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Scant Success at Perth
 St Johnstone are one of those clubs that has moved the venue of their home games more than most.
Ayr United played away to St Johnstone for the first time on 18th March 1911 at the Recreation Ground in Perth in the 5th round of the Scottish Consolation Cup, being beaten 1-0 in that first encounter.
A newly relegated St Johnstone entertained Ayr the following season in the first league encounter at Perth between the two clubs on 30th December 1911. The second division match produced another 1-0 win for the Perth Saints.
The following season saw United play the away league fixture at Newfield, but although it was a different  venue the result was similar - a 2-1 win for Saints. Despite this defeat season 1912/13 was to be a promotion year for Ayr and they found themselves in the first division. It was not until season 1924/25 that Saints managed to rejoin them in that division and this time Ayr found themselves playing at St Johnstone's newest ground - Muirton Park Perth, a home that would last them for 60 years. The first game at Muirton for Ayr ended 2-2 - a good start. Nobody that day knew of course that Ayr United would be the very last opponents at Muirton all those years later.
 Sadly Ayr now sank to division two and did not regain first division status until their next match at Muirton on 8th December 1928 when a 0-0 draw was recorded. It was Ayr who broke the Muirton deadlock in the first league match of season 1929/30 with a 3-2 win on 10th August 1929 - United's first win in Perth never mind Muirton Park. St Johnstone were relegated and the next match at Muirton was a Scottish Cup1st round replay on 20th January 1932 which Saints won 2-0. A 4-0 win by St Johnstone on 13th October 1934 heralded their return to the top flight although Ayr recorded another 3-2 win the following season on 29th February 1936.
Wins on both sides continued with Ayr again winning on 25th March 1939 by 1-0 in a first division encounter prior to the war years and the regional leagues.
A 'B' division match on 16th November 1946 produced a 7-2 thrashing for Ayr. The next match at Perth did not occur until 9th September 1950 when the 'B' division clash again brought a Saints win - this time only by 2-1. Meanwhile at home United managed a 3-3 draw on 29th December 1951.
Ayr's next victory in Perth came on 18th October 1952 with a superb 4-1 win - again in 'B' division. Despite a 5-1 win for Saints in season 1955/56 it was Ayr who lined up in the new first division the following year and it was not until Ayr were relegated the following season that battle re-commenced. When it did there were 4-2 and 1-0 wins for Saints. The next encounter on 11th March 1961 was a first division match with Ayr again on the wrong side of 4 goals.
Relegation split the teams and during Ayr's disastrous 1966/67 first division campaign they lost 3-0 at Muirton Park. However, the match at Ayr on 8th April 1967 produced the Honest men’s only league win of the season.
The Ally McLeod era didn't change Ayr's luck and 2-0 and 4-1 defeats followed Ayr's promotion to the first division. United had a good 3-2 win at Somerset Park on 6th October 1973 and drew away 1-1 on 2nd February 1974. Ayr had to wait until 8th November 1975 for their next win at Perth. The 1-0 win was their first for 23 years.
Both Ayr and St Johnstone were founder members of the newly formed Scottish Premier League and United made their mark with at Muirton with a 2-1 win on 20th March 1976. It was to be the only premier league match at Muirton between the two clubs.
2-0 scores seemed to be the norm at Perth. Ayr won at Muirton in a Division 1 match on 20th April 1985 and llost 2-0 on 27th February 1988 in their Division 2 championship winning year and the following season on 26th November 1988.
The developers were moving in to Muirton Park when Ayr United lined up against St Johnstone for the final match at there on 29th April 1989 and the Ayrshire men will always be remembered for their 1-0 win.
By the time Ayr United travelled to Perth again for the first division encounter on 27th January 1990, St Johnstone had already moved to their all seater stadium at Mc Diarmid Park and recorded a 4-0 win.
 The Scottish Cup encounter at Perth on 16th March 1993 was a bitter/sweet experience for Ayr. With George Burley at the helm Ayr found themselves 2-0 down early in the second half and produced a wonderful fight back against their premier league opponents to square the game at 2-2 with little time left. However, the jubilant Ayr support was silenced by 3 late Saints goals to give them a 5-2 cup win. It was not until 16th November 2002 that Ayr finally won their first match McDiarmid Stadium by 2-0 with two goals from Robert Craig.
The following season, however, there was little success to show for United in their relegation season.
The clubs met again at McDiarmid park for a Scottish Cup tie on 6th January 2007. Division 2 United obtained a very creditable draw against Division 1 saints, however the reply at Somerset park on 17th January ended 1-1 but St Johnstone edged it by 2-1 after extra time.
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