SAINTS APPOINT JIM C MACKINTOSH AS CLUB POET

Fittingly on World Poetry Day, St. Johnstone have become the first professional Scottish football club to appoint an official ‘poet-in-residence’.

Season Tickets holder Jim C Mackintosh, who is already a published poet with four collections of his work on sale in bookshops and online, has taken up the voluntary position which will see him writing poems on the club he loves on a regular basis.

Jim has already written works to mark landmark events in the club’s recent history, including the recent passing of Willie Coburn, the much loved former player, and on Steven Anderson breaking the club appearance record last Saturday.

A special poem he’d written on our 2014 Scottish Cup triumph was also published in the Perthshire Advertiser that year.

On his appointment, Jim said, “My role as poet-in-residence will be many things. It’s not like I’ll be writing one every Monday morning like a match report, it’s to have someone there to mark notable events in the club’s history. For example, I’m looking forward to reading at the Hall of Fame dinner next month to recognise achievements of legends from the past.”

He added, “I’ve been a St. Johnstone supporter since I was born and my son Scott and I come to the games every Saturday and sit up in the West Stand. So I’m excited to get started in this newly made role at the club.”

Saints are also looking to engage some local primary schools with a football-themed poetry workshop led by Jim. If there are any in the Perthshire & Kinross area interested please email ross@perthsaints.co.uk

To mark his appointment, Jim has written the following poem titled ‘BEFORE THE NINETY AFTER’:

I'll tell you what we needed or maybe not on Saturday last before Tuesday past the Saturday before the Wednesday score on the Monday night try as I might I'm not going back there's a definite lack we were heroes a bunch of zeroes
we were rocking we were shocking we were cruising gave them a bruising we've not a clue we've got fatigue
we're Champions League we're Division Two was that a 442? more an 811 a stroke of genius give's a break, we won why does he not play him? I wouldn't give him boots it's looking grim I can see green shoots we need experience we need youth
we need clean sheets we need tricks not treats we should commit more three up front, we need to score defend what we've got develop what we've got my pie was cold my pie was gold we're getting sucked in we're getting stuck in I can see daylight I can see a black hole we've turned a corner we’ll improve when it's warmer we need a clear out keep what we've got build from the top that's the shout add another layer a million pound player start again consolidate, ease the pain we need a plastic pitch re-turf the grass pitch a new start to stick with tradition a kick start to squad rotation a winning mentality a break from reality starting on Saturday ready for Tuesday on Monday night for Saturday's early kick off we've got momentum we're doomed I'm up for it. It'll be fun. I'm painting the bairns room I think we're done I'll see you there then?
I can’t wait. It'll be great. Europe here we come!