Tributes for ‘Well legend Ian St John

Tributes have been paid to legendary Motherwell player and manager Ian St John after he passed away yesterday, aged 82.

St John was also an iconic figure at Liverpool for 10 years, and famously scored the goal that earned their first ever FA Cup win in 1965.

The forward also played 21 times for Scotland. St John was born in Motherwell on June 7, 1938, and played for North Motherwell Athletic in 1955-56 before joining the Fir Park club, where he played until 1961.

In season 1958-59, St John scored 31 goals, including a two-and-a-half-minute hat-trick away to Hibs in a League Cup tie in August 1959.

When St John moved to Liverpool in 1961 the £37,500 fee went a long way towards paying for construction of the then-new main stand at Fir Park, and he was a massive success at Anfield.

He scored the winning goal in extra-time to beat Leeds United in 1965 and win Liverpool’s first ever FA Cup, and won the First Division in 63-64 and 65-66, having also been part of a side that won the Second Division in 61-62.

Spells in South Africa with Hellenic and Cape Town City followed, either side of a spell at Coventry, ended his playing career at Tranmere.

Returning to Motherwell as manager in 1973,

St John gave a debut to Willie Pettigrew and finished ninth in his only season.

Pettigrew told first pick by Ian St John was something special; he was the first man who ever coached me.

“I used to come in a couple of nights a week and he took me and other players aside for some extra work and that was the first time anybody had ever tried to make me a better player.

“He was good to play with, but he didn’t like it when things went wrong.

“The word‘legend’is used too often, but what he did at Motherwell, and how highly he’s still regarded at Liverpool shows you that he is one.

“In his time at Scotland as well there were only home internationals and World Cups so he didn’t get as many caps as he maybe should have.

“He will be sadly missed. He had a lot of trouble in the last few years with illnesses.

“I have a lot of fond memories of Ian St John.” Motherwell also paid tribute to St John, saying:“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ian St John. The thoughts of everyone are with his family at this difficult time.”

A statement from Liverpool read:“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a true Anfield legend, Ian St John. The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Ian’s family and friends at this sad and difficult time.”