Fleetwood Town face St Johnstone on Saturday 24 July at McDiarmid Park in a pre-season friendly, and we have all you need to know ahead of the 1pm kick-off in our match preview.
Fixture: St Johnstone v Fleetwood Town
Competition: Pre-Season Friendly
Date: Saturday 24 July 2021
Kick-off: 13:00
Venue: McDiarmid Park, Crieff Road, Perth, PH1 2SJ
FLEETWOOD TOWN
The Cod Army head to the home of The Saints after an intense pre-season training camp at Inverclyde’s SportScotland complex and will be looking to continue their preparations ahead of the fast-approaching Sky Bet League One season.
This will be the fourth game of Town’s pre-season schedule, as the side started off with a 2-0 win over Radcliffe, before hosting Port Vale at the club’s training complex – beating them 1-0 on the day thanks to a Jordan Rossiter header.
A trip to Rochdale then followed which proved to be Fleetwood's toughest task of the schedule to that point as it finished off as a 3-3 draw at the Crown Oil Arena. The Cod Army went behind in the first half when Stephen Dooley fired home for the hosts. It didn’t take long for Town to react after the break when Danny Andrew’s dazzling freekick found the back of the net.
Dale regained a two-goal advantage however a late double from Ryan Edmondson, including a neat volley for the equalizer, ensured the game finished level.
ST JOHNSTONE
Town’s opposition enjoyed a brilliant season last campaign as they were able to become double cup winners, taking the silverware back to McDiarmid Park.
They have been busy over the summer as they have had a packed schedule of fixtures, with the latest one being a 4-1 in over Arbroath at Gayfield on Wednesday evening. David Wotherspoon opened the scoring on the day, eventually making it two for him later in the game, with both Jamie McCart and Chris Kane also getting on the score sheet.
A familiar side also made their way to Perth this month as Preston North End played a friendly against Callum Davidson’s side, which ended in a 1-1 draw. Wotherspoon was on the score sheet once again in this one, converting from the spot, canceling out Ben Whiteman’s first-half opener.
PRE-MATCH QUOTES: SIMON GRAYSON
Head Coach Simon Grayson sat down to speak to the press whilst away with the squad on a pre-season training camp in Inverclyde on Thursday afternoon. Here is what the gaffer had to say in his interview:
“It’s been very good here so far; the facilities are excellent, and the pitches are brilliant. The weather has been very hot, much like it is in England, so the sessions have been demanding on the players - the sessions accompanied by the heat has been hard for them.
“I’m really pleased with how it’s all gone so far. Obviously, we’ve had some new players come in and this is a great opportunity to bed themselves in and get to know each other a bit better so all I have to say is so far, so good.”
ONE TO WATCH: DAVID WOTHERSPOON
The one to watch from The Saints is forward, David Wotherspoon. The 31-year-old is a seasoned veteran at McDiarmid Park as he has spent the last eight years with the club, after signing from Hibernian back in 2013.
The midfielder, who has featured for the Canadian national times seven times, has had a pre-season to remember this year as he has managed to log three goals and one assist in the last two games.
Wotherspoon started his career in the Celtic youth setup before moving to Hibernian in 2008. During the 2008/09 season, he was part of their youth side who won both the Scottish Youth Cup and the Scottish League, managing to score eight goals in that campaign.
His senior debut came at the start of the 2009/10 season when he played his part in a 2-1 win over St Mirren, scoring the first goal on the day. He then became an established member of the main team and went on to spend the next four seasons with the side.
A move to his hometown club, St Johnstone, was next for the midfielder and in his first season with the side, he helped them win the 2013/14 Scottish Cup. After signing a new deal with the side, he would go on to make 263 appearances to date and contribute 23 goals in that time.
MATCH UPDATES
There will be no live stream of this pre-season fixture, but you can still keep up to date on what is going on by following our official Twitter and Instagram accounts, which will be posting updates throughout the game. A report and post-match reactions will be posted on our website for all to view, with a gallery to follow the day after.
The best way to watch Fleetwood Town this year is by purchasing the Onward Card. For adults, you will pay as little as £170 for 23 Sky Bet League One matches, with many benefits included in the deal. Click HERE for more details.