Few saints fans would have heard of Tom Hendrie prior to his appointment as manager of Saints in December '98.

Then part time manager of Alloa Athletic, the mathematics teacher by trade had a respected track record as manager of the wasps and prior to that at Berwick Rangers.

With the managers seat at Love Street revolving every couple of years over the last decade it seemed inevitable that the replacement for Tony Fitzpatrick would come from the seemingly default list of managers continually linked with Saints - Archie Gemmil, Steve Archibald, Kevin Drinkell, Iain Munro et al.

When Stewart Gilmour announced the appointment of Hendrie - most fans first response would have been "who ?".

Hendrie arrived at a club which was not exactly in a deep crisis, save a 5-1 thrashing at home to Airdrie which had cost Fitzpatrick his job. The media lambasted Saints for dropping the axe on the genial Tony Fitzpatrick - who, we were led to believe, had been held back by the lack of funds available to bring in new players. Saints still carried the media wounds
from the sacking of Alex Smith - and the likeable Fitzpatrick further fuelled the tabloid's common held belief that Saints were acting above their station.

Hendrie came in quietly and had an inauspicious beginning as Saints tumbled out  of the Scottish cup, and a dream home tie with Rangers, as lowly Hamilton recorded  what was to be their only win in four months of trying. The cup jinx had struck again and the press rejoiced at Saints misfortune.

The club settled around the lower half of the table - struggling by on points gained at  home - whilst the away record continued to disappoint. When Fitzpatrick had left Saints  were fairly comfortable in fifth place, Hendrie's arrival had seen the buddies slip to seventh  and respected media hacks the country over had the knives out for the chairman and  the new manager.

Then came the start of the Saints revival under Tom Hendrie......

Saints travelled to Airdrie on a cold midweek night to meet the team who had so comprehensively thrashed them only a few weeks earlier. despite a fairly poor home record the diamonds were expected to make easy pickings of the struggling Saints.

Saints hammered Airdrie 3-0 that night - an excellent result at face value alone - but many fans leaving the impressive Shyberry Excelsor that night were left talking about the sheer manner of the win. Swashbuckling saints played the diamonds off the park with
a vibrant attacking performance spearheaded by three strikers. Hendrie's influence at last seemed to be having an effect on the squad in what was a memorable night.

A win over Hamilton and a creditable draw at in form Ayr continued the renaissance, but a slender defeat at Brockville, a dour draw with Clydebank at Love Street and then a nightmare trouncing at home to Morton had the fans reeling on the ropes as Jekyll and
Hyde Saints continued to frustrate the supporters.

The Morton game came a week before Saints were to travel to  table topping, all conquering champions Hibs . Many feared the worst as they headed for Edinburgh - but in true Saints style the lads dug in - went ahead and were eventually only beaten by a late late 
show from a very good Hibs side.

Saints finished the season on a high - winning 5-1 at home to Stranraer, 3-0 at home to Airdrie again and earning a point at Raith - who were by this time fighting for their lives.

The pre-season came - with Hendrie adding freed Motherwell midfielder Ian Ross and centre half Scott Walker from East Stirling to his squad as Saints tried to come to terms with losing Burton O'Brien and David McNamee to Blackburn. The players embarked on a new
fitness regime with Hendrie appalled by the lack of fitness he found on arriving at the club.

The players were educated in their diet, they were given post training routines to work on in the club gym, and they were given a new code of discipline to be carried on to the park. In the previous three seasons the buddies had been bottom of the fair play league table and
even incurred an SFA fine for bad behaviour. Hendrie realised that with limited resources the team could not afford to have first team players sitting in the stands.

Saints had an excellent pre-season - beating SPL members Kilmarnock and Rangers - and displaying a new zest, energy and team spirit that had been lacking in previous campaigns. Allied to this the team were now playing with their brains - the ball was passed quickly from
front to back - through the midfield - the long ball to target man Mark Yardley had gone and Saints looked a tidy proposition.

Scott Walker and Ian Ross fitted in well - and with a resurgent Hugh Murray leading the midfield, a fit again Barry McLaughlin, a new look, confident Ludovic Roy, a slimline Mark Yardley, a youthful looking Ian Nicolson, evergreen Tommy Turner and a motivated Junior Mendes and Tom Brown Saints fans suddenly started talking in terms of titles and play offs.

Many laughed - the media write off our chances and the bookies made us ninth favourites at 20/1 to win the title.  To date Saints have been outstanding, turning those odds upside down with a string of impressive, goal laden performances.
The changes are only truly evident to those who watch the club week in, week out. It is not only the results which are pleasing the long suffering Saints fans - it is the style of football, attacking, pass to feet, quick and energetic, backed with a will to win, to dig in and to play  as a team, to play for the badge. This feeling is carried into the support - the feel good factor is alive and well in Paisley.

It's probably no coincidence that Saints are also top of the first division fair play league. Only a smattering of bookings and no red cards have come with the rise to the top of the division - Hendrie has controlled the discipline on the park, winning the respect of the players and fans alike as his ideas are fast becoming winning reality on the pitch.

Since his appointment in December '98 Saints have never failed to score in a home match at Love Street. Only two teams have beaten Saints at home in the past ten months - champions Hibs and deadly rivals Morton. On the road Saints have slowly but surely started to pick up valuable points - this season has seen Saints thrash Raith Rovers at bogey ground Starks Park, beat fellow jinx team Clydebank and dominate title favourites Dunfermline in a superb display at East End park.

Hendrie has got the very best out of the players available - finally we are seeing the potential everyone has talked about finally coming of age, finally we are seeing a level of consistency come into our team, logical team selections, substitutions when they are needed, and common sense and honesty when talking to the press and supporters.

The fans have taken to Hendrie in a big way - many hope and pray that his reign can emulate that of a certain manager plucked from the lower leagues in the seventies - a certain Mr Ferguson - many see similarities in the way the team attack to the side that romped to the league title in '77. It is still relatively early days - but the signs at Love Street are as healthy as they have been in the last disaster strewn
decade.

There are harder times ahead - the run sadly won't go on forever - Saints will lose games, injuries will affect the team as a small squad takes its toll, but the message coming through loud and clear at Love Street is that the maths teacher is finding the right formula to bring 
the good times back to Love Street.


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