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Saints' European exile came to an end in 1999 when Saints took on VPS Vaasa of Finland and the aristocrats of
AS Monaco in 4 mammoth games of UEFA Cup football. 28 year's previously, Henry Hall & Co. ran riot as Saints,
experiencing their first ever competitive jaunt to foreign shores, knocked out the mighty SV Hamburg and
Hungarian cracks Vasas Budapest before finally exiting the contest at the hands of ZEL Sarajevo. blueheaven
managed to track down some of those fans old enough to remember the adventures of 1971 - These are just a few of
their stories...
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I was there but by the time you get this old the memory starts to go!
I was a poor student in the city of the unwashed so couldn't afford to go to the away games. Memories of the
home legs are vague. The atmosphere was terrific. 16,000 for one game I think. Seem to recall we lost 1-0 away
to Hamburg but destroyed them at Muirton (3-0 ?). The Hungarians (Vasas Budapest?) were a bit better but were
duly dispatched comfortably. The Yugoslavs were a big, big team and very well organised (Luggy would have
approved). Their defenders were like giants and Saints didn't really make much headway against them. I seem to
recall we got a lucky goal near the end and the Yugoslavs were all furious with each other. Even then the
writing was on the wall. We were always going to struggle away to them but the Saints plane had a scare
landing at Sarajevo and that was a good excuse for the final score.
David Malloch, Bahrain (Age 48)
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Greatest day ever? Henry Hall opens the scoring against SV Hamburg at
Muirton Park
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It has been a bittersweet season for me, rejoicing in the success but being unable to attend any games, but it's
wonderful to be back in Europe on merit after so long.
My memories of the Hamburg game at Muirton are particularly vivid. I think it still ranks as my favourite
Saints performance, rivalled perhaps only by a few games from the same era - the 2-0 win at Ibrox when John
Connolly gloated behind their goal having scored our second well into (fictitious, as always in these
circumstances) injury time; the majestic win over TFOE (just after their Lisbon triumph) sealed by a great Jim
Pearson header; and a fantastic all-for-one-and-one-for-all semi-final win against Motherwell in the League
Cup. Nothing much to rival those until the last couple of seasons.
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We'd been anticipating the game for weeks, composing new songs for the "choir" after evening kickabouts on
the North Inch. When the night finally arrived, it was simply great to go up to Muirton for pretty much a
packed house, and I seem to recall even Dundonians and Pars in the crowd cheering Saints on (hard to believe,
I know). Next impression was being intimidated completely by Hamburg as they ran out in style - everything
from the pristine tracksuits to the warm-up routine, and their apparently inassailable self-confidence -
thankfully it was us on the terracing who felt intimidated, not the team, who just swept Hamburg aside,
straight from the kick-off it seemed. Even by half time, it was pretty clear that we were going to win in
some style, and the sheer euphoria experienced during the second half was something simply unforgettable -
I was in the thick of the (then) teenage support in the company of some bloke called Cosgrove and my
namesake (though no relation) Jim Slater.
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So we approached the next match with the then mighty Vasas Budapest with more confidence. Even if we didn't
exactly expect to win, we were less surprised when we turned them over too. It was beginning to go to our
heads, despite dire warnings from the likes of Jim's dad who affirmed that "it couldnae last".
Unfortunately, the doomsayers were right. Having anticipated the Zeljeznicar Sarajevo match with great
confidence on the basis that, having disposed of two of Europe's most famous with such ease, we felt sure
that we could toss aside these relative unknowns. Of course we were wrong. Even now, it's hard to accept
the speed of the decline which followed, and the length of time in the wilderness. I guess we share the
unspoken fear that the same might happen again, knowing that in the distorted world of Scottish football
(where, more than ever before, the game's "a bogey"), all it might take to precipitate a new decline could be
the departure of the manager and/or the poaching by the gruesome twosome of a couple of key players. That's why
it's so comforting to have the great Lord Brown at the helm, especially when his recent statements confirm that
his feet remain firmly on the ground.
Enough of this sober historical perspective! We can spend the next few weeks full of anticipation once again.
Who knows, this time I might even take in the away game(s) on the continent!
Ian Slater, Brentwood, Essex (Age 45)
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Marching on... John Connolly nets from the penalty spot against Vasas Budapest
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I was 11 when Saints were last in Europe. Although my family lived in Cumbria at the time, my grandparents
still lived in Perth and we used to visit them regularly. When we did, my Dad always took us to Muirton Park
if St. Johnstone were playing at home. I have many programmes and autographs of the 1970's team (Henry Hall,
John Connolly, Jim Pearson, Benny Rooney etc)
When St.Jonstone qualified for the UEFA Cup this year, I dug out my old scrap book of these programmes and
autographs. I now have a daughter of 12 and it really felt strange that I had assembled these memories and kept
this record when I was a similar age that she is today.
I have to confess, I do not remember too much about the 1971 competition games. I have the press
cuttings/reports of the Hamburg game taken from the Sunday Post. I actually went to the 3rd round game against
FK Zeljeznicar at Muirton (1-0) and I still have the programme from the game.
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I now live and work in Paris, and had a great time with the Tartan Army in France during the World cup last
year. Watching the opening match against Brazil on the big screen in the square at the Hotel de Ville with
hundreds of fellow Scots in glorious sun was just fantastic. My brother and I got tickets to the last game
against Morocco but as we all know it proved to be a disappointment.
Nigel Wilkie, La Mare Boinville, near Vernon, France (Age 39)
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I went to the first 2 home matches at Muirton Park but can't remember any of the action (can't even remember
who Saints played in the first match!) . The 2nd match some of the Saints team got the train at Glasgow and
Henry Hall boarded at Stirling and I got his autograph, being only 11 or 12 I was quite excited . Disappointed
Beckenbaur didn't play . It was that cold John Connolly played in gloves!
Jim Welsh, Stoke (Age 40)
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I was 10 in 1971, and lucky enough to be at all 3 home games and the atmosphere was unbelievable for all 3
games. It never cost me anything to get in, because at that time you could stand outside at the turnstiles and
ask an adult to give you a lift over so most kids got in free.
My most abiding memory of that time after we stuffed Hamburg is running on the pitch along with hundreds more
to celebrate the victory and going up to their centre half (I think it was Schultz) and patting him on the back
and saying "hard luck pal". I don't know if he understood me or not but the look on his face told me he was not
best pleased.
So a message to all the current fans is make sure you go to the games because you will never forget seeing
the mighty Saintees playing in Europe. I just wish I was still living in Perth so I could go to the games.
So good luck to the Saintees in Europe. Maybe exiled but always a Saintee.
Les Fleuchar, Sunderland (Age 38)
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The two photographs above were originally from the PA, but for the purposes of this page were scanned in
from "Bristling With Possibilities . . . The Official History Of St.Johnstone F.C.". This book, by Alastair
Blair and Bryan Doyle, contains further memories of Saints' 1971 UEFA Cup run and is available to purchase from
McDiarmid Park.
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