Dec 08, 2011

SAQ® International have spent a week with Scottish Premier League club St Johnstone, providing coaching and training techniques. The week was capped off with an excellent 2-1 away win against Hearts on Saturday.

Since Steve Lomas took over at St Jonhstone at the beginning of November, the former West Ham, Manchester City and Northern Irish international has coached his side to two league wins and the club also gained a valuable point at SPL champions Rangers, placing them fourth in the league and just shy of a UEFA Cup qualifying position.

SAQ® International Managing Director, Alan Pearson said "I was there for a week putting the squad through their paces, introducing all aspects of the SAQ® Football Programme. The response was incredibly positive and finishing the week off with a 2-1 away win really was the icing on the cake."

Alan Pearson and Steve Lomas are close friends and the manager of St Johnstone speaks very highly of the work SAQ® has done for him and his team.

"SAQ® was first introduced to me in 2001 when Alan Pearson brought his programme to West Ham United. We were in a difficult period, battling against relegation and after Alan came in, for the second half of the season, we were in the top six of the form table. It was something that I thoroughly enjoyed and it opened my mind to new ideas when football was stuck in the dark ages a little bit."

"Clubs that don't use SAQ® now are very few and far between. I think all coaches and management, at whatever level, appreciate SAQ® and what it brings to the party, especially in their fitness programmes, injury prevention and improving player performance. I've known Alan for ten years. His ideas were new to me at first and it's something that I incorporate when I'm coaching and managing at different levels."