St Johnstone, founded in 1884, remain one of Scottish football’s more durable fixtures, operating from McDiarmid Park with a history that carries more weight than their usual market profile suggests. Their squad is valued at around £4m by Transfermarkt, with 29 players and an average age of 24.
The club’s modern high point remains the 2020/21 season, when they won both the League Cup and the Scottish Cup. Those successes account for their only League Cup and sit alongside two Scottish Cups overall, giving St Johnstone a recent trophy record that many larger clubs would take without complaint.
In the 2026-27 Premiership, St Johnstone are fifth after nine rounds, with 12 points. Their recent run has been steady rather than spectacular: draws with Dundee United and Falkirk, a 1-0 win at Aberdeen, a 0-1 defeat to Celtic, a 2-1 home win over Hibernian, and a 1-1 draw at Dundee.
Their home numbers point to a side capable of making matches awkward, averaging 1.6 goals scored and 1.4 conceded at McDiarmid Park. Away from home, the balance is tighter, with 0.8 scored and one conceded per match. Josh Fowler leads their scoring with six goals, ahead of Kai Fotheringham, Jamie Gullan and Ruari Paton on two each.
For Celtic supporters, St Johnstone are a familiar Scottish opponent rather than a novelty: organised, competitive, and currently placed in the upper half of the Premiership. Their season also included League Cup Group F, but their league position is the clearest measure of where they stand.
📈 Key stats and insights
⚔️ How they compare to Celtic
Compared to Celtic, St Johnstone are markedly behind in both attack and defence: Celtic score at more than double St Johnstone's overall rate and concede roughly half as often, so Celtic hold the clear edge; St Johnstone's best chance is to exploit home form and tight margins, but they will struggle to match Celtic's firepower and defensive compactness over ninety minutes.
