St Johnstone, founded in 1884, remain one of Scottish football’s more familiar fixtures, based at McDiarmid Park and operating with the kind of scale that demands clear recruitment and hard edges. Their squad is valued at around £4m by Transfermarkt, with 31 players and an average age of 24.
The modern high point is still fresh enough to matter: the 2020/21 season brought both the Scottish Cup and League Cup to Perth. Those trophies took St Johnstone to two Scottish Cups and one League Cup overall – modest in volume, but hardly minor in achievement.
This season has begun with St Johnstone sixth in the Premiership on eight points after seven rounds. Their home form has carried more threat, averaging 1.8 goals scored and 1.5 conceded per match, while away from home they have been leaner at both ends, scoring 0.7 and conceding 1.3 on average.
Recent league results show a side still looking for consistency: a 1-1 draw with Falkirk followed a 0-1 defeat to Celtic, with a 2-1 win over Hibernian the standout result in the current run. Josh Fowler has led their scoring with four goals, ahead of Kai Fotheringham, Jamie Gullan and Ruari Paton on two each.
For Celtic supporters, St Johnstone are a settled domestic reference point rather than a novelty: organised, competitive, and currently sitting in the middle of the Premiership pack.
📈 Key stats and insights
⚔️ How they compare to Celtic
Compared with Celtic, St Johnstone are outclassed overall: Celtic combine the league's best defence with the most potent attack, particularly away, whereas St Johnstone's strengths are largely confined to home scoring; Celtic's balance and defensive solidity give them a clear edge despite St Johnstone matching or marginally bettering them in home goal output.
