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JIM SPENCE: Prospective new St Johnstone owner Adam Webb will need to get a chokehold on income-expenditure balance

Geoff Brown is set to sell-up to an American lawyer.

Investment will be needed at McDiarmid Park. Image: SNS.
Investment will be needed at McDiarmid Park. Image: SNS.

St Johnstone’s soon to be new owner Adam Webb has two qualities which could prove very handy.

As a lawyer and former wrestler, both talents could be useful in grappling with the problems every club owner has to square up to.

I doubt there’s any likelihood of him needing to put any critics in an arm lock, but unless he’s funding the club from his own pocket, he’ll have to wrangle with the constant need to generate ongoing sources of income required to run a football club.

Many club boards contain business folk with a wealth of monied contacts, but who are clueless in extracting from them the hospitality and advertising income important in running the club.

Folk who are successful in their own industries are often as one chairman put it, ‘like fish out of water’ when it comes to being successful as directors, where a key element of the job is generating income for the club from the local business community.

Saints’ prospective new owner has impressive legal skills which could prove beneficial in contractual negotiations, and also in bringing in other investors with the nous to sell the club better to tat local business community.

Whether St Johnstone are about to live the American dream we’ll soon find out.

Mixed fortunes at Dens and Tannadice

After almost 40 years of local ownership with the Brown family, Saints will become part of the Tayside trio of US-owned clubs, once the football authorities bless the deal.

Dundee and United have had mixed fortunes under their American stewards and fans of each have discovered there’s no magic wand which guarantees football success.

Dundee’s owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms are about to dig deep both on and off the pitch to fix their drainage issue which will cost well into six figures to sort.

Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms. Image: Shutterstock/David Young
Dundee owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms. Image: Shutterstock/David Young

Across at a Tannadice, American owner Mark Ogren is owed around 13 million pounds in soft loans after his five years at United

Local ownership possibilities were exhausted at both city clubs and in Perth, no local businesses or individuals were either interested or capable of putting together a bid for Geoff Brown’s majority shareholding.

Maintaining a full-time football club brings grief and joy but not in equal measure.

When things go awry as they more often than not do for owners, simple daily tasks can involve regular exposure to insult and vituperation from aggrieved fans.

There’s no escape from the critics.

Beware the gripes

Whether filling up with petrol or going for a quiet pint, there’s often a disgruntled supporter wanting to forcibly make his or her point about lack of form, poor signings, and a host of other gripes.

That’s much less of an issue when the owner lives across the pond and only jets in for the infrequent visit.

Prospective new St Johnstone owner Adam Webb (left) and associate Matthew Klase watching Saints play Ross County.
Prospective new St Johnstone owner Adam Webb (left) and associate Matthew Klase watching Saints play Ross County. Image: PPA.

Webb already has 10% of shares in Cambridge United so his interest in football is established.

Once the EFL and the SFA give their approval Saints fans can begin their new era.

Saints are in much better shape than many clubs but recent figures show expenditure exceeding income.

The first task of Adam Webb will be to get a chokehold on that situation.

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