Ian St John dead

St John was a fine player and an integral part of Liverpools system of play under Shankly. Used to love his double act with Greaves, very funny and off beat.
 
His birth name was John but like a lot of guys called John in the old days, they got called Ian.

Wonderful broadcaster, too young to remember him playing but was a staple diet of the 80s to play for my boys club team and go home and watch Saints and Greavsie.
Ian is Gaelic for John
 
A great player. And afterwards a great pundit. Never met him, but saw him once in a restaurant in the Merchant City.

Amazed that Greavesie’s outlasted him!

RIP Saint.
 
So sad to hear. He was possibly one of the original "reds" as the team he was in started the Liverpool revolution under Shankl
Rest in peace Ian.
Yes Tommy, he was one of the key signings made by Bill Shankly (nephew of Rangers player Bob Blyth and uncle of Rodger Hynd) along with Billy Stevenson from Rangers and Ron (rowdy) Yeats from Dundee United.
The Evertonions hated St. John and sang to the tune of "as I was walking down the Copland Road".....

Oh we hate Bill Shankly and we hate big Ron
But most of all we hate St. John,
And we'll hang the Koppites one by one
On the banks of the Royal blue Mersey.

Remember him playing for Motherwell and Liverpool. A real footballing style centre forward.
 
Sad news. In addition to being part of the Liverpool revival, he was one of the great Scotland team of the early 1960’s. RIP
If my ailing memory serves me correctly, he played in, arguably, the best Scottish side ever, the one that lost in a play-off to reach the 1962 World Cup tournament. They lost out, after extra time, to Czechoslovakia who would go on to the final itself, only to be beaten by the wonderful Brazilian side containing Pele and Garrincha.
Saint played alongside Slim Jim, Eric Caldow, Ralph Brand, Ian MacMillan, Alex Scott, Bobby Shearer and Davie Wilson, as well as McNeill and Crerand, Denis Law and John White as well as his old Motherwell partner, Pat Quinn. What a list of names that side was.

It’s built into Liverpool mythology that when Shankly went to the board to plead for funds to sign Saint, the board immediately answered, “How can we afford to sign him?” to which Shankly instantly retorted, “We can’t afford not to”.

A supreme player, a wonderful broadcaster and a great loss. God speed, Saint.
 
Another sad day for football.
I felt sorry for Gerrard in the press conference, getting asked about it when he didn't know. As always he handled it well, but he was clearly upset.
 
Sorry to hear this sad news, remember when I was just getting into fooball, the Scotland forward line ended with St John, Law and Wilson. Would be fantastic to have such players available now.
 
Sad news.

Saint and Greavsie was well ahead of its time and must see TV for football fans (who weren’t already on their way to Ibrox). I used to tape them when that was the case. A great double act.

Back then, you knew you’d made it when you had a regular sketch on spitting image :))
 
Saint and Greavsie, 2 proper pundits with experience of football at the highest level. Jimmy will be sadened by this news.
Condolences to Ian's family.
 
Sad news, another great gone. The past year has been brutal for losing some true football legends.
 
Tremendous player in late 50s, early 60s. Remember seeing that Motherwell team beat us 5 2 at Ibrox in Scottish Cup after we drew 2 2 at Fir park. Game was 60 years ago yesterday. 80k crowd.
Was there that night, train to Ibrox platform.
Ancell’s babes they were called.
rip saint.
 
Sorry to hear about the saint passing away, him and Greavsie along with Jimmy Hill were the best pundits on TV bu far.
 
I remember him mostly for his TV shows with Greavsie. However, whilst I don't remember too much about it, Ian St John actually played in the very first Rangers game I went to. I was only 5 years old but an Auntie, who supported Motherwell, took me to the Copland Road end of Ibrox for a Scottish Cup Replay on a midweek evening. The attendance is variously reported as 80,000 or 90,000.

Unfortunately I have to report we lost said game 2-5, with The Saint scoring one of the goals. I mostly only remember my Auntie buying me a Rangers team photo - and getting hit on the head by a pie thrown by an irate Bear.:eek:
 
The good old days, when folk were allowed a sense of humour; you could laugh at others and had to take it back in return.
Bang on the money. Of for those days again. Before when offence was sought in every quarter and everything was politicised.

RIP Ian St John, a legend of Scottish football.
 
If my ailing memory serves me correctly, he played in, arguably, the best Scottish side ever, the one that lost in a play-off to reach the 1962 World Cup tournament. They lost out, after extra time, to Czechoslovakia who would go on to the final itself, only to be beaten by the wonderful Brazilian side containing Pele and Garrincha.
Saint played alongside Slim Jim, Eric Caldow, Ralph Brand, Ian MacMillan, Alex Scott, Bobby Shearer and Davie Wilson, as well as McNeill and Crerand, Denis Law and John White as well as his old Motherwell partner, Pat Quinn. What a list of names that side was.

It’s built into Liverpool mythology that when Shankly went to the board to plead for funds to sign Saint, the board immediately answered, “How can we afford to sign him?” to which Shankly instantly retorted, “We can’t afford not to”.

A supreme player, a wonderful broadcaster and a great loss. God speed, Saint.
As you say, a great Scotland side. I have a photo of the Scotland team that beat England 2-0 in 1962, with Ian at the centre of the front row.
RIP Ian.
 
In today's press conference David Tanner deliberately breaks the news of ISJ's death to Steven Gerrard to try and get an exclusive. Absolutely disgusting.
 
He was my late Grandpa's apprentice when he worked at Motherwell Bridge Work and Ravenscraig.
He was just making his way with Motherwell then.

Hopeless apprentice, but a brilliant footballer and a good Bluenose then too, according to my Grandpa.
He indeed did kick with the right foot and good friend of Davie and Wullie White when he played with Motherwell
 
Wow, this is a shock. Very sad news. A very good player in his day and excellent tv presenter. Imagine him and Greavsie trying to get a gig on telly nowadays.
RIP
 
Bumped into him once years ago. Not long after he'd made the papers for losing his license for drunk driving. He was wandering around the car park at my uni having been at a youth training event, one of my mates said "you'll be looking for the bus stop?" and he wittily retorted "f*** off, son".

Liked him on Saint and Greavsie, RIP.
 
I watched Bill Shankly’s docu-movie recently, it places a lot of emphasis on how St John was one of the main guys behind Liverpool’s revival.

Another legend of the game gone, very sad.
There was a clip on the news this morning of the Liverpool team of that time training and right in front of the Saint was Billy Stevenson ex Rangers which reminded me of the Scottish influence on this Liverpool team for obviously you had Bill Shankly as manager , Tommy Lawrence in goal , Ron Yeats at centre half , Billy Stevenson at left half and the Saint up front.
It is no exaggeration to say that Bill Shankly and these players including Ian St John laid the foundations for Liverpool from being a run of the mill team to becoming a force not only in England but in Europe
 
I was at the 5-2 game when Motherwell were unstoppable that night. Ian St.John was a great wee player alongside "Father Quinn". I get very sad seeing these guys ,who were such wonderful players, die at the same age as me. Reminds me that the old man with the scythe is ever waiting round the corner for us all.
 
A Liverpool legend.
He was there at the start of their revival. Maybe Shankly's greatest signing.
He was the idol of the Kop and scored a hat-trick in his first Merseyside derby.
When he signed for Liverpool they were very much the city's second side, he helped change that.
Sad day for the whole city.
Liverpool will always be Liverpool's second side.
 
Tremendous player in late 50s, early 60s. Remember seeing that Motherwell team beat us 5 2 at Ibrox in Scottish Cup after we drew 2 2 at Fir park. Game was 60 years ago yesterday. 80k crowd.
80k might have been official figure
but I’m sure it was one of those Ibrox games that topped 100,000
There wasn’t even enough space
to turn round. Gates were closed
way before KO time with thousands
locked out. Rest in Peace Ian,
you’ve been a delight in playing and
in the media.
 
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