The Spoony Chop: A St Johnstone FC Podcast

St Johnstone made life difficult for themselves in midweek but now find themselves with an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Eric Nicolson and Stuart Cosgrove assess a game of extremes in Airdrie and ask – who is going to challenge the runaway league leaders?

St Johnstone produced another statement win in their top of the table clash with Raith Rovers - but was Rovers boss Barry Robson right about his side not deserving to lose? In this week's Spoony Chop, Courier Sport Saints writer Eric Nicolson, plus Stuart Cosgrove and Sean Hamilton, discuss the ins-and-outs of a characterful performance and a big three points ahead of ANOTHER test against a team in form, when Dunfermline come to McDiarmid Park on Friday. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony

Stuart Cosgrove returns to this week's Spoony Chop to discuss the weekend's HUGE clash with Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy. Will Josh Rae have a worldy for Raith? Will Scott Brown come back to haunt Saints? Or will Simo Valakari's side just keep doing what they've been doing and prove themselves serious title contenders? Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton join Stuart to discuss. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony

It proved to be a frustrating deadline day for St Johnstone but has the transfer window been a success as a whole and will there be further squad additions now that it’s closed? Stuart Cosgrove makes his Spoony Chop return to discuss the road ahead with Eric Nicolson.

It was back to Championship action against Arbroath - and back to winning ways. Who caught the eye in Saints' solid, 3-0 win over the Lichties? And how might new signings Kai Fotheringham and Liam Smith fit into Simo Valakari's squad as preparations for Saturday's tricky-looking clash with Greenock Morton ramp up?

On this week's Spoony Chop, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton chew over St Johnstone's extra-time cup defeat to Motherwell, what the personnel, tactics and performance told us about where the club stands ahead of its return to Championship action against Arbroath, and, with the transfer window starting to creak, when mounting interest in Makenzie Kirk will result in a bid Saints can't say no to.

After that opening day demolition of Partick Thistle, St Johnstone travelled to face pre-season title favourites Ross County and returned with a second "statement" win in as many games. Against Thistle, Saints were swashbuckling. Against County, they were a force to be reckoned with, both physically and with the football. What have these two wins said about Saints to their Championship rivals? Who are the unsung heroes worthy of praise? And with a League Cup clash against Motherwell on the horizon, what might Simo Valakari do to his starting XI?

The Championship season is up and running and Perth supporters have just been treated to a five-star display by Simo Valakari’s men. Eric Nicolson and Colin McCredie do their best to keep a lid on the excitement building at McDiarmid Park (and struggle). 

Simo Valakari's summer rebuild has begun at St Johnstone, with Greenock Morton's Jack Baird becoming the club's first signing. On this episode of the Spoony Chop - the final show before our close-season break - Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss Baird's arrival, whether he will be joined by Morton team-mate Morgan Boyes and Raith Rovers striker Jamie Gullan, Ross County joining Saints in the Championship and the long-time-coming departure of Benji Kimpioka.

The season is officially over and in this episode of the Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton pore over the last day loss to Dundee, the pitch invasion that followed and the merits - or otherwise - of the players staying and departing. Plus, Saints' history with double-barrelled players - debated. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. 

St Johnstone's relegation from the Premiership is a done deal - and it has been a long time coming. On this week's Spoony Chop, Eric Nicolson, Stuart Cosgrove and Sean Hamilton dig deep into what has gone wrong at McDiarmid Park, when it began and what was - or was not - done to arrest the decline. And should Saints fans want Dundee at risk of joining them in the Championship via the play-offs?

St Johnstone's season all comes down to Saturday's clash with Ross County. Defeat will see them relegated to the Championship, while a draw will provide a stay of execution. A victory would reduce the Staggies' lead over Saints to just three points, with six left to play for. On this week's Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss the hugely disappointing loss to Kilmarnock, Simo Valakari's position as manager and the requirement - as a bare minumum - for a purposeful performance against County. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

St Johnstone’s survival hopes are hanging by a thread after Motherwell exposed their defensive frailties at Fir Park. But the performances of a few players who haven’t been regulars provided a ray of hope. On this week’s Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove and Eric Nicolson assess the possibility of Saints winning back to back home games and unlikely heroes emerging. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

St Johnstone's interest in the Scottish Cup is over after Celtic racked up five goals without reply in the semi-final. All that remains to focus on is the club's fight for safety in the Premiership. On this week's Spoony Chop, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss Saints' Hampden heartache, VAR being dreadful (again), and Simo Valakari's options heading into the crucial final five games of the season. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

St Johnstone are heading for Hampden to face Celtic in Sunday's Scottish Cup semi-final. They are doing so having just beaten the Hoops in the league (followed by a loss to Dundee United). Can they do the unthinkable and make it two wins on the spin against Brendan Rodgers' side? Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss these issues, plus the post-split fixture list and Saints' mounting defensive fitness worries. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

St Johnstone produced their worst performance since the January window closed and were well beaten by Hibs as a result. Where do Saints need to improve when Celtic visit McDiarmid Park on Saturday and is Simo Valakari getting his tactics and substitutions right? Join Eric Nicolson, Stuart Cosgrove and special guest, actor Colin McCredie, as the Spoony Chop tackles the big St Johnstone talking points. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

The final international break of the season is coming to an end and St Johnstone need points from their three pre-split games to give themselves a solid chance of escaping relegation. On this week's Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss St Johnstone's chances of claiming a "statement win" against either Hibs, Celtic or Dundee United before the split, how Simo Valakari might utilise his strikers at Easter Road and whether Uche Ikpeazu can do what once seemed unthinkable and play a part in how the campaign concludes. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.thecourier.co.uk/newsletters/

An unexpected Dundee victory over city rivals United saw the Dark Blues stretch their lead over St Johnstone to five points (plus five goals). The Perth side's Premiership safety hopes are still alive, but how far adrift is too far adrift? This week, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton ponder Saints' draw with Aberdeen, Zach Mitchell's emergence as a defensive 'Rolls-Royce' and whether any of the strikers on the books fancy making themselves a hero. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony

St Johnstone booked their place in the Scottish Cup semi-finals thanks to a Graham Carey wonder goal against Livingston. On this week's Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton discuss where the Irishman's strike ranks amongst the all-time great Saints goals, a game of two halves at Livi, how the cup run could impact Premiership form and the club's decision to give three stands to Celtic at McDiarmid Park. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony

On this week's Spoony Chop, Stuart Cosgrove, Eric Nicolson and Sean Hamilton assess a draw at Dens Park that keeps St Johnstone in touch with Dundee and look ahead to Monday's Scottish Cup quarter final with Livingston - and whether it's the right environment for a Benji Kimpioka comeback. Interested in local sport news, you can save now with The Courier Sport Pack. Keep up with the latest on your local team or sport with the latest news, opinion, match reports and so much more. Subscribe today for only £3 per month. Available exclusively on The Courier. Pay only for the sports you love with this special offer. Sign up today at https://www.thecourier.co.uk/subscribe/?tpcc=spoony