Beyond the wildest dreams of local lad Liam playing for his beloved Saints
‘Great for us all – family, friends and the city’
He grew up playing on the local pitches in Perth.
He used to sit in the stand and feel the highs and lows of supporting St Johnstone.
He dreamed of pulling on the colours of his local team. Just once would have been enough.
He dreamed of winning the League Cup. He did. He dreamed of winning the Scottish Cup. He did.
Did he dream of completing the double? He probably did. Did he ever think it would happen? Probably not.
But at full-time on Saturday afternoon, Liam Gordon slumped to his knees in disbelief. The emotion took over. St Johnstone Football Club had just defeated Hibernian 1-0 at Hampden to win the Scottish Cup.
Having lifted the League Cup back in February, the double was complete. Remarkable, sensational, unbelievable. And the rest.
Gordon was in dreamland and will remain there for a good while to come.
“I was on the pitch at the end and I’m just looking around laughing at everyone,” smiles Gordon, a former Perth High student.
“I’ve just won the double with St Johnstone.
“It’s stuff you can only dream of as a professional football player but also as a fan who is born and bred in the city. It’s a city I love.
“The achievement is incredible and I don’t think it will sink in for weeks, months or years. I can’t see this being done again.
“I’m not one to get emotional but at the final whistle I fell to my knees and probably did shed a wee tear. Everything hits you.
“To put that performance on in a game of this magnitude is something I can’t put into words.”
Gordon soon emerged back from the tunnel with beer and phone in hand before taking a seat on the empty Hampden turf. He always makes sure to call those closest to him.
“I phoned my girlfriend, my mum and my dad,” Gordon told the PA.
“My dad took me to every game when I was young. He put in all the hours and the graft, taking me wherever I needed.
“It’s nice to give something back to him. He isn’t one to get emotional but I dare say he probably shed a tear or two.”
There would be more than a few tears being shed across the city that Gordon adores. The big centre-half is well aware of that and was so pleased to be able to bring more joy in these times.
“I’m just so happy that I’ve managed to put more smiles on the faces of people in Perth and give them something to celebrate,” he said.
“I remember the 2014 cup win, I was at the game.
“The feel-good factor in the city after that was something I’d never experienced before.
“I’m so happy for the fans. They deserve this because they have shown their support all season, even in the tougher times.
“If we had finished 11th and scraped away from relegation, they would still have that love for us. But what we have done has created an incredible bond between ourselves and the fans. It’s even greater now.”
There will be time for celebration and, while the season may now be over, Gordon is looking ahead with great excitement. This is a special team and he knows there is more to come.
“I’ll enjoy the next few days and will probably just retire after that,” laughed Gordon.
“We’re in a great position. I’d love for everyone to stay together and get another good year at it.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen with the transfer window