Millar hopes viral music video will help St Johnstone lure fans through gates
VIDEO star Chris Millar was braced for flak after taking the lead role in a St Johnstone promo film.
But it’s gone viral and the Perth midfielder has been bowled over by the reaction.
The one-time boy band wannabe takes centre stage in the club’s #PaintItBlue film, aimed at luring more kids along to today’s home match against Hamilton Accies.
And, while the shaky lip-sync efforts of Millar, Blair Alston, Tam Scobbie, Paul Paton and co won’t be giving Oscars favourite La La Land a run for its money, their miming to Italian Euro pop outfit Eiffel 65’s catchy Blue (Da Ba Dee) has taken the internet by storm. It’s even raised a laugh on America’s Fox Sports channel.
Millar, 33, who is now looking to hit the high notes by claiming three points against Accies to pull level with fourthplaced Hearts, admitted: “It’s a bit like Marmite I suppose, you love it or hate it. But the reaction has been amazing.
“The Accies game is usually one of the lower gates we have at McDiarmid and the film has been tied in with visits to local schools. Hopefully it will put a few hundred more on the attendance.”
Perth manager Tommy Wright is looking to freshen up his team just days after a 1-0 loss to Celtic.
Full-back Richard Foster is available after suspension and midweek subs Steven MacLean and Murray Davidson look set for recalls. But on-song Millar is hoping to go again.
He said: “We have Hamilton and Partick before playing Celtic again. These are important games. We won’t underestimate Accies but we are at home and we should be looking to take three points.
“Our mentality is to look at the team ahead of us and try to rein them in. Hearts are playing Celtic on Sunday so if we win we go level on points with them. That’s a big incentive for us.
“The way Celtic are playing with a club record at stake you’d expect them to win that one.
“We were disappointed not to take something from Parkhead. Celtic had their chances but we hit the woodwork and had a good penalty shout.
“It was disappointing to lose a goal from a set piece but there were plenty positives to take from it. The boys put in a brilliant shift and probably deserved a point.”
Meanwhile, Grant Gillespie admits Hamilton’s post-match video session made for better viewing following last week’s mu ch - ne ed e d w in at Kilmarnock.
An added-time penalty from substitute Rakish Bingham broke the deadlock and took Accies into the fifth round of the William Hill Scottish Cup where they were drawn to play Dunfermline.
It was the Lanarkshire side’s first win in 12 matches and they will look to build on that at St Johnstone on Saturday as they look to move away from secondbottom spot in the Ladbrokes Premiership.
Gillespie enjoyed the change of mood when Martin Canning’s squad gathered for their weekly analysis of the previous match.
The Accies right-back said: “It has been a happy camp this week. Everyone coming in on Monday morning had a smile on their face. It was nice to watch the video back for once.
“Everyone is full of confidence so we will take that confidence into Saturday and hopefully we can put on a good performance.”