The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Morris fell back in love with game at Saints
Fond memories relived ahead of return to Perth for ‘Cuptie’ testimonial
Five years have passed since Jody Morris passed the captain’s armband on to Dave Mackay.
The former Chelsea and Leeds United midfielder was heading back down south and Mackay was heading towards his place in the Perth club’s history books as the first Saints skipper to lift a national trophy.
These days, Morris is an established part of the Stamford Bridge coaching set-up, taking charge of the Chelsea U18 squad, which is littered with multi- million-pound players of the future.
But the special place the Perth club have in his heart and the respect he has for Mackay will see Morris, 38, line up among legends making an appearance in Friday’s testimonial match with Dundee.
“Cuptie got in touch asking if I’d like to play in his game if we didn’t have a match down here. I checked the planner and we had a rare weekend off,” said Morris.
“It’s worked out great and I’m looking forward to coming back to Perth.
“After Chelsea, St Johnstone are definitely next in terms of how I feel about a club. It will always be like that.
“They are the next result I look for and I’m always rooting for them.
“I spent the longest time there apart from Chelsea.
“The time with Saints was important to me. I had a great relationship with the supporters and I fell back in love with football in my time with the club.”
Morris will join the likes of Danny Griffin, Nathan Lowndes and Frazer Wright in the Saints team and Charlie Adam in the Dundee side in the closing stages of Mackay’s big game and he’s delighted it has a derby flavour.
“I will never forget my debut at Dundee,” he recalled. “I scored and it was probably the only header of my whole career. I don’t even remember that goal. I had been pretty much knocked unconscious just before it.
“I have watched it back on the telly otherwise I’d know nothing about it. I have a vague memory of the celebrations but that’s about it.”
But Morris has no problem recalling the highs, and lows, of his four years at McDiarmid Park.
“The Rangers game when we won 4-1 at Perth was special,” he said. “It all came together that night against a topclass Rangers team.
“Then there was the win at Celtic when Cuptie scored. St Johnstone weren’t expected to do well back then against Rangers and Celtic. No one gave us a prayer as newcomers to the league and we were favourites to go down. So those are special memories.
“We got so close to the final in losing to Rangers on penalties in a semi when I missed one after we led in extra time.
“When I was there we eventually got out of the First Division, and the club still seems to be surprising people and doing well under Tommy Wright.
“They have been top-half ever since and taken it up a level with winning the cup. It was fantastic to see Cuptie lift the trophy.
The time with Saints was important to me. I had a great relationship with the supporters. JODY MORRIS
This is a club which is run properly and they don’t live beyond their means. That makes for a tight dressing room.
JODY MORRIS
“That was one thing we never managed in my time with the club. We got into Europe but lost to Rangers and Motherwell in the semi-finals.
“The club was getting to semi-finals even before I arrived, so fair play to the management and payers who finally got the job done.
“It was a long time coming and the fans had felt the heartache. The club and everyone at the club deserved it.
“This is a club which is run properly and they don’t live beyond their means. That makes for a tight dressing room. Everyone works hard for each other and they come up with results when needed.”
The fact that Morris is travelling up from London on a rare weekend off speaks volumes.
He said: “Cuptie was vice-captain to me and he is the sort of player who leads by example. He was the obvious choice for the captaincy when I walked out the door.
“He was always straight down the line with you. He wasn’t a barker but he didn’t shirk any responsibilities.
“And Cuptie was a top player. No disrespect to St Johnstone or Scottish football but he could have had an even better career.
“I felt he should have had Scottish honours. When people talk about the most consistent players I have played with in my career Cuptie definitely springs to mind.
“He was classy. He could play his way out from the back and he was an attacking threat as well because of his willingness to get forward, his engine and delivery of the ball.
“It was great for him and the club when they won the cup. That was quality.”
Friday’s match, sponsored by Kilmac and Booker, kicks-off at 7.30pm. Admission is £15 for adults, £5 for seniors and U16s.