Coaching Staff
In November 2011, Derek McInnes ended his four year stint as manager of the club and so the club began their search for his successor.
Great interest was shown in the post but the search ended with the appointment of Steve Lomas as the new manager.
The vastly experienced player 37 year old gave lengthy service to Manchester City and West Ham United before shorter spells with Queens Park Rangers and Gillingham and had cut his coaching teeth with a successful spell as manager of non-league St Neots Town, youth coach at Norwich City and reserve team manager at West Ham.
Upon his appointment, Steve revealed that he had been offered other managerial posts in the summer of 2011 but didn’t think they felt right – the chance to manager Saints, on the other hand, did.
Steve said: “I’ve chatted to both Owen Coyle and Derek McInnes about the club and they have spoken highly of the whole set up. They have told me it has the same values as I have. Loyalty is important - I gave eight and a half years to Manchester City and West Ham United. It’s a credit to the Board of Directors and all the staff at the club that Owen and Derek speak so highly of the set-up.”
Speaking of why he felt the move to Perth was right for him, Steve said: “Even when I was playing I was thinking about going into management but I haven’t just waited for something to land in my lap. I’ve done my coaching badges and enjoyed my time at St Neots, with the youths at Norwich City and as reserve team manager at West Ham. I had a couple of opportunities in the summer but I just didn’t think they were right for me but the St Johnstone job just feels like the right fit.”
Asked what he liked about the Scottish game, he said; “I like the passion, honesty and commitment of Scottish players – all values I feel I have myself and that were part of my game when I played. Those are some of the values I want to instill in my team although I am sure they are already there.”
Steve’s playing career saw him join Manchester City in 1991and he was there for six years, racking up 111 league appearances. A fee of £2.5 million saw Steve move to West Ham United in 1997 and between then and 2005 he made himself a hugely admired and much respected player and captain.
The Hammers’ Intertoto Cup win in 1999 was arguably the most notable achievement of the Upton park club during Steve’s time there.
A couple of years with Queens Park Rangers followed before a short time with Gillingham before the end of his playing career.
Although born in Germany, Steve is very much from Nothern Ireland and he played 45 times for his country.
Steve’s contract with St Johnstone runs to the end of season 2013/14.
Tommy Wright - Assistant Manager
One of the first things Steve Lomas did upon his appointment was to bring long-time friend Tommy Wright to the club as his assistant.
A much-respected goalkeeper in his playing days, notably with Newcastle United, his other clubs were Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Bolton Wanderers although other teams benefitted from his services on a loan basis.
Like manager Lomas, Tommy represented Northern Ireland, gaining 31 full caps between 1989 and 1999.
Tommy was keen to move into coaching and was first a goalkeeping coach for Norwich City and was then appointed youth development officer at Ballyclare Comrades back in Ireland.
In November 2003 he made his first move into management at Limavady United and stayed for a couple of years before being appointed manager of Ballymena United
Wright was a full time goalkeeping coach at ShamrockRovers for the 2009 League of Ireland season but in September 2009 he was appointed manager of Lisburn Distillery and it was from that club he resigned to come to Perth in November 2011.
Atholl has held the post of Community Coach at St. Johnstone since October 1994, after a two and a half year spell in the same role at Dundee United.
His playing career began at St. Johnstone, way back in 1972, and his list of clubs include Celtic, Dunfermline, Forfar and Brechin, before moving into coaching in 1983. Again his first club was St. Johnstone, followed by spells at Forfar, Dundee United and Brechin.
In the last 11 years, Atholl has built up a strong programme of development activities, and local boys and girls have opportunities to play at McDiarmid Park and at many other venues throughout Perth and Kinross.
Tommy Campbell is the club’s Youth Development Manager and is now in his third spell with the club.
Originally a youth coach in the managerial days of Alex Rennie in the early 1980s, Tommy moved into junior football management with Jeanfield Swifts and Balbeggie before returning to Muirton Park under Ian Gibson and Alex Totten.
Not long after the club’s move to McDiarmid Park, Tommy decided to have a crack an senior football management and was the manager of Forfar Athletic for five years (taking the Station Park club to the Third Division championship in 1993), followed by spells in charge of Arbroath and Montrose.
A heart attack necessitated the requirement to bow out of football management and he returned to Saints in 2004 in the role of Youth Development Manager.
John joined the club as physiotherapist in January 2012 having held similar posts at Ayr United, Hearts and Queen of the South amongst others.
More to follow............
Jocky has been involved with the club since 1991 when he was invited to take up the post of assistant physiotherpist by the then-phyio Jim Peacock.
Since then, Jocky has been assistant to Davie Henderson and now Nick Summersgill. His main roles involve looking after the reserve team, assisting Nick with player treatments wehn required and covering for if Nick if he should be unavailable.
Jocky lists the trip to Monaco in the 1999 UEFA Cup as being the most memorable match of his time with Saints.
Graham joined the club in 2008 under the managership of Derek McInnes and carries out a valuable duel role as the club's video analyst and Sports Science provider.
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