Flashback The season of goodwill
We all know that tensions can boil over in the dressing room.
There is many a tale of scuffles, shouting matches... and, of course, Alex Ferguson’s hairdryer treatment needs no introduction.
But when you find out it is current chief executive Tony Fitzpatrick reading the riot act then it is certainly surprising.
Christmas 1996 – and St Mirren were playing host to Partick Thistle in a league match, and things weren’t exactly going to plan.
The Jags had gone 2-0 up at the break and appeared to be cruising to an away-day success.
With the players booed off at the end of the first half, they entered the changing room raging at one another.
Tensions quickly boiled over between players, management and anyone within earshot as tempers flared. Standfirst
St Mirren FC is a club with a proud tradition — and a history to match.
They have been at the centre of the Scottish game since their formation in 1877.
Today, we look back at a remarkable festive comeback as Saints faced Partick Thistle in 1996.
It got so bad that boss Fitzpatrick sent his players back out on to the pitch five minutes early in a bid to cool things down... or maybe stop him saying something he would regret.
But it did the trick regardless, and within 10 minutes of the restart Saints had levelled things up with a trademark double.
Fitzpatrick said at the time: “We had some scene in the dressing room at half-time. Everyone was screaming and shouting at each other. Then we suddenly realised that instead of fighting and shouting at ourselves, we should be out there fighting to beat Thistle.”
In the end it was Canadian defender Paul Fenwick who rose to head home the winner.
He said: “We were terrible in the first-half and Tony let us know it. In
It got so bad that boss Fitzpatrick sent his players back out on to the pitch five minutes early