Ian St John (1 Viewer)

Malaka

Well-Known Member
He only played for us for a short while, but The Saint has died RIP
 

Bad Boy

Well-Known Member
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!
 

no_loyalty

Well-Known Member
R.I.P The Saint.

Black armbands and minute silence tonight, I imagine.
 

sotvtoday

Well-Known Member
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.
 

Frostie

Well-Known Member
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
 

RedSalmon

Well-Known Member
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.
 

Magwitch1

Well-Known Member
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.
 

bringbackrattles

Well-Known Member
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.
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 !
 

Calista

Well-Known Member
Really sad to hear this news. Saint was an outstanding player, and in his TV appearances (especially with Greavsie) you could see what a lovely character he was, full of infectious humour. RIP.
 

Paxman II

Well-Known Member
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
 

Cov kid 55

Well-Known Member
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?
 

Colin Steins Smile

Well-Known Member
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.
That’s how I remember the sequence of events. He was a decent player for us, but was in the twilight of his career.
 

rob9872

Well-Known Member
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.
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-1.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-2.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-3.jpg
 

bringbackrattles

Well-Known Member
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.
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-1.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-2.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-3.jpg
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.
 

Bad Boy

Well-Known Member
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!

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'
 

Jagmannn

Well-Known Member
I remember Ian ..playing at highfield road for Liverpool & Playing for Coventry...I've got his autograph some where at home
 

RedSalmon

Well-Known Member
That’s how I remember the sequence of events. He was a decent player for us, but was in the twilight of his career.


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.
 

Colin Steins Smile

Well-Known Member
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
 

clint van damme

Well-Known Member
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.
 

play_in_skyblue_stripes

Well-Known Member
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.
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-1.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-2.jpg
liverpool-v-coventry-1967-highfield-3.jpg
Amazing photo.
 

oscillatewildly

Well-Known Member
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
I figured Tommy Hutch and ?? Then I noticed your user name. Doh!
 

Legia Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
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.
 

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