The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Davidson on mend after head clash
Murray Davidson is recovering well from his sickening head clash with teammate Aaron Comrie, with hopefully the only lasting damage for the St Johnstone midfielder being a chipped tooth, writes Eric Nicolson.
Davidson barely made it through a minute of Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Celtic and lost consciousness on the pitch before being taken straight to hospital.
By the end of the match manager Tommy Wright had been given encouraging news about his player’s health and a scan has confirmed that he is indeed on the mend.
Davidson would have missed Saints’ next match had there not been an international break but will have a chance of playing against Hibs the following weekend.
“Murray got out of hospital after a precautionary CT scan,” said Wright.
“He was out for the count. He went up for a challenge with Scott Brown but actually collided with Aaron Comrie and the young lad needed a couple of stitches to the side of his head.
“It’s down to how Murray plays. He is such a whole-hearted footballer. It’s just as well he’s not a boxer.
“Murray would have been ruled out of any game this weekend but the only damage was to a broken tooth which will have to be repaired.”
St Johnstone’s Scottish Cup winning captain Dave Mackay will be honoured by fans at a testimonial match against Dundee on Friday October 6.
Tommy Wright’s side will face the defender’s first club in a Tayside derby at McDiarmid Park with a 7.30pm kick-off.
Testimonial committee chairman Scott Findlay welcomed the news.
He said: “We are delighted that Dundee and their manager Neil McCann have agreed to take part in this match to acknowledge Cuptie’s contribution to St Johnstone.
“It promises to be a memorable night and supporters will turn out in big numbers to honour one of the club’s most popular players of the modern era.
“Dave, of course, also has strong ties to Dundee and I’m sure Dark Blues supporters will be keen to take in the game.”
Mackay, now manager at Stirling Albion after being forced to quit playing last year with a hip injury, began his career at Dens when Jocky Scott was manager and was in a Dark Blues side bossed by Jim Duffy which lost out to Rangers in the 2003 Scottish Cup final.
He made more than 100 appearances for Dundee before leaving for Oxford.
Mackay signed for Saints from Livingston in 2009 and went on to make 266 starts, including the 2014 Scottish Cup final victory over Dundee United.
On Saturday, the Dewars Centre in Perth hosts a testimonial dinner, also supported by Booker, with more than 300 tickets sold for the event.
Bids will be taken for Mackay’s cup final shirt and boots, along with other auction items donated by Gleneagles, broadcaster Tam Cowan, actor Colin McCredie, Morrison and Mackay, Castle Stuart and Aberdeen FC.
A signed Gareth Bale Real Madrid shirt also goes under the hammer.