Ian St John facts for kids
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St John in 1966
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | John St John | ||
| Date of birth | 7 June 1938 | ||
| Place of birth | Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland | ||
| Date of death | 1 March 2021 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Arrowe Park, Merseyside, England | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Motherwell Bridge Works | |||
| 1955–1956 | North Motherwell Athletic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1956–1961 | Motherwell | 113 | (80) |
| 1956–1957 | → Douglas Water Thistle (loan) | ||
| 1961–1971 | Liverpool | 336 | (95) |
| 1971 | Hellenic | 23 | (4) |
| 1971–1972 | Coventry City | 18 | (3) |
| 1972 | Cape Town City | ||
| 1972–1973 | Tranmere Rovers | 9 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 1959–1965 | Scotland | 21 | (9) |
| 1959–1961 | Scottish League XI | 4 | (6) |
| 1960 | SFL trial v SFA | 1 | (0) |
| 1960 | Scotland U23 | 2 | (2) |
| 1962 | SFA trial v SFL | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1973–1974 | Motherwell | ||
| 1974–1977 | Portsmouth | ||
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John "Ian" St John (born June 7, 1938 – died March 1, 2021) was a famous Scottish football player. He was also a coach and later a TV presenter. St John played as a forward for Liverpool for most of the 1960s.
He was bought by manager Bill Shankly in 1961. Ian St John was a very important player for Liverpool. He helped the team rise from the second division to win two league titles. He also scored the winning goal in the 1965 FA Cup Final. This helped Liverpool become one of the best teams in England. He played for the Scottish national team 21 times and scored nine goals.
After playing, he became a manager. He managed his hometown team, Motherwell, where he started his playing career. He also became a well-known football expert on TV. He co-hosted the popular football show Saint and Greavsie with Jimmy Greaves from 1985 to 1992. In 2008, he was added to the Scottish Football Hall of Fame.
Contents
Ian St John: A Football Legend
Early Life and Motherwell Career
Ian St John was one of six children. His father, Alex, worked in a steel factory and passed away when Ian was six. Ian was also good at boxing as a boy. But his mother encouraged him to focus on football instead.
He played for youth teams and factory teams as a teenager. He worked in local industry, including at the Colville steelworks. St John started his professional football career at his favourite childhood club, Motherwell. He signed with them in 1957. Before that, he played for a junior team called Douglas Water Thistle. He also continued a part-time engineering apprenticeship for two more years.
He played under manager Bobby Ancell. Ian was part of a group of talented young players. They were known as the "Ancell Babes." His first game was against Queen of the South. St John scored three goals very quickly against Hibernian in 1959. This was one of the fastest hat-tricks in Scottish football history. He left Motherwell in 1961. He had scored 105 goals in 144 games for the club.
Joining Liverpool Football Club
On May 2, 1961, Ian St John moved to Liverpool. His transfer fee was £37,500. This was a new record for the club at the time. Manager Bill Shankly brought him to the club. Liverpool was still in the Second Division then.
Years later, Shankly said that St John's arrival was a "turning point" for the club. He arrived at the same time as Ron Yeats. These two players helped Liverpool become one of Europe's top football teams.
St John played his first game for Liverpool in a local derby against Everton. Liverpool lost 4-3, but St John scored all three of Liverpool's goals. He scored 18 goals in his first season for Liverpool. He played in almost every match. His official debut was on August 19, 1961. It was a 2-0 win against Bristol Rovers. His first official goals came 11 days later. He scored twice in a 4-1 win over Sunderland. His strike partner Roger Hunt scored the other two goals.
Ian St John and Ron Yeats were bought to help Liverpool get promoted. The team had been in the Second Division for seven years. The new players made a big difference. Liverpool easily won the Second Division title that season. St John played 40 games and scored 18 goals. In their first season back in the top league (1962–63), they finished in a good 8th place. They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals.
Winning Trophies with Liverpool
Liverpool then surprised everyone by winning the league championship in 1963–64. They came back from being 17 points behind. They won the title by four points over Manchester United. St John played a huge part in this success. He scored 21 goals, his highest total for the club in one season.
His most important goal for Liverpool came a year later. It was a diving header past the Leeds goalkeeper in extra time. This goal won the 1965 FA Cup Final for Liverpool. It was the first time in the club's history they had won the FA Cup.
Another league championship followed in the 1965–66 season. Liverpool finished six points ahead of Leeds. St John scored 10 goals in 41 games. Liverpool also reached their first European final. But Borussia Dortmund beat them 2-1 in the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup Final.
Ian St John was at his best in the mid-1960s. He continued to play regularly in the late 1960s. He often played in a deeper position on the field. As he got older, his form and fitness started to drop. He eventually left Liverpool on August 25, 1971. He had played 425 games and scored 118 goals for the club.
Later Playing Career
St John played for a South African club called Hellenic in 1971. After returning to England, he joined Coventry City. He then had a short time with Tranmere Rovers. This team was managed by his former teammate Ron Yeats. Ian St John stopped playing football in 1973.
Playing for Scotland
Ian St John played for the Scottish national team 21 times. His first game was a 3-2 friendly win against West Germany in 1959. He scored his first international goal a year later against Poland. He scored twice in a World Cup qualification match against Czechoslovakia in 1961. However, Scotland lost and did not qualify for the World Cup.
After Football: Management and TV
After retiring as a player, St John became a manager. He managed his old club Motherwell from 1973 to 1974. He also managed Portsmouth from 1974 to 1977. He was also an assistant manager at Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City.
After leaving Sheffield Wednesday in 1979, St John became a football expert on TV. He became very popular with fellow ex-footballer Jimmy Greaves. Their show, Saint and Greavsie, ran from 1985 to 1992. He also started several football academies for young players. These were called the Ian St John Soccer Camps. Liverpool fans voted for their favourite players twice. Ian St John was ranked 21st in 2006 and 33rd in 2013.
Illness and Passing
In June 2014, Ian St John shared that he had surgery for bladder cancer. He passed away on March 1, 2021, at Arrowe Park Hospital. He was 82 years old and had been ill for a long time.
Honours and Achievements
Liverpool
- Football League First Division: 1963–64, 1965–66
- Football League Second Division: 1961–62
- FA Cup: 1964–65
- FA Charity Shield: 1964, 1965, 1966
- European Cup Winners' Cup: runner-up 1965–66
Individual
- Scottish Football Hall of Fame inductee: 2008
See also
In Spanish: Ian St John para niños
