HAD this club feature appeared 50 years ago, it would have made for very dull reading for those parishioners living south of St Peter Port.

Today, we consider St Martin’s as one of the giants of the domestic game, invariably pushing for honours, very often winning them.

But before the early 60s, Saints’ trophy cabinet was less impressive.

At senior level, the club’s successes amounted to a paltry Mauger Cup triumph in 1948.

They were marginally better at under-18 level, winning a couple of Youth One titles and as many Old Vics.

In fact, it wasn’t until they made the move from Fort Field to Blanche Pierre Lane in 1962 that their ball got rolling.

Henry Davey, club president in 2009, is as precise as a Laurence Graham through ball in identifying just what changed the club’s fortunes.

‘Brazier, Renouf and Loveridge.’

In 1962, three legends of the Guernsey game moved out of junior football to kick-start a black-and-white movement up the table.

North held them off for one season, the 1962-63 campaign, but by 1964 there was no stopping them.

The Saints were not only marching in on North’s patch, they were taking over for a whole decade.

It’s a basic formula in football that the key to any great team is its spine and with Brazier, Renouf and Loveridge in the same side, Saints were half way to greatness.

Davey looks back 40 years and sees it like this.

‘If ever we were in a tight game, Gerve would make a couple of brilliant saves and John, who might have been out of the game, would pop up with two goals out of nothing.’

And as for Colin?

‘Well, he’s the best there has ever been.

‘He had everything.’

But they were not just a three-man team.

For a decade the club oozed quality all over the pitch, players came and went, but they all could play. And with coach Jack Loveridge guiding them away from complacency, Saints’ wonderfully-balanced sides ruled in a fashion no club has since.