Ian St John
The Scottish striker whose iconic Wembley goal delivered Liverpool's first FA Cup and helped forge a footballing dynasty under Bill Shankly.
1938–2021 (age 83)·Scottish footballer and manager·Birthday: June 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ian St John was the human embodiment of Bill Shankly’s transformative zeal at Liverpool. Signed from Motherwell for a club-record fee in 1961, he was more than a goal-scoring forward; he was the intelligent, tireless engine of the team’s rise from the Second Division. His partnership with Roger Hunt was lethal, his work rate legendary. The pinnacle came at Wembley in 1965, where his extra-time header, soaring above the Leeds defense, clinched Liverpool’s first FA Cup, a watershed moment that cemented the club’s arrival as a national power. After leaving Liverpool, he managed and coached before becoming a television staple. Alongside Jimmy Greaves on 'Saint and Greavsie,' he brought a new, relaxed wit to football broadcasting, his distinctive voice and sharp analysis making the show a Saturday lunchtime ritual for a generation of fans.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ian was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Ian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 80
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2021Died at 83
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Scored the winning goal in extra time to secure Liverpool's first-ever FA Cup victory in the 1965 final against Leeds United.
- A key player in the Liverpool teams that won the First Division championship in 1964 and 1966.
- Earned 21 caps for the Scottish national team, scoring nine international goals.
- Co-hosted the hugely popular ITV football show 'Saint and Greavsie' with Jimmy Greaves from 1985 to 1992.
Did You Know?
He was a talented amateur boxer in his youth and considered pursuing the sport professionally.
His nickname, 'The Saint,' was a play on his surname and the popular TV detective series of the era.
He briefly served as manager of Portsmouth FC in the 1970s.
After retiring from playing, he ran a successful pub in Liverpool called 'The Saint and Sinner.'
“The goal is just the final note; the build-up is the symphony.”
