St Johnstone owner Geoff Brown has left the door open for a return to his old role of club chairman.
Geoff’s son Steve has announced his decision to resign from the post in around six months, with his vice-chairman, Charlie Fraser, also moving on.
The Brown family has run Saints since 1986, with Geoff, 79, chairman for 25 of those years.
He told Courier Sport that there is plenty of time for a successor to be appointed.
But Brown admitted that it “might be” a case of Saints going back to the future.
“There’s time enough for that,” said Geoff on the subject of what happens after May 31.
“The lay of the land at this minute in time is it’s going to land back with me.
“The situation is that today, that’s not requiring an answer.
“But, one way or another, if you own the club you either do it or you have to look for A N Other to do it.
“Over 37 years we’ve never paid any money out to a chairman. That’s basically the reason why St Johnstone is in profit.”
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗔𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻
"As a life-long St Johnstone supporter, it's been an honour to be a part of this great Football Club."
Read the full statement here 👇#SJFC |
— St. Johnstone FC (@StJohnstone) December 8, 2022
Geoff added: “It (Steve’s resignation decision) has not come as a shock. He was wanting to step away a couple of years ago, prior to the pandemic.
“One way or another, he’s had enough.
“Mentally, it is very, very difficult and he’s got his own life and family. He has to get on with it.
“The best part of 12 years is a long, long time as chairman.”
Geoff was very much a ‘hands-off’ owner in the decade-and-a-bit Steve has been chairman – a period of unprecedented on-pitch success.
“I’ve not had any football involvement at all,” he said.
“I would not let anyone get involved with me other than Stewart Duff so I didn’t see any reason why I would interfere with Steve.
“I took a complete step back and made absolutely no decisions. That’s the way it should be.
“If someone’s at the top of the tree, let them get on with it.”
‘None of the others worked out’
Day to day running of Saints has been the remit of Ian Flaherty since he was appointed the head of operations in the spring.
That will continue to be the case.
“He’s still learning,” said Geoff.
“It’s not easy coming out of what he was doing to lead up a football club.
“I don’t know what would be seen as the qualifications to lead up a football club.
“There aren’t any.
“It comes down to common sense and a bit of brains behind it.
“That’s what is required.
“He (Steve) has had plenty of people there over that 12 years. Unfortunately, none of the others worked out.”
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