Steve Brown admits he will be the last of the family to hold the reins at St Johnstone.
The Saints chairman, who succeeded his dad Geoff in the role eight years ago, has revealed he has warned his sons to steer clear of the McDiarmid Park boardroom.
Brown, 55, says there have been plenty highs in his 16 years as a director of the club his father rescued and revitalised more than 30 years ago.
But even with the club’s first ever Scottish Cup and European football on his watch, he insists it’s a thankless task.
And in the face of mounting losses, former Kilmarnock chief executive Kirsten Robertson has been drafted in as head of football operations tasked with slashing the wage bill.
“I don’t want my family to come into it. They have promised me they won’t,” said Brown.
“People who are in football know it is seven days a week, every week.
“It is a lot of sacrifices. It is the nature of the beast. But I wouldn’t wish it on my kids.
“As much as you still get the buzz it is a burden at times.
“There is a lot of excitement at times and obviously you’re honoured to be the chairman of a club, but it is thankless.
“I’ve no regrets. I’ve great memories and great experiences.
“But I have been a director for 16 years. It’s a long time. Eventually you need to stand aside and let someone else have a go at it.
“I have taken a step back from the day to day side because it needs focus.
“I’m not at the club on a day-to-day basis. I’m not an employee. I have several day jobs.”
Despite Tommy Wright’s in-form side pushing for the top six and facing Celtic in a cup quarter-final this Sunday, construction company boss Brown says Saints are braced for “heavy losses.”
He warns they will have to dip into their £2 million-plus war chest to balance the books.
And the one-time SPL board member says the financial picture has been blurred by betting firms Ladbrokes and William Hill signalling the end of their sponsorship packages.
“I still get the same buzz but it’s the same problems as eight years ago. It’s all very challenging, especially financially,” Brown told the BBC.
“We have got reserves so unfortunately this year we will be hitting them in a big way, posting heavy losses which is not clever as a businessman.
“We are in danger of being called hypocrites because we have been fairly outspoken in terms of living within your means.
“This year we aren’t going to do that, which is disappointing to say the least.
“Right now we don’t have a league sponsor which is circa £2 million. Trying to find companies to invest at that level isn’t an easy job for the commercial department.
“That’s going to be extremely difficult.
“I would like to think we can get somebody in. But I’m not sure how these companies quantify their investment.
“If you put two million quid into Scottish football what return do you get? I don’t know who does that?
Brown – at McDiarmid Park to watch Wright’s men draw with Rangers on Sunday – concedes he was stuck between a rock and a hard place regarding the bookies’ backing for Scottish football.
He added: “It’s a good and a bad thing that companies are standing aside, whether they are under pressure from other quarters because it’s probably not right having gambling companies backing sport.
“But it gives others an opportunity. That’s fair and well if there are others there that are willing to take it on.
“In terms of the gambling, it almost contradicts what we are trying to do.
“Gambling is a big thing in Scottish football, whether people want to admit that or not.
“On one hand you’re seriously trying to tackle the gambling addiction within the game. At the same time you’re taking their money.
“It is a bit contradictory, I must admit. If there is no more income coming in the obvious thing to do from a business perspective is cut back on your expenditure.
“There is no other option.”
St Johnstone-bound Shaun Rooney hopes to be facing current club Inverness in Premiership next season
