Kelsall and K.E. Teaves.
Coventry City: Bill Glazier, Mike Kearns, Dietmar Bruck, Brian Lewis, Maurice Setters, David Clements, Gerry Baker, Ernest Machin, Bobby Gould, Ian Gibson, Ronnie Rees.
Substitution: Mick Coop for Baker after 85 min.
Liverpool: Tommy Lawrence, Chris Lawler, Gerry Byrne, Tommy Smith, Ron Yeats, Emlyn Hughes, Ian Callaghan, Roger Hunt, Tony Hateley, Ian St John, Peter Thompson.
Substitution: Geoff Strong for Hunt after 53 min.
Sent off: Ian St John (31 min.).
The goals: 0-1 Hunt (14 min., assist: Hateley), 1-1 Baker (32 min., assist: Bruck).
Images from Coventry Evening Telegraph: December 27, 1967.
I figured Tommy Hutch and ?? Then I noticed your user name. Doh!
I know we were only a very small part of his footballing career but given his overall impact on football I was slightly surprised our players didn't wear black armbands last night.
