On This Day in 1990 - First Division Champions

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the match in which Saints secured a return to Scotland’s top league by clinching promotion and the 1989/1990 First Division title thanks to a win at Somerset Park in Ayr.

It had been a long league campaign and one in which a stuttering Saints side had used a remarkable comeback victory at Coatbridge in March 1990 as the platform for a big push towards the title in the final weeks of the season, including the much talked about crucial home win over Airdrieonians at McDiarmid Park in front of over 10,000 fans at the end of that month.

The game at Ayr attracted just half that number of fans but it still made for a busy scene and great atmosphere in the tight ground and an initially apprehensive travelling support were able to celebrate a goal as early as the 22nd minute when Alex Totten’s men took the lead.

As was so often the case that season the provider was winger Steve Maskrey who beat two men before floating over a cross to the back post where Paul Cherry nodded home, beating 38-year-old debutant goalkeeper Alan Rough in the process.

As the first half wore on, Saints and the Perth support had the odd scare to endure – none more so than when United were awarded a penalty kick by referee George Smith after Doug Barron fouled Dougie McCracken.

However, Saints keeper John Balavage came to the rescue just yards from the packed away support behind his goal, touching Tommy Bryce’s spot kick onto the post and then helping thwart further danger.

Big Bal made other great stops from Henry Templeton and Kenny Wilson as he completed his 16th clean sheet of the season, with one more to follow against Forfar Athletic the following week.

Optimistic but still tense, the army of Perth fans were able to relax a bit more just 13 minutes after the interval when their heroes doubled their advantage.

Allan Moore was the provider this time, weaving his magic on the right wing and although Steve Maskrey’s first effort from Moorie’s cross was pushed away by Rough, ‘Zorro’ was as alert as ever to thrash the loose ball into the net.

Thereafter, Saints coasted relatively comfortably towards the final whistle, an unassailable four point gap above Airdrie and the end of the Club’s six-year-exile from the top flight.

After the match, Alex Totten and his players took centre stage on the Somerset Park pitch with the Muirton gaffer shaking hands with dozens of fans at the pitch boundary boards and complying with favourite chant of the time to “show us your scarf” on numerous occasions.

Half an hour later in the press briefing he would describe the achievement of taking Saints to the Premier League as the proudest moment of his career and pay warm tribute to his assistant Bert Paton – “worth his weight in gold” and to Geoff Brown who, he noted, was the man recently responsible for ensuring that there was a St Johnstone Football Club at all.

The part-time players (that was to change from the following season) lapped up the celebrations. The unfussy stalwarts such as John Balavage, Mark Treanor, Harry Curran and Doug Barron, the ‘eye catchers’ like Moore and Maskrey, the goal providers like Roddy Grant and the often underestimated second half of the season contribution from the vastly experienced Paul Hegarty – all enjoyed their moment that day.

But it’s wrong to highlight anyone in particular or leave others out because the whole squad – all of them with other forms of employment to fill their days – played their part the success of the season.

The team at Ayr that day was: Balavage, Treanor, McGinnis, Barron, Hegarty, Johnston (Curran), Moore, Cherry, Maskrey (Ward), Grant, Heddle.

PICTURED: Goalscorer Maskrey (no 9) gets a hug from Ian Heddle and John Balavage as Mark Treanor, Doug Barron, a suited David Bingham and Gary McGinnis lap up the celebrations at full time.