Sixty Greatest Saints authors appeal to supporters for help

St Johnstone historians are researching a book on The Sixty Greatest Saints.

And co-authors Alastair Blair and Brian Doyle have appealed for help from the club’s fans to track down relatives of stars from a bygone era.

“We are compiling a list of the 60 greatest Saints – not just players, but managers and officials too,” explained Alastair.

“We are going to rank the list of players, managers and officials, as well as selecting our all-time top Saints team and substitutes.

“You can be sure some it will prove controversial, especially with different generations of supporters.

“Every fan has their own favourites and memories of players in action.

“Brian and I are no different, being dyed-in-the-wool Saints supporters.

“But we are trying to look at the bigger picture, pinpointing key people in the history of the club, from those early years in the 1880s through to the present day.

“We have been working away quietly on this for a couple of years and are now ramping up our efforts.”

Alastair and Saints statistician Brian, who completed the awardwinning official club history Bristling With Possibilities and the updated Manifest Destiny following the 2014 Scottish Cup triumph, hope that former footballers and relatives will have information on past Perth heroes.

It is a nationwide search, online and by personal contact, that is well under way.

The Saints minute books are, once again, throwing-up some fascinating details.

Alastair is no stranger to the club’s official documentation, having sifted through the bound volumes researching the definitive history of a club dating back to the Victorian era.

“We have gathered a lot of information on all the players on our list but it’s the little details that will make all the difference,” he said.