In Simo Valakari, St Johnstone have hired a manager who is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.
In 2012 one of the Finn’s predecessors, Steve Lomas, opened the Tay Salmon season by casting the first line off a boat at Dunkeld in the middle of a Perthshire winter.
A couple of years later, the ice bucket challenge became a popular trend in Scotland and then-Saints boss Tommy Wright raised hundreds of pounds for charity by getting dunked at McDiarmid Park.
A soaking on an overcast August day in Perth or venturing out on to the Tay with a fishing rod is nothing, though.
Not when compared to the lengths Valakari was willing to go to.
His aim was to try to raise funds for Tromso, the most northerly football club in the world.
In January 2019 Valakari was in charge of the Norwegian top-flight side and chose to enter Polar Bear Pitching.
This sees would-be entrepreneurs being submerged in freezing water while they make their business pitch.
In his case, the appeal was to get more fans into the club’s stadium and attract extra financial support.
Valakari’s ice-cold pitch in Tromso
For nearly two minutes in the town centre, wearing only a pair of shorts and a beanie hat, Valakari made a passionate rallying call to the assembled crowd.
“When you look around you at this beautiful weather you think that to play football in these conditions should not be possible,” he said.
“But what we have here is a great football club – Tromso Football Club, the world’s most northerly professional football club.
“It should not be possible to play football in these conditions but our players, our club, with our fans every Sunday, will be playing football on a high level.
“What we need is all of you to come. What we need as well are investors.
“We have a huge club, great players and a great team.
“We need that little bit extra money to maybe, maybe take that next step and bring some players in so that next December and next March at the Alfheim (stadium) the players are listening to Champions League music as they walk out of the tunnel.
“What a feeling.
“We can’t guarantee that we win every match and I can’t guarantee that you will get your money back.
“What we can guarantee is the feelings, emotions, everything. We will connect the people.”
Conversation