An open letter to St Johnstone Chairman Steve Brown


Calypso Kid

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T

This is the predicament a lot of fellow Saints fans find themselves in

The sad thing is that our chairman seems more interested in the potential loss of income from a team that visit mcd twice a season than losing loyal Saints season ticket holders

I actually think that he was given a get out today when they transferred the vote from the board to the clubs. He can vote against knowing that the clubs up to their eyes in debt will vote for them to stay.

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We might be seeing the biggest boycott or postponement of season ticket purchasing in the history of Scottish Football. Read on some Aberdeen and Hearts forums there are already campaigns and section 111 Celtic's Green Brigade are delaying Renewal until further notice.

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We might be seeing the biggest boycott or postponement of season ticket purchasing in the history of Scottish Football. Read on some Aberdeen and Hearts forums there are already campaigns and section 111 Celtic's Green Brigade are delaying Renewal until further notice.

I read that Joe McBride was going to organise a a celtic fans boycott of clubs who vote for them to stay.

Not sure if its the Joe McBride who played for them though.

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We might be seeing the biggest boycott or postponement of season ticket purchasing in the history of Scottish Football. Read on some Aberdeen and Hearts forums there are already campaigns and section 111 Celtic's Green Brigade are delaying Renewal until further notice.

Mr Romanov wasn't that daft starting selling his season tickets over a month ago. I believe mopre than 5000 already sold.

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You're surely not suggesting there was an ulterior motive in asking for this postponement. (and not turning up because they knew they'd get it)

However, just picture 11 chairmen falling over themselves in the stampede to vacate the boardroom.

another thought just struck me.... Yorkston is crying out for "sporting integrity" but would he be doing this if his team were comfortably higher up the league? IF RFC were put to SFL3 then Dunfermline would stay up rather than 2nd place SFL1 being promoted.....

Everyone is playing their own angle and looking after their own interests...

Ross County could potentially be the only "honest" vote in this matter.

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I find this all very difficult.

We do not need them, this season having made top six we still did not get 2 home games each guaranteed against the so called big 2! How i will never know, is it because we are St. Johnstone?

Bottom six only guarantees two home games against one of them.

We cannot let the newco or whatever they will be called back into the SPL, minimum Div 3. Bizarrely if they are allowed back in the SPL, most other teams will lose some of their hardcore support thus reducing their finances yet these cheating ***** will not lose any of their support, probably gain.

The people running the clubs must grow a set and take a stand for the good of football in Scotland and take every sanction possible against Rangers.

My Choice will be to still follow Saints, but will never go back to a Rangers game again. I accept anyones decision on how they decide to act if they are allowed back into the SPL, but will only say our club needs every supporter we can get. It needs every penny you contribute in whatever way, please try not to let these cheating ***** win.

WE ARE SAINTS, WE ARE PERTH!

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Guess you either haven't read the thread or are having difficulty understanfing the whole thing.

I have read the thread but im having difficulty understanding why some fans would want to boycott are club. I will still buy a season ticket and i will still go to both home and away dont know if i will go to Ibrox though

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I have read the thread but im having difficulty understanding why some fans would want to boycott are club. I will still buy a season ticket and i will still go to both home and away dont know if i will go to Ibrox though

Its because our club could be saying its ok for Rangers to stay in the SPL even though they have been cheating for 15 years. What is the point of carrying on if cheating is condoned.

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I have read the thread but im having difficulty understanding why some fans would want to boycott are club. I will still buy a season ticket and i will still go to both home and away dont know if i will go to Ibrox though

That's fine.

Some people accept cheating and watching fraudulent competitions for top dollar, others don't.

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That's exactly it, john1962 and Calypso Kid. If St Johnstone - my beloved club - is willing to condone and (albeit passively) support cheating and malpractice by one of the SPL member clubs, then I won't be back to an SPL game.

I am saddened that some people on here still seem to believe that adopting this stance somehow makes me less of a true Saints supporter. Anyone that believes that simply doesn't know me. But hey, it's all about opinions.

Meanwhile, the bottom line is that Steve Brown and the other SPL Chairmen STILL have a chance to change things. So let's get some pressure on them to do the right thing.

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:?:

That's exactly it, john1962 and Calypso Kid. If St Johnstone - my beloved club - is willing to condone and (albeit passively) support cheating and malpractice by one of the SPL member clubs, then I won't be back to an SPL game.

I am saddened that some people on here still seem to believe that adopting this stance somehow makes me less of a true Saints supporter. Anyone that believes that simply doesn't know me. But hey, it's all about opinions.

Meanwhile, the bottom line is that Steve Brown and the other SPL Chairmen STILL have a chance to change things. So let's get some pressure on them to do the right thing.

You're not alone and it's not exclusive to Saints. I know of 'diehards' of most of the clubs who will not compromise.

Sad but necessary.

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Meanwhile, the bottom line is that Steve Brown and the other SPL Chairmen STILL have a chance to change things. So let's get some pressure on them to do the right thing.

Great idea, Percy. Any ideas on how we go about it though?

Thousands of fans have signed an online petition but I'm not convinced it will make a lick of difference.

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We now have more time to pressure Percy and all of us whether we intend to boycott the SPL or just the Newco share significant common ground.

Calypso you've been away to long.

Percy you have drafted an open letter. What now. I have written to the club and spoken to Board members.

What next?

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This is going to roll. We supporters must stand united against any acceptance of a newco. Unity is strength. A mate of mine (Celtic fan) has just told me that the "Green Brigade" are not renewing their season tickets until the situation is clarified.

The very least must be a blanket boycott of newco fixtures from all supporters.

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Guess you either haven't read the thread or are having difficulty understanfing the whole thing.

Very lazy response to a heart felt and honest plea. Even if you think the post was crap at least stop responding like a pure uneducated d***.

If either of you knew ANYTHING about The Mystery Man you would be cringing with embarrassment at what you responded to his post, especially you, SS.

You are clearly two bright, articulate guys. Privileged, perhaps, compared to some. You might be useful were we to require any help, but I'd look to guys like Ghostie or Lampshade before either of you.

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If either of you knew ANYTHING about The Mystery Man you would be cringing with embarrassment at what you responded to his post, especially you, SS.

Someone with an apparent lack of understanding about sporting integrity, fairness or equality? Or the very least, a lack of understanding of the situation?

On another note, I believe this is really the last stand for Scottish football. The defining moment of how much power the fans really do have vs broadcasting power. A chance for the chairmen and money men who run the game to connect with the fans and prove that the SPL will not accept cheating. Please.

Edited by Sainteesean
add last paragraph
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We now have more time to pressure Percy and all of us whether we intend to boycott the SPL or just the Newco share significant common ground.

Calypso you've been away to long.

Percy you have drafted an open letter. What now. I have written to the club and spoken to Board members.

What next?

A letter from the support as a whole, signed by each and every one person unwilling to follow St Johnstone if the inevitable happens?

I'm not sure the board realises the scale of what may be about to unfold.

Perhaps letting the club know just how many regular attendees will be unable to bring themselves to attend games might help force SB's hand.

Edited by ryangordon86
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Soulful according to Neil Doncaster there is a clause stating that there is a get out clause if there is not 4 old firm matches.

And so the MSM has told us over and over and over... but if you actually look into the facts, there is a proposed contract, which is yet to be signed, stating there must be 4 games between the Old Firm. If it is stated in this way then it would be akin to fixing the league. It is much more likely stated that you get xxx amount with 4 Old firm games and xxx amount without...

The problem is a newco Rangers is not the oldco, and hence, Sky could rip up the contract anyway.

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Having retained my silence since this whole unfortunate saga began, I've finally decided to make my view clear.

My position on this has changed on numerous occasions since February. Initially, following administration and perhaps with a subconscious belief that it wouldn’t get to this stage of the argument, without hesitation I declared that I would be renewing my season ticket and continuing to attend as many Saints matches as I possibly could. However, in the subsequent period and, particularly given the increasing tide of opposition against the premise of a NewCo, as well as the attitude of the media and Rangers themselves, I adopted the position as most of you have, in that a League without an ounce of integrity is one not worth supporting, and that I’d walk away from the Club and Scottish Football.

In the past 10 days my position has changed once again. Whether that makes me more of a flip flopper than the average career politician, or not, I’ve come to the conclusion that although I strongly disdain the idea of a NewCo Rangers begins automatically reinstated into the SPL, I just couldn’t walk away from Saints.

That’s a position that will inevitably be ridiculed by the “sporting integrity/principled brigade”, but that’s their prerogative, and one that I sympathise with, because I feel exactly the same way as they do. I agree with every single integrity argument as the idea of a NewCo Rangers playing in the SPL next season disgusts me. I see it as being quite possibly the final nail in the coffin that would see Scottish Football descend to Irish Football levels of attendances, with the other Clubs simply a puppet of a vile obscenely dominant duo at the top. Of course it can be argued that is essentially the case now, and has been for the best part of 100 years, but it would only get worse and the passion for Football in Scotland, which has diminished already, would be choked off completely.

The dilemma facing the Chairmen is the inevitable sudden and dramatic reduction in revenue which the League earns from television and sponsorship. It would be terrifying sitting looking at the financial reports for the Club and adjusting the figures to what would potentially be lost. That makes this an unenviable position for Steve Brown to be in.

Ultimately, neither eventuality is one to relish in the short to medium term at least. Playing standards would almost certainly decrease, and the “competitiveness” of the Premier League wouldn’t change either, but I understand that is all incidental when it comes to the wider philosophical question on the integrity of Scottish Football.

Integrity should always come ahead of the commercial aspect of any sport, and for the record, if I was Steve Brown I would vote against a NewCo Rangers in the SPL and make the necessary painful reductions. But 99% of us feel that way anyway, and that really isn’t the question I’m addressing, but the notion of boycotting my own Club.

As I said in the first paragraph, despite my fluctuating opinion, I WILL renew by season ticket at McDiarmid Park for next season. Yes, it would make me sick, and as Soulful mentioned earlier, it would be with a heavy heart that I would continue to follow and apparently “endorse” the SPL and it’s actions. For making this decision many of you will suggest that I am “complicit” by association with a potentially morally flawed League next year, and that is an unfortunate but understandable view to take.

By renewing my Season Ticket I am not intending to endorse what the SPL may have done, but I’m there supporting St Johnstone Football Club. The Club has been in existence for 128 years, and could I sit by and see the Club’s future decline drastically and potentially be threatened by a drastic loss of fan base? That’s something I just can’t bring myself to do. I would hate the idea of Steve Brown and Saints supporting a NewCo, but I can not be part of an action that could jeopardise the future of St Johnstone. Could I idly watch it fail due to the misguided actions of a reprehensible individual decision? That’s the question I asked myself last week, and my answer was a resounding NO. No matter how horrific the surrounding circumstances I just could not turn my back on St Johnstone Football Club.

If people wish to criticise me, then so be it, but I won’t return the gesture, because I fully understand and endorse where most of you are coming from. In fact I was 100% with you just over a week ago!

In the end whatever happens as a result of this will not be a positive one in the short to medium term. Perhaps we need an expansive and long term vision, but ultimately I fear that Scottish Football and St Johnstone Football Club will be damaged, possibly irreparably, by the results of what is decided in the next few weeks.

And no matter whether we intend to give the “game” up or not, we can all agree, that is a truly distressing thought.

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