Historically, St Johnstone tended to float between the top two divisions of Scottish football and gained the reputation of being a "yo-yo club".

[2] Football was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland and, although there were other local clubs including Fair City Athletic, Erin Rovers and Caledonian Rangers (based at Perth railway station), it was St Johnstone that became the one most associated with the town.

Agnus Dei (The Lamb of God), the symbol associated with John the Baptist, forms part of St Johnstone's club badge.

After several decades – and regular problems with flooding – it became clear they had outgrown the venue and so, in 1924, they moved to the other side of Perth and built Muirton Park, which would serve as their home for the next 65 years.

[2] St Johnstone made their debut appearance in the Scottish Cup in the 1886–87 tournament but were defeated 7–1 in a first round replay by the Erin Rovers club, also based in Perth, after a 3–3 draw at home.

In the final season before World War II, St Johnstone played well under manager David Rutherford to finish eighth.

The Southern Football League continued through the post-war 1945–46 season but with two divisions to incorporate clubs that were restarting, including St Johnstone.

The club have appeared twice in the Scottish Challenge Cup final, losing 1–0 to Stranraer in 1996, and winning the trophy in 2007 with a 3–2 victory over Dunfermline.

There were two appearances in the final of the League Cup, losing first to Celtic 1–0 in 1969 and 2–1 to Rangers in 1998, with Canadian internationalist Nick Dasovic scoring for Saints.

This third-placed finish led to a European adventure in the UEFA Cup, beating German giants Hamburger SV and Hungarians Vasas SC before finally going out in Yugoslavia to FK Željezničar Sarajevo.

It took Saints until 1983 to return to the top flight – albeit for a single season and as part-time team – before setting a record through suffering two successive relegations in 1984 and 1985.

They eventually found themselves bottom of the entire league in 1986 and skirted with financial oblivion, before local businessman Geoff Brown stepped in.

Saints finished 1990–91 in 7th place, but their season was buoyed by an appearance in the Scottish Cup semi-finals, in which they lost to Dundee United.

The following season proved to be Totten's last at the helm, an eighth-placed finish bringing to an end his five-year reign as manager.

McClelland left the club before the season ended, and was replaced by former Dundee United striker Paul Sturrock.

Sturrock also introduced – at least in principle – the concept of morning and afternoon training sessions in an attempt to raise the fitness level of his players.

They lost to Rangers in five of the six meetings between the two clubs that season (including a 7–0 home defeat), but Saints won 3–1 in the other game.

The return leg meant that international stars such as Fabien Barthez, John Arne Riise and David Trezeguet played at McDiarmid Park.

Clark's replacement, Billy Stark, oversaw this relegation, and left the club in 2004 after two seasons of varying success.

With the club in eighth place after a poor 2004–05 season under Stark's replacement, John Connolly, Owen Coyle took charge in April 2005, ushering in a promising new period in which St Johnstone earned second-place finishes in 2005–06 and 2006–07.

Saints won 4–3 at Hamilton Academical,[11] but James Grady scored an injury-time winner for Gretna at Ross County[12] minutes after the St Johnstone game had finished.

The results maintained Gretna's one-point lead and they achieved promotion to the Premier League under former Saints player Davie Irons.

Results to the end of 2007 continued the indifferent form shown under Coyle, leaving St Johnstone in third place, some way behind the leaders.

In 2008 the club did, however, reach the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup for the second consecutive season, losing out to Rangers on penalties after extra time.

On 2 May 2009, Saints beat Greenock Morton 3–1 at McDiarmid Park to clinch the First Division title and a return to the Premier League after a seven-year absence.

In June 2013 Steve Lomas left the club to manage Millwall and Tommy Wright was appointed as his replacement.

In his first competitive game in charge, Wright lead St Johnstone to a 1–0 victory against Rosenborg BK in Norway.

[17] On 13 April 2014, St Johnstone reached their first-ever Scottish Cup Final, after defeating Aberdeen 2–1 in the semi-final at Ibrox Stadium.

[23] This victory meant St Johnstone had become the first team outside of the Old Firm to win a cup double since Aberdeen in 1990, and beating 10,000/1 odds to do so.