St Johnstone historian Alastair Blair temporarily drifted away from the highs and lows of the Perth club to pen his latest work - and he’s hit the back of the net.
‘Stop the game: We’re going to arrest the goalkeeper’ explores Scottish football referees and the influence of Scotland on the laws of the game.
It is already being billed as a winner and a “unique insight” into the much-maligned men and women of Scottish football refereeing.
Alastair’s previous work on Saints - alongside fellow historian Brian Doyle - includes the highly-popular ‘Bristling with Possibilities, ‘Manifest Destiny’ and, more recently, ‘Hagiography: The Great Saints’.
Dipping his toes into another area of the beautiful game and away from the corridors of Muirton and McDiarmid Park has proved a rewarding experience.
“After finishing Hagiography, Brian wanted to take a break from Saints’ books for a while so I decided I would write about something else,” Alastair explained.
“I really have no idea why the idea of writing about Scottish refereeing came to my mind, but it did.
“My initial thought was to look at Scotland’s impact on the development of the laws and this, naturally, led to the idea of writing about referees and refereeing.
“With the rapid advance of technology into football, it seemed like a good time to do this.
“I used my contacts to seek out former referees and managers - and Stuart and Tam from Off the Ball - for interviews and these form the first part of the book.
“I also spoke to two rugby referees, including Jim Fleming - probably the most experienced referee in the entire book - and got their views on both rugby and football refereeing and the use of the TMO and VAR.”
The book has been hailed for bringing enlightenment, entertainment, laughter, enjoyment and much food for thought to the subject of refereeing.
Alastair admitted his own respect for referees went up a notch following his in-depth research.
“I would also say that the book is broadly, although not uncritically, in support of referees,” he told the PA.
“I found it fascinating to research and write and it immensely increased my respect for our officials and the incredibly difficult job they do.
“I know there are shortages of referees in some parts of Scotland and I would hope the referees’ stories and the book more generally will encourage others to take up refereeing.”
Despite the book taking a look at officiating across the country, Saints supporters will not be disappointed when hunting for gems about their favourites.
One such tale arises on page 112 where former Perth boss Tommy Wright, the Northern Irishman who guided Saints to a first piece of major silverware, talks Willie Collum.
“There are refs I do like more than others, usually because a decision has gone for us,” Wright notes.
“Willie Collum isn’t every fan’s cup of tea, but he made one of the best decisions ever when he didn’t penalise James Dunne for a high foot in his challenge that led to Stevie May’s equaliser in the 2014 semi-final against Aberdeen.”
As all of a Perth persuasion know, homegrown Hero May would add another before the trophy was lifted the following month at Celtic Park.
In terms of future publications, Alastair hinted that the next book on St Johnstone’s history is in the planning stage.
At present, the subject is under wraps but expected is an interesting, entertaining and perhaps provocative piece of work offering a different perspective on the club’s history since that first match back in 1885.
Alastair and Brian expect the research and writing to take, as usual, at least two years.
And if anything like their previous efforts, it will certainly be worth the wait.
To purchase Alastair’s latest book, you can search for ‘stop the match, Alastair Blair’ on Amazon books.
