LEAGUE CUP FINAL: St Johnstone v Livingston, Hampden Park, 28 Feb 2021


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Anyone else have a weird feeling of not knowing what to do last night? :laugh: 

Still, can't wait for the open-top bus tour in the summer. It's going to be a belter. I hope the club is ready with plenty of season ticket forms to hand out. :D

Seriously, I think it's hard to put into words how special this era is. Always gives me goosebumps to think of all the thousands of Saints fans, staff, officials and players going right back to 1885 who experienced little or no success, the fans who'd have lived and died hoping to see their team lift a trophy but never did. And then our generation comes along and gets two trophies and multiple trips to Europe.

And it's not just the success, but the way we've done it. Barely spent a penny on transfers, no sugar-daddy owner, no crowing about a "fairytale". Every single bit of success has come about through sheer hard work and good decision-making, and that goes all the way back through multiple managers who have all contributed in pushing us on and building upon their predecessor's work. It really should be a far bigger story than it is, but I think the fact that we fly forever under the radar is in itself a part of that success. We're still underestimated, and always will be.

 

 

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Completely agree with some of the comments about Martindale and his tatty tracksuit, by the way. And his post-match comments about how he'd planned to deal with Rooney just seemed bizarre. I can't help but wonder if Livi will start to plummet now - that's twice we've played them in a few weeks and they've looked really, really poor.

 

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8 hours ago, mainstand said:

Don't use the phrase 2014 and once ina lifetime about something @Abernethy Saint will be nicking your line to use in an independence referendum :D it's amazing how many MPs were posting about saints today didn't know we had so many followers in cabinet and seats of high power.

They will jump on any passing bandwagon if it gets THEM any publicity. Bet they have never been at the ground at a match if they had to pay.

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15 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

Completely agree with some of the comments about Martindale and his tatty tracksuit, by the way. And his post-match comments about how he'd planned to deal with Rooney just seemed bizarre. I can't help but wonder if Livi will start to plummet now - that's twice we've played them in a few weeks and they've looked really, really poor.

 

We are a top six side ahead of Livi, United and St.Mirren. We just hit our stride too late in the season. They got points on the board when needed and we have hit form about 3 weeks too late for top six...

 

I’ll take the cup though :rolleyes:

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Not posted for a long time - almost exactly 6yrs in fact...though I've been regular reader as we've battled along since then.  But felt I just had to come back on following yesterday and comments about those no longer with us but watching from the Hampden Stands...and I'll include my mum in that group. 

A Dunkeld lass (she was a gamies daughter brought up on Craig-y-barns) and life-long supporter, she went with myself and my lad to the Cup final at Parkhead and loved and was so proud seeing her team win the Cup.  And she'd have been cheering on from above on Sunday.  We were brought up in Mount Florida and lived a stones-throw from Hampden.  All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 

But now we have.  And it's brilliant.  I even spent £12.99 on Premier Sports to watch.  Nerve-wracking but great goal from Rooney and great performances all over the pitch and CallumD that others have waxed lyrical on so I won't.  Except to say my lad - sitting watching in his Sheffield front room wearing his Saintees top and scarf with pride commented that for all that the fancy dans that England might have - Perth Saintees have our very own Kane and Rooney doing the business up front.  I liked that.  COYS.  :)

Edited by henryhallsdanceband
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6 minutes ago, R.B.B:- Adz said:

We are a top six side ahead of Livi, United and St.Mirren. We just hit our stride too late in the season. They got points on the board when needed and we have hit form about 3 weeks too late for top six...

 

I’ll take the cup though :rolleyes:

Callum stuck to his plan and tried to impose his way of playing, and it took half a season to start to click.  I think the guy deserves enormous credit for not just reverting to the safe old system.  Fact is are now playing some exciting football and the back 3 have settled as one of the best young defences in Scotland.  I'm genuinely excited about what the 21/22 season will bring for this team and manager.

Martindale seems to me have just been riding the crest of the feel-good storyline - it was bound to burst, because frankly they aren't that good.  Full credit to the guy for making a fresh start in life, but he was an embarrassment to Scottish Football yesterday the way he looked and spoke.

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5 minutes ago, montrosesaintee said:

Callum stuck to his plan and tried to impose his way of playing, and it took half a season to start to click.  I think the guy deserves enormous credit for not just reverting to the safe old system.  Fact is are now playing some exciting football and the back 3 have settled as one of the best young defences in Scotland.  I'm genuinely excited about what the 21/22 season will bring for this team and manager.

Martindale seems to me have just been riding the crest of the feel-good storyline - it was bound to burst, because frankly they aren't that good.  Full credit to the guy for making a fresh start in life, but he was an embarrassment to Scottish Football yesterday the way he looked and spoke.

We would be comfortable in the top six if we had taken more of the chances we have had this season. There have been a lot of fine margin defeats and dropped points against the run of play.

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4 minutes ago, montrosesaintee said:

Callum stuck to his plan and tried to impose his way of playing, and it took half a season to start to click.  I think the guy deserves enormous credit for not just reverting to the safe old system.  Fact is are now playing some exciting football and the back 3 have settled as one of the best young defences in Scotland.  I'm genuinely excited about what the 21/22 season will bring for this team and manager.

Martindale seems to me have just been riding the crest of the feel-good storyline - it was bound to burst, because frankly they aren't that good.  Full credit to the guy for making a fresh start in life, but he was an embarrassment to Scottish Football yesterday the way he looked and spoke.

Unfortunately to me Martindale did a good 'impression' of a rather scruffy Mr Angry...his backstory is a great one...but maybe it wasn't the best look for a Cup Final. Anyway...

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On 2/27/2021 at 2:42 PM, blueheaven said:

People who've said they've been able to watch Premier Sports through a browser - can I ask where you're clicking on the Premier Sports website? I can't see anything on there. Anyone have a link?

Did you get it sorted what’s the best way to do it? 

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1 hour ago, Johnny B said:

Woke up this morning with an almighty hang over but reading papers has taken it away COYS

Scottish Sun

So happy that it’s Davidson on the front and not Martindale! I always got the impression from the media that Martindale’s narrative was a better front page! Rehabilitated thug wins cup against the odds! Not the well educated multi talented sportsman who excelled in playing football and looks like doing the same in management and knows how to conduct himself!
For the record Martindale could have turned up in a frock it was of no real consequence what he wore but at the end of the day in my opinion the better team, manager, club won! Long live our wee diddy team... so proud! 

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52 minutes ago, garydavidson said:

We would be comfortable in the top six if we had taken more of the chances we have had this season. There have been a lot of fine margin defeats and dropped points against the run of play.

For me the period of results that has put us in the bottom half of the table is those 6 games around August/September where we suffered four 1-0 defeats, plus a 2-0 defeat from Livi. We actually played some OK football throughout that spell, but for the most part we just looked like we were never going to score.

I was frustrated with Davidson at the time as I felt he was sticking stubbornly to a system that wasn't working. But gradually things have fallen into place and we look so much more dangerous going forward now. And honestly I can't remember any right-back at any team having as big an impact as Rooney has had since taking over from McNamara. Every time the ball goes near him it feels like something's going to happen and opponents don't know how to handle him. It's perhaps a little ironic that the signing Tommy Wright never got to work with might turn out to be one of his best.

I still think we have a chance of Top 6, but even if it doesn't happen I hope we can take the momentum from the Cup win into the remaining games and build towards an exciting season 21/22 - hopefully with some big crowds.

If there's a public reception for the team over the summer, similar to what happened the day after the 2014 win, I'd really like to see the club handing out free tickets for the first home game of the season. If they did that we could actually fill McDiarmid for the first game back.

 

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1 hour ago, henryhallsdanceband said:

Unfortunately to me Martindale did a good 'impression' of a rather scruffy Mr Angry...his backstory is a great one...but maybe it wasn't the best look for a Cup Final. Anyway...

Watching him on the touchline in the 2nd half as the game wore on he looked more and more like he was about to go mental and beat his players up. Looks far too easy to rile up. Compare that to Callum who even when things arent going well doesnt let himself get flustered. 

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14 hours ago, RandomGuy said:

Also one of Murray before the match...

EvUKVC7XcAEztSX.thumb.jpeg.ed181ddb7e62def326df46d3d367b513.jpeg

Loving this picture from Sunday - as the tenement block roof you see poking over the top of the stand top left is the roof of the block in which I was brought up.  Sight of it always brings back memories of me and my mate Ralph (we'd have been 6 when we first did it) climbing over the Somerville Drive wall into the ground and playing in the grand old lady that was Hampden park of the mid 1960s - sometimes kicking around any ball we found missed after training.   We also sometimes climbed over the main gate into the area in front of the South Stand and those who remember that gate - it was huge...:)   Ah memories...now added to by memories of Sunday.

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11 minutes ago, blueheaven said:

I was frustrated with Davidson at the time as I felt he was sticking stubbornly to a system that wasn't working

I have not checked it (still a bit hung over) but from memory the majority our goals when we play the lone striker come from set pieces. Again yesterday.

I am delighted with the win and your cannot argue a point against the win. We will never know if we would have won more comfortably playing 2 strikers or would it have been our downfall.  By that you can guess I am in favour of 2 strikers. I hope CD has not put Melamed off resigning. I do believe. he should have been on before May (having showed his class last week ) as I do not think May will stay as he won't be offered an agreeable contract.

Well done again to the history makers

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2 hours ago, blueheaven said:

Anyone else have a weird feeling of not knowing what to do last night? :laugh: 

Still, can't wait for the open-top bus tour in the summer. It's going to be a belter. I hope the club is ready with plenty of season ticket forms to hand out. :D

Seriously, I think it's hard to put into words how special this era is. Always gives me goosebumps to think of all the thousands of Saints fans, staff, officials and players going right back to 1885 who experienced little or no success, the fans who'd have lived and died hoping to see their team lift a trophy but never did. And then our generation comes along and gets two trophies and multiple trips to Europe.

And it's not just the success, but the way we've done it. Barely spent a penny on transfers, no sugar-daddy owner, no crowing about a "fairytale". Every single bit of success has come about through sheer hard work and good decision-making, and that goes all the way back through multiple managers who have all contributed in pushing us on and building upon their predecessor's work. It really should be a far bigger story than it is, but I think the fact that we fly forever under the radar is in itself a part of that success. We're still underestimated, and always will be.

 

 

Great post.

I don't think I could go through that every week. I was perfectly calm all week but when the game kicked off I was as nervous as a rapist! I lost the plot at the final whistle I was so emotional. Sparked open a bottle of Bubbly and sent pictures to all my friends and family and then............. such a strange feeling. I had an irrational urge to drive to Perth. My wife hid the car keys in case I attempted to because I was several sheets to the wind.  

Looking back I don't think we were ever troubled and should have won more convincingly. Some great performances and lets not forget  the much maligned Zander; his early save was brilliant and pivotal.I'll defend him to the moon and I still maintain that when our defenders got in the groove and settled a couple months back his form improved too.

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22 minutes ago, Johnny B said:

I have not checked it (still a bit hung over) but from memory the majority our goals when we play the lone striker come from set pieces. Again yesterday.

I am delighted with the win and your cannot argue a point against the win. We will never know if we would have won more comfortably playing 2 strikers or would it have been our downfall.  By that you can guess I am in favour of 2 strikers. I hope CD has not put Melamed off resigning. I do believe. he should have been on before May (having showed his class last week ) as I do not think May will stay as he won't be offered an agreeable contract.

Well done again to the history makers

I'd have favoured two up front too, but as you say we'll never know how that might have turned out and CD is the man who ultimately has to make these calls.

I definitely felt for Melamed not even getting on the pitch, and do wonder if it'll effect his decision on whether or not he stays. I think it's basically been proven to him that no matter what he does, he's not going to get picked for our biggest games.

Personally I'd have brought him on for Kane in the closing stages as Kane looked exhausted (as demonstrated by his late attempt at a through-ball which he completely over-hit). I think a fresh May-Melamed partnership in those closing 10 minutes could have caused havoc among the Livi defence. But hey: we got the result we needed. :)

 

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A great day indeed, didn’t think I’d have much to add to what’s been said already but on reflection there are some reverse parallels with the 1969 final. I remember that being a game of “what ifs”. What if Henry Hall had managed to score when he was put through in the first minute? What if Benny Rooney’s shot in the second half had not been successfully tipped round the post?

This time, what if Zander had failed to make that crucial save in the first half?

But it was Saints’s day and another for the memory books. Around 1990 I said to my dad that I predicted Saints would win a major trophy in my lifetime. He just laughed. We now have two but sadly not in his lifetime, he died in 1999.

I bought a season ticket for the first time this year and if I had any nagging doubts about renewing it they are well and truly dispelled no matter how Saints do in the rest of the season or how the COVID-19 situation develops. Can’t wait till I can start travelling to Perth to make good use of the season ticket.

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2 hours ago, henryhallsdanceband said:

...All through the 50s and 60s we'd have family from all over the country visiting for big matches, and I expect she didn't ever really think her team would lift a cup at the ground (especially after the disappointment of 1971). 

Doh - 1969...(it's an age thing...)

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