Craig Levein will enjoy “great times” at St Johnstone, according to former boss Paul Sturrock.
And having Geoff Brown behind him will be a big part of any future McDiarmid Park success.
Sturrock was the latest guest on the BBC’s ‘Sacked in the Morning’ podcast, reminiscing with Levein about his own start in management at McDiarmid Park in the 1990s.
Brown was a hands-on Perth chairman back then.
Still the Saints owner decades later at the age of 80, he’s currently the honorary president.
Brown was involved in the recent recruitment process to appoint Steven MacLean’s successor.
And Sturrock believes Levein’s desire to work him and other “good people” at McDiarmid was sound logic.
“Geoff’s been very shrewd in his selection of managers over the years,” said Sturrock.
“A lot of the managers have been very successful with his tutoring, as he would call it.
“He’s a good chairman and you’ll have great times with him.
“He’s also a winner.
“Geoff likes to be involved and wants to know what you’re thinking about.
“He has an opinion on everything!”
Total commitment
Sturrock, who went on to manage Dundee United and then enjoy great success with Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday, added: “It was dark times when I started off – we got beat to Stenhousemuir in the cup.
“At no time did he (Brown) come in and say: ‘Paul, you’ve got two more games’ or whatever.
“He was totally committed to the managers he brought in and it’s proved successful.
“It’s a great boost to a manager when you know the chairman is backing you.”
With Sturrock having collapsed in the dugout during his time as Saints manager, Brown had plenty of wise advice for the then rookie boss.
And once it even involved him missing a game to join him on holiday!
“We were relegated in the first year and in the second year we just missed out on promotion,” Sturrock recalled.
“In the third year we were flying high.
“All of a sudden Geoff said: ‘We (the Saints directors) are going on a golf holiday to Portugal and we want you to come’.
“I said: ‘But we’ve got a game on Tuesday!’
“He said: ‘No, no, you’re coming’.
“We were out on the golf course when the game was getting played. I couldn’t hit a shot. I four-putted one of the holes. It was unbelievable.
“But we won and Sloop (assistant, John Blackley) claimed it was his management that did it!”
Jim Weir: After Paul Sturrock’s heart scare, Geoff Brown had the St Johnstone players leaving training so late they were wearing miner’s hats https://t.co/LSjGSrfqL3 pic.twitter.com/cS1al0ktww
— The Courier Sport (@thecouriersport) December 9, 2022
On another golf trip, Brown and Sturrock ended up in the company of showbiz royalty.
“As we were walking up the 17th I said: ‘I think that’s Sean Connery’,” he recalled.
“Then in the bar he came up and said ‘You’re Paul Sturrock, aren’t you?’
“I’m like: ‘You’re Sean Connery?’
“Geoff was saying: ‘How do you know him?’ and was getting autographs and everything else.”
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