St Johnstone have one last chance to avoid ignominious record

New St Johnstone manager, Simo Valakari, has inherited a Perth problem.

The McDiarmid Park club are enduring a miserable run of home form, with the last league win back in November.

Saints season ticket holders have been short-changed and Valakari will know that if his team are to stay in the Premiership, local fans will need to get more bang for their buck.

Courier Sport looks back through the history books to put 10-month barren spell in context.

306 (and hopefully the end)

The current run will reach 306 days on Friday and is the longest without a home win in the club’s history, excluding the football shutdown during the two world wars.

The length is, of course, exacerbated by the fact it takes in a close-season and a winter shutdown.

Next worst at McDiarmid

Saints are sitting on a dozen home league matches.

The second worst in the McDiarmid era (10 games) also straddled two seasons, like this one (three in the first, seven in the second).

Also like this one, it started after a victory over Hibs (on April 1, 2001).

Billy Stark was the St Johnstone manager when the Perth club were relegated with a woeful home record. Image: SNS.

In what would turn out to be a relegation season, Saints didn’t beat Kilmarnock until November 24.

That was only one of two home victories in the entire season.

Replicate that and the present Saints team are sure to replicate their fate.

Second tier, second rate

There is a case for saying that, pound for pound, the 1978/79 St Johnstone team has the worst winless home stretch given the quality of opposition that side faced in the division below the top flight.

The 10 losses and draws in a row were against Dundee, Clyde, Kilmarnock, Airdrie, Raith Rovers, Clydebank, Stirling Albion, Hamilton Accies, Arbroath and Dumbarton.

One last chance

Time is running out for Saints to make sure they don’t break an unwanted club record.

As thing stands, the longest winless home run was ‘achieved’ in the 1975/76 season, which got to the grand total of 13 before Aberdeen were beaten at Muirton Park long after that team had been officially relegated from the newly-created Premier Division.

To avoid joining them in Perth pub quizzes, Valakari’s men have to beat Ross County.