THE PERTH PIONEERS
Coyle full of praise for his old club’s recent successes
THREE weeks have passed since St Johnstone wrote themselves into the Scottish football history books by recording a historic cup double.
And no one was more delighted than former McDiarmid Park manager Owen Coyle.
The Irishman took over at Saints back in 2005 and a hugely successful stint in Perth resulted in him landing the role of Burnley manager just two seasons later.
Coyle almost led St Johnstone back to Scotland’s top flight in 2007 but Saints were ultimately pipped on the final day of the Division One season by Gretna.
The final of the Challenge Cup against Dunfermline was to follow and despite departing for Turf Moor a week earlier, Coyle had a big say in tactics and team selection by the way of his assistant Sandy Stewart.
Saints ended up with the silverware after a 3-2 victory at Dens Park and the triumph was just the start of the most successful period in the club’s history.
Derek McInnes was next in line after Coyle and he delivered promotion into the Scottish Premiership. Steve Lomas followed and produced two top-half finishes during his time at the club.
Tommy Wright then provided the club’s first major piece of silverware in the Scottish Cup in 2014 and now Callum Davidson has set the bar even higher by delivering two trophies in the one season.
The Brown family have been ever present during the recent period of success in St Johnstone’s history and Coyle insists both former chairman and current director Geoff and his son Steve, the current chairman, deserve major credit.
“When you look at the club over the years, the consistency has been brilliant. What has happened this year will be very difficult to ever be achieved again,” said Coyle. “Sir Alex [Ferguson] did it in the past but that was when Aberdeen were the top team in the country. For St Johnstone to do it on the budget they have is testimony to Callum and the club structure. I was very lucky when I was at St Johnstone. The club were in doldrums and were nearly relegated out of the Championship. Geoff Brown was an outstanding chairman. He always had faith as long you learned quickly. Steve, his son, has stepped in and done exactly the same.
“St Johnstone will never have the big budgets. But it is such a well-run club. Their managers, the people there, they are lovely, lovely people.
“They are a wonderful club and I think that probably sums this season up because it would have been very easy to panic at the start of the season. I think Callum lost seven of his first nine games.
“You would normally have clubs panicking all over the place thinking they should change the manager. St Johnstone knew they had a very good manager, and they knew it would take them a little bit of time to adapt.
“The proof is there for everybody to see. Good people who run good clubs, that is what they do. They give their managers time, they give them the opportunity and Callum has just got stronger and stronger along with his players.”
Coyle ranks St Johnstone’s cup double right at the top of Scottish football’s achievements and he admits he feels a sense of pride in playing a part in the club’s history.
He explained: “Celtic and Rangers dominate the trophies. In terms of domestic achievements, what St Johnstone have done is up there with anything.
“St Johnstone are a club I hold close to my heart and I look out for them all the time.
“All the managers over the years have been really lucky to work under very good people.
When I was there I brought Derek McInnes in as my player/coach from Millwall.
“I left to take the Burnley job because of how good St Johnstone had done for me then I said to the chairman that Derek was ready to step up. The chairman knew himself and from Derek they have had Steve Lomas, and Tommy Wright won the Scottish Cup. It has been a conveyor belt of success. Every one of us managers will tell you how the wonderful people gave us an opportunity.”
Some have joked that current boss Davidson should retire after delivering such heights for St Johnstone, but Coyle knows there will be more to come from the former Scotland international.
He added: “I know Callum well. I admired him as a player. He came up against a number of my teams. He is an outstanding man and he is someone I have a lot of time for.
“I better not tip Callum for the league title next season as the chairman will have a heart attack and will have to give him a better budget for next season!”