Ian St John

[ClaretDiver]

RIP....just been reported

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

RIP, Ian. Passed at 82 and had a good life with two or three careers.
Condolences to family and friends.

[CleggHall]

An excellent footballer, great commentator, wonderful voice. RIP

[beeholeclaret]

Loved Saint and Greavsie back in the day. Sad news. RIP Saint.

[Bosscat]

Used to enjoy St and Greavsie on TV ... RIP Ian StJ

[beddie]

Wonderful footballer. Another sad loss.Thoughts are with his family and friends.

[CaptJohn]

Fortunate to have seen him play and score. Great footballer and even better TV pundit.
RIP.

[THEWELLERNUT70]

RIP

[ArnoldBenson]

RIP The Saint. Saw him and Roger Hunt in a charity match in St Helens after they had finished playing (late 1970s). He was still getting involved in scraps with the opposition, tremendously competitive, but with a twinkle in his eye.

[ClaretTony]

Another top, top player in that great Liverpool team of Shankly's. Sad new to see another top player go.

[fidelcastro]

Very sad news.

RIP Saint.

[elwaclaret]

A top level footballer and in St and Greavsie one of the best pairings ever to appear on TV, so funny, so natural and full of anecdotes... perfect

“Coming over the hills out of the mist you get your first view of Turf Moor... it was like arriving at Brigadoon”

“You crack me up Greavsie”

I can still hear him.

RIP to the saint.

[ClaretTony]

A top level footballer and in St and Greavsie one of the best pairings ever to appear on TV, so funny, so natural and full of anecdotes... perfect

“Coming over the hills out of the mist you get your first view of Turf Moor... it was like arriving at Brigadoon”

“You crack me up Greavsie”

I can still hear him.

RIP to the saint.

The Brigadoon one was from Jimmy Greaves

[Buxtonclaret]

Great player in a great side.
And still the best footy double act with Greavsie on the TV to date.

R.I.P Ian

[Herts Clarets]

Before my time as a player but well remembered for his role in Saint and Greavsie. 2 hugely talented players who brought both credibility with their football knowledge and experience and injected a degree of humour into their presenting style. Such were their characters that they featured as Spitting Image puppets, a real sign that you were a major personality back in the mid to late 1980s. It's a funny old game Saint. RIP Ian St John

[elwaclaret]

The Brigadoon one was from Jimmy Greaves

I know Tony, hence I have St in reply using his ‘catchphrase’... you crack me up Greavsie.

[ClaretTony]

Just seen this quote from Shankly about St. John - Shanks said: "“He’s not just the best centre-forward in the British Isles, but the only one.”

[Wokingclaret]

The Brigadoon one was from Jimmy Greaves

also "the sun only shines in Burnley once every 10 years"

Loved Saint and Greavsie

Met Ian St John once with Denis Law, promoting football at a cash & carry in Middlesbrough in the early 90's

[Silkyskills1]

Another sad day. RIP Ian St. John. Back in the day there was a church close to Anfield where the notice board outside posed the question 'What would you do if Jesus came back ?' and someone had scrawled under earth it 'move St. John to inside right'.

[conyoviejo]

R.I.P. Ian St John.. Greet player and pundit .

[Quickenthetempo]

https://youtu.be/ieWObXpjhyQ
Here they are previewing the Orient game.

Rest in peace Saint.

[Elizabeth]

How did we get out of that !
RIP Saint

[tiger76]

Ian's playing career was well before my time, but I definitely remember him and Jimmy Greaves during their tv days, and they were a great pairing together on screen.

RIP Saint

[boatshed bill]

I can still picture that diving header.

[arise_sir_charge]

Nice story about Ian St John.

Chap who I work with, a scouser is called Ian after Ian St John.

Couple of years back his wife was looking after Ian St John in hospital and when Ian went to pick her up she introduced them. Over the following days each time he went to pick her up he’d go in and have a chat about football.

It was in the lead up to the 2018 Champions League final.

A few days before the final Ian St John was allowed home from hospital and as he was leaving he saw Ian in the corridor and thanked him for his company in the previous days, he then said “where are you watching the final” and Ian replied “at home I think” and Ian St John said “come round to ours, I’d love to watch it with you”.

Ian went along and other than the result, had a great evening.

[IanMcL]

A sad loss - another.

I remember the BBC did a 'find a new commentator' competition, as Ian St John's football career was ending. This was when there was just one. Saint entered and was just pipped at the end. It was a 'secret identity' comp, so no one knew who the candidates were.

Saint showed his football knowledge, through his commentary, so stood out, at a time when it was usually "Player A to Player B. Onto to player C. Player A receives the ball back, on the left wing but is tackled".

Saint and Greavsie gave us the perfect combination of characters.

[Suratclaret]

Great player to watch and a great pundit to listen to. His TV career with Greavsie was one of the best and was probably unique.
RIP Saint

[GordonvaleClaret]

Another sad day. RIP Ian St. John. Back in the day there was a church close to Anfield where the notice board outside posed the question 'What would you do if Jesus came back ?' and someone had scrawled under earth it 'move St. John to inside right'.

Jesus saves. St John gets the rebound.

[Quicknick]

Great footballer and excellent TV pundit. I loved Saint and Greavsie. So different to the sh1te that's on now.

RIP Ian.

[ClaretTony]

Nice story about Ian St John.

Chap who I work with, a scouser is called Ian after Ian St John.

Couple of years back his wife was looking after Ian St John in hospital and when Ian went to pick her up she introduced them. Over the following days each time he went to pick her up he’d go in and have a chat about football.

It was in the lead up to the 2018 Champions League final.

A few days before the final Ian St John was allowed home from hospital and as he was leaving he saw Ian in the corridor and thanked him for his company in the previous days, he then said “where are you watching the final” and Ian replied “at home I think” and Ian St John said “come round to ours, I’d love to watch it with you”.

Ian went along and other than the result, had a great evening.

What a fantastic story

[ClaretTony]

A sad loss - another.

I remember the BBC did a 'find a new commentator' competition, as Ian St John's football career was ending. This was when there was just one. Saint entered and was just pipped at the end. It was a 'secret identity' comp, so no one knew who the candidates were.

Saint showed his football knowledge, through his commentary, so stood out, at a time when it was usually "Player A to Player B. Onto to player C. Player A receives the ball back, on the left wing but is tackled".

Saint and Greavsie gave us the perfect combination of characters.

I’m pleased someone has recalled that, I thought I was imagining things. If memory serves me correctly it was won by a Welshman called Idris or similar.

Edit: Now googled. It was to find a commentator for the 1970 World Cup. The winner was Idwal Robling.

[Belgianclaret]

Great player, terrific fella - another legend has gone...

Seems all my childhood heroes are slowly going, must be getting old myself

[Silkyskills1]

Great player, terrific fella - another legend has gone...

Seems all my childhood heroes are slowly going, must be getting old myself

That's exactly what it is sadly. Absolute same feelings for me.

[IanMcL]

I’m pleased someone has recalled that, I thought I was imagining things. If memory serves me correctly it was won by a Welshman called Idris or similar.

Edit: Now googled. It was to find a commentator for the 1970 World Cup. The winner was Idwal Robling.

Don't remember the winner but the prize is right.

Probably too radical at the time...a commentator doing more than naming the players and where they were on the pitch!