Recreation Grounds (Perth)
Encyclopedia
The Recreation Grounds, opened in 1885, was the first home of Scottish
football
club St. Johnstone F.C. It met their requirements for almost forty years, until the club moved to the other side of the town, opening Muirton Park
in 1924. The St. Johnstone football club was formed by members of the town's cricket
club, who were seeking a suitable sport
to occupy them during the months when cricket was not in season
. Well-known local curler
George Valentine was the football club's first President.
The twenty members of the newly formed football club contributed one pound each to lease
suitable land at Craigie Haugh, near the South Inch park and across from where Perth Prison stands today. The land, leased from Sir Robert Moncrieffe, became known as the Recreation Grounds. The football ground was typical of its era but very basic by today's standard. A small grandstand
and pavilion
(described as dilapidated in the minutes of a 1924 meeting) was the only shelter for spectators; the rest of the crowd watched matches while standing on a grassy banking around the remainder of the pitch. The grandstand had not been built new in 1885 - it had previously housed spectators watching horse racing
on the North Inch.
The Recreation Grounds were officially opened on 15 August 1885; however, somewhat unusually, the home club
didn't participate in the match. The now-defunct Our Boys, from the city of Dundee
down the River Tay
, were crushed by Queen's Park
from Glasgow
, 6-0. Gate receipts were £50.
The St. Johnstone club originally used a black and white uniform, followed by maroon
shirts with a white shield, before settling on the now-familiar royal blue
and white strips.
It was at the Recreation Grounds that St. Johnstone played its first match in the Scottish Football League. On Saturday, August 19, 1911, Arthurlie
from East Renfrewshire
were defeated 4-1 in a Division Two match. Ticket sales netted
a profit
of £40. The club was also involved in some high-scoring matches in the early years of its existence. They achieved their record victory of 15-0 twice during their first decade. The club also suffered all of its record defeats at the Recreation Grounds.
At a meeting in February 1924, during which shareholder
s met to discuss the club's options for a new football ground, the following is recorded in the minutes
:
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed unanimously to choose the Muirton Park site for the club's future.
The club moved to its current location, McDiarmid Park
, after selling the Muirton Park site to the Asda
supermarket
chain in the late 1980s.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club St. Johnstone F.C. It met their requirements for almost forty years, until the club moved to the other side of the town, opening Muirton Park
Muirton Park
Muirton Park was the second of three football grounds the Scottish football club St. Johnstone from Perth, Scotland, have occupied in their history...
in 1924. The St. Johnstone football club was formed by members of the town's cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
club, who were seeking a suitable sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
to occupy them during the months when cricket was not in season
Season (sports)
In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...
. Well-known local curler
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
George Valentine was the football club's first President.
The twenty members of the newly formed football club contributed one pound each to lease
Lease
A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the lessee to pay the lessor for use of an asset. A rental agreement is a lease in which the asset is tangible property...
suitable land at Craigie Haugh, near the South Inch park and across from where Perth Prison stands today. The land, leased from Sir Robert Moncrieffe, became known as the Recreation Grounds. The football ground was typical of its era but very basic by today's standard. A small grandstand
Grandstand
A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way...
and pavilion
Pavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
(described as dilapidated in the minutes of a 1924 meeting) was the only shelter for spectators; the rest of the crowd watched matches while standing on a grassy banking around the remainder of the pitch. The grandstand had not been built new in 1885 - it had previously housed spectators watching horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
on the North Inch.
The Recreation Grounds were officially opened on 15 August 1885; however, somewhat unusually, the home club
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
didn't participate in the match. The now-defunct Our Boys, from the city of Dundee
Dundee
Dundee is the fourth-largest city in Scotland and the 39th most populous settlement in the United Kingdom. It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firth of Tay, which feeds into the North Sea...
down the River Tay
River Tay
The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and the seventh-longest in the United Kingdom. The Tay originates in western Scotland on the slopes of Ben Lui , then flows easterly across the Highlands, through Loch Dochhart, Loch Lubhair and Loch Tay, then continues east through Strathtay , in...
, were crushed by Queen's Park
Queen's Park F.C.
Queen's Park Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland. The club are currently the only amateur club in the Scottish League; their amateur status is reflected by their motto, Ludere Causa Ludendi – to play for the sake of playing.Queen's Park are the oldest...
from Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, 6-0. Gate receipts were £50.
The St. Johnstone club originally used a black and white uniform, followed by maroon
Maroon
Maroon, marooning, or marooned may refer to:* Maroon , a dark shade of red* Maroon , runaway slaves, of African origin, in the Americas* Marooning, the act of leaving someone on a deserted island-Music:...
shirts with a white shield, before settling on the now-familiar royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
and white strips.
It was at the Recreation Grounds that St. Johnstone played its first match in the Scottish Football League. On Saturday, August 19, 1911, Arthurlie
Arthurlie F.C.
Arthurlie Football Club are a Junior Scottish football team based in Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, near Glasgow. They play at Dunterlie Park, on Carlibar Road, adjacent to Barrhead railway station. They currently play in the Stagecoach Super League, Premier Division...
from East Renfrewshire
East Renfrewshire
East Renfrewshire is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. Until 1975 it formed part of the county of Renfrewshire for local government purposes along with the modern council areas of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde...
were defeated 4-1 in a Division Two match. Ticket sales netted
Net profit
Net profit or net revenue is a measure of the profitability of a venture after accounting for all costs. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 91 percent responded that they found the "net profit" metric very useful...
a profit
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
of £40. The club was also involved in some high-scoring matches in the early years of its existence. They achieved their record victory of 15-0 twice during their first decade. The club also suffered all of its record defeats at the Recreation Grounds.
At a meeting in February 1924, during which shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
s met to discuss the club's options for a new football ground, the following is recorded in the minutes
Minutes
Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...
:
"Regarding the old or present site. Not being conversant with the history of the club, nor of the reasons why such a situation was selected, it is unnecessary for me to deal, beyond expressing some surprise that cramped area with unprepossing surroundings along with an extremely bad access - specially for vehicles should have been laid out as a football field by an outstanding club."
At the end of the meeting, it was agreed unanimously to choose the Muirton Park site for the club's future.
The club moved to its current location, McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...
, after selling the Muirton Park site to the Asda
Asda
Asda Stores Ltd is a British supermarket chain which retails food, clothing, general merchandise, toys and financial services. It also has a mobile telephone network, , Asda Mobile...
supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain in the late 1980s.
Facts and figures
- Highest attendance: 12,000 (approx.) v. Clydebank, 14 April 1923
- First match: Queen's Park (6) v. Our Boys (Dundee) (0)
- Last match: St. Johnstone (4) v. Kilmarnock (2)
Further reading
- Official match programme from last match at Muirton Park, 29 April, 1989 v. Ayr United — this programme which was the main source for the factual content of this article contains an article on the last match at the Recreation Grounds and a reproduction of the minutes of the shareholders' meeting mentioned above.