First Team
New book for Saints Historians
27th March 2020
It is sure to have fans arguing when it rolls off the presses.
But right now the biggest challenge facing Alastair Blair and Brian Doyle is tracking down relatives of stars from a bygone era.
“We are compiling a list of the ‘Sixty Greatest Saints’ - not just players, but managers and officials too,” explained Alastair.
“We are going to rank the list of players, managers and officials, as well as selecting our all-time top Saints team and substitutes.
“You can be sure some it will prove controversial, especially with different generations of supporters.
“Every fan has their own favourites and memories of players in action.
“Brian and I are no different, being dyed-in-the-wool Saints supporters.
“But we are trying to look at the bigger picture, pinpointing key people in the history of the club, from those early years in the 1880s through to the present day.
“We have been working away quietly on this for a couple of years and are now ramping up our efforts.”
Alastair and Saints statistician Brian, who penned the award-winning official club history “Bristling With Possibilities” and the updated “Manifest Destiny” following the 2014 Scottish Cup triumph, are appealing to fans, former footballers and relatives to provide information on past Perth heroes.
It is a nationwide search, online and by personal contact, ferreting out information on heroes from the past.
The Saints minute books are, once again, throwing-up some intriguing details.
Alastair is no stranger to the club’s official documentation, having sifted through the bound volumes researching the definitive history of a club dating back to the Victorian era.
“We have gathered a lot of information on all the players on our list but it’s the little details, from family and friends of former football colleagues that will make all the difference,” said Alastair.
The Saints sleuths are looking for information on:
- Willie McIntosh (pre and post-WWII) – died West Midlands, 1990
- Bobby Davidson (1930s) Coventry? - died 1968
- Paddy Buckley (1950s) died, 2008 - Tranent
- Willie Imrie (1920s/30s) Fife, died 1945
- Jimmy Munro (1930s) - died c. 1978, Glasgow
- Jimmy Benson (1920s - died Edinburgh, 1989
- Gordon Smith (1970s/80s) – died Glasgow, 2014
- Willie Steel (1920s/1930s) – died 1990, Blantyre/Glasgow
- Harry Ferguson (19202-30s)– Alloa/Hillfoots area.
- John Robertson (1880s/90s) – Pitlochry/Perth; died Perth, 1927
- Ian Rodger (1950s) – Perth
- Johnny Liddell (1950s/60s) – died Grangemouth, 1999.
- Tommy Muirhead (manager, 1930s) – died Helensburgh, 1979
- David Brown (1940s, post war)
- Peter Jack (groundsman from 1925 to 1961) - Scone/Perth
- Ernie Ewen (1950s) – died Edinburgh, 1966.
- Jimmy Fleming (late 1920s) – died 1969, Glasgow?
Anyone who can assist in the search is asked to contract Alastair at alastair.blair@thepotentmix.co.uk