St. Johnstone FC is a professional football club from Perth, Scotland, based in McDiarmid Park. The club was formed in 1884 by members of the local cricket team seeking to occupy their time once the cricket season had finished. In 1891, the club joined the Northern League where they remained for three seasons. Over the next 20 years they had spells in the old Central League and Central Combination until 1912 when they were elected to Scottish Division Two after that division was expanded. In 1915 the Second Division was suspended and two regional competitions were set up. St Johnstone, however, suspended operations until 1919 when they joined the Eastern League. The following season St Johnstone joined the rebel Central League, a competition whose rules allowed members to pay higher wages than those available in the Scottish Football League. A number of top players defected to the rebel clubs who proved so successful that in 1921, it was incorporated into the  League as the new Second Division. In 1924, St Johnstone were promoted to the First Division where they played until the outbreak of war in 1939, (apart from a spell back in the Second Division 1930-32) generally finishing respectably in the top half of the table. After the war, Scottish Football League was restructured. St Johnstone, despite having finished eighth in Division One, were placed in the new Division “B.” It was not until 1960 that they won promotion, this time as champions of Division Two, their first senior honour. They lasted only two seasons but in 1963 they bounced back, once again as champions. For the next 12 years they managed to hold on to their place in the top flight. Their best spell was, arguably, under Willie Ormond, when the team reached the Scottish League Cup Final for the first time in its history in 1969 followed by a third place in the Scottish Football League thereby securing a place in European competition. 

The formation of the Premier Division in 1975 proved their undoing. Out of their depth in the more competitive environment, St Johnstone were relegated in 1976.  In 1983 the Saints won the First Division title (now the second tier) but the next two seasons brought them close to bankruptcy and they plunged down the league to find themselves in Division Two (third tier) in 1985. By 1990, St Johnstone were back in the Scottish First Division (second tier) and in 1997 they stormed to the divisional championship, 20 points clear. They more than held their own in the Premier Division/Premier League, reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Cup, the final of the League Cup and finishing in third place in 1999. As a result they qualified for the UEFA Cup for the second time. Although the club were relegated in 2002, they remained a strong contender for a return to the top flight and in May 2009, this ambition was achieved just in time for their 125th anniversary. In 2014 they reached the Scottish Cup Final for the first time in the club’s history where they defeated favourites Dundee United 2-0.  Greater success followed in 2021 when St Johnstone defeated Livingston 1-0 in the League Cup Final, and won its second Scottish Cup defeating Hibernian 1-0 in the Final for a famous double triumph.