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ladyluck · Joined: 25 Oct 2020 Posts: 163 Location: kirkcaldy

Saddened to hear that he has passed away I as to young to see him playing but I do remember the Saint and Greavsie show with fondness. RIP Ian my thoughts go to your family.

Specky Ginger · Joined: 16 Jun 2012 Posts: 4041 Location: Dysart

Sad news indeed.

Back in the day it was Football Focus on Grandstand at the back of twelve, then a quick switch over to Saint and Greavsie at one o'clock.

He was a good co-commentator as well as a good presenter.

There's footage on YouTube of him hosting a draw for the Rumbelows (English League) Cup where the home teams are drawn by Jimmy Greaves and the away teams are drawn by one Donald J Trump!

Ian St John used to come up to Kirkcaldy every summer where he ran his football camp for the kids, usually held at KHS where the astro pitch now stands.
He was usually assisted by pros and ex-pros who lived locally - Cammy Fraser and Willie Johnston to name but two.
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embow · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:20 pm Post subject:

I may have this completely wrong but was there not a BBC competition to find a commentator for the 1970 World Cup and he came third. I think the winner was Barry Davis.
There's just a something in the back of my mind about this but probably I'm way off the mark.
Anyone any idea?🥴
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embow · Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2021 6:32 pm Post subject:

Scrap Barry Davis but after a wee bit of searching..Voilà

The auld grey matter is still no' too bad.
Couldn't tell you what I did this time last week!😄
He wasn't third but runner up!

And it was David Coleman who decided that the coveted third commentator spot behind DC himself and Kenneth Wolstenholme should be determined by the results of an open mic competition on Sportsnight. (So far, so Britain's Got Talent). Ten thousand people entered (even more than Britain's Got Talent) and the final six invited to Wembley to commentate on England v Wales were: a) Ed "Stewpot" Stewart (the host of Junior Choice) b) Ian St John (later to be one half of celebrated double act Saint and Greavsie) c) Gerry Harrison (later to become Anglia's Mr Football) d) Larry Canning (later to become Mr Football of the Midlands) e) Tony Adamson (later to become BBC Radio's golf correspondent and a really quite irritating tennis broadcaster) f) Idwal Robling (a sales manager for a packaging company).
What a final half-dozen (way beyond the dreams of Britain's Got Talent). It is fair to say that the judging panel, which contained Sir Alf Ramsey and Tony Book, had their work cut out trying to separate such a talented sextet when awarding them marks in categories as diverse as team identification, use of allegory, and perceived bias. In the event it came down to a mic off between St John and Robling and Sir Alf, renowned for his fondness for the Welsh accent, plumped for Idwal. The Saint, meanwhile, was given a consolatory job as a pundit which, as is so often the case, proved to be no consolation.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2009/oct/08/england-world-cup-itv-bbc
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