Geoff Brown steps down

[dave mc]

The os is offering the facility to e-mail thanks to GB, here's mine.

I would like to take a few minutes to say a huge thanks to Mr Brown for firstly saving our club when he took over, and then taking it to such great heights as third in the top league, something I thought I'd never see again after Willie Ormonds fantastic team of the late 60's and early70's.Most fans don't appreciate what has been achieved at Saints in the last 25 years, and ALL done whilst living within our means.So to end, a sincere and very grateful thank you to Geoff Brown for giving me and many others such enjoyment, those of us who are realistic, know we've over achieved for most of those years!Hope young Stevie Brown takes over the baton with the same perspective as his father, then I'm sure the club will continue to strive, THANKS Geoff, put your feet up and enjoy!!

[Edstar101]

Mines

I remember years ago training as a boy at the park in St Madoes in the middle of winter under rigged up floodlights. Geoff was there in his tracksuit bottoms joining in. I remember playing in tournaments in Dundee and getting a lift back from Geoff afterwards. I still have the photo with us all with Alan Rough in the GS Brown show-house next to Perth High School.

We had a chairman at Saints that was in it for the love of football and the love of his football team….not for the money or as a rich man’s play-thing.

What he has left is not only a team that possibly only exists due to his intervention, but a football club that is built on honesty and respect for others and is now in a sound financial position whilst others around are constantly in turmoil. We have a club that, at the time of writing, is sitting 4th in the SPL and over the years has constantly achieved perhaps more than it should have.

I have witnessed promotions, as well as relegations, a cup final, several semi-finals, some great one-off games and I will never forget seeing Saints take to the pitch in Vassa. I have no doubt that I owe that to Geoff as much and more than to anybody else that has ever been associated with Perth Saints.

All the best Geoff and good luck to Stevie (who I also played football with for a while). I am sure you will continue to give him the benefit of your expertise as he takes on a role that is so important to so many people

[The ghost of Jim Morton]

Just want to say a few words about the man I will always regard as Mr.St.Johnstone.

Thanks for giving so much of your life to our club and thanks above all for caring, for making sure that unlike others, we never took ridiculous gambles for a short term boost when it was obvious that there was always going to be a payback which we could not afford. I am proud of the way my club has been run for the last 25 years, proud that unlike many other clubs, we have shown financial restraint when required. When many believed that you should throw money at the club, you stood firm and on nearly every occasion were proved to be correct. And you were always happy to tell us how correct you were.

Thanks for being approachable and thanks for loving St.Johnstone as much as I do.

All the best with the horses and enjoy your new found spare time.

Cheers Geoff

[JEccles621]

And here's my contribution to the club:

Geoff – many thanks for all of the memories you have given us over the last 25 years. When you took over, I was one of the small number of hardy souls following the team around the nether regions of the Scottish leagues. To be blunt, your intervention saved us from becoming the next Third Lanark. The masterminding of the deal with Asda and the move to McDiarmid was genius and most of the 10 years that followed provided some of my favourite memories as a Saints fan (5-0 v the Dons, 3-1 v Airdrie and of course, 7-2 v Dundee!!). Presiding over our 3rd place finish and the European adventures that followed were the pinnacle – memories of Vaasa and Monaco will never fade.

We then had a lean spell but you never wavered in your determination to run the Club within its resources – a lesson many other clubs failed to follow. And this proved the right route – success followed after Owen Coyle got the playing side back on course and the appointment of Derek McInnes took us back to the top tier. Many of us were sceptical about Derek’s appointment back then (‘the cheap approach’, ‘lacking ambition’ and ‘unproven’ were banded about), but you saw the potential in Del – and he has proved to be one of the best decisions you ever made.

I am excited by your last decision as Chairman – the appointment of Steve Lomas as manager. The criteria used to select a successor to Del was, like many of your decisions, so forward thinking – appoint a young manager with ambition but who will have a role to champion the Club in the local community. Whilst I wish Steve Lomas every success, today is tinged with a genuine sadness that you are leaving the helm of the Club. But you leave it in the healthiest of conditions and pass over responsibility to a young and ambitious Board.

Thank you Geoff for everything you have done for our Club. You will go down in the annals as our most successful, honourable and shrewd Chairman in our proud 125+ years’ history. You are indeed ‘Mr St Johnstone’ – and you deserve to enjoy a happy and successful retirement – hopefully still coming along to McDiarmid to keep a wise old eye on things!

[Honest Saints Fan]

And mine...

People talk of Messi, Ronaldo etc as footballing heroes but Geoff Brown you are mine! You took over St Johnstone before I was even born but without you and your shrewd business tactics I probably wouldn’t have a team to support. I wish you a long and happy retirement and hope the new manager is able to lead St Johnstone to winning a national trophy this season, a fitting tribute to your legacy. All the best to you Mr Brown and to your son, who will no doubt do just as great a job as you have done.

[Doctorsaint]

Goodbye and enjoy your retirement Mr St Johnstone like most people on here have said you save our from the brink and you have giving us some great memory’s now that my 2 girls are proud saints supporters hope under Brown Jnr they can have just as many great memory’s like the rest of us have.

We should name a stand after him or statue are bring a DVD out called the Geoff years.

[andrew]

Mine

On a day when Geoff announces his retirement as St Johnstone chairman we see another club in the headlines due to major financial difficulties contributed to by the actions of their chairman.

In his time St Johnstone have never had to ride the financial roller coaster of administration, non payment of players' wages and other bills, HMRC demands over dubious tax avoidance schemes, points deductions, demotions, sack the board chants and all the uncertainty those things bring.

Anything our small club have achieved has been done with integrity and from a sound, sensible base.

Aside from the five promotions and two relegations Geoff mentioned, we have appeared in numerous cup semi finals, taking some big scalps along the way.

We've had a third place finish, a European adventure, a Challenge Cup win, and ten managers.

It hasn't been success all the way, but when it does come it is so much more enjoyable than for those who expect and demand victories and trophies.

In the context of the Scottish game, Geoff Brown is a giant, an example whose legacy and reputation will live on for decades to come.

In terms of St Johnstone FC we owe him a debt of gratitude.

A great many thanks go to Geoff Brown.

[ryangordon86]

It says a lot that my feelings towards GB's retirement outweigh my excitement at Steve Lomas' appointment. All I hope is that Stevie Brown shares his father's opinions and skills with regards to running a football club

[newyear'sday97]

Thanks for everything Geoff. Without you there would be no St Johnstone and for that alone you should always be remembered fondly by the people of Perth. For the idiots on here (although few) who have said that Geoff should have gone in the past, be very grateful that we never got Romanov or any of the many idiots that have tried to revive the sleeping giant up the Tay.

[john1962]

I can only echo what has already been said. Thanks for everything Geoff you are Mr. St Johnstone. You are THE Chairman.

[the mad referee]

it can not be underestimated what Geoff has done for our beloved club, without him the club would have gone under back inbb the summer of 1986

[BlueJ]

A huge thank you to Geoff Brown and all the best. Without him, who knows where St Johnstone would be.

A very reasoned and accurate statement.

[Guest Harry Curran's Love child]

It says a lot that my feelings towards GB's retirement outweigh my excitement at Steve Lomas' appointment. All I hope is that Stevie Brown shares his father's opinions and skills with regards to running a football club

As Geoff said himself on Sportsound tonight, he (Geoff) has had very little to do with the day-to-day running of the club for about the past 4 yrs. IMO Steve is more than capable of leading us into a new, exciting chapter in our clubs history.

[lampshade]

Theirs only one geoff brown,one Geoff brown,theirs only one Geoff brown,one Geoff brown .have a great retirement Geoff, you are a real football legend and Thanks for everything.

[Real Madrid]

It was good to hear Geoff on Sportsound tonight.

It shows how well respected he is by the fact the Jim Spence managed to write a blog today that was not based on the Dundee clubs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/jimspence/2011/11/geoff_browns_contribution_to_s.html

I have written my reply but it would be good to get a few more Saints on the page before the usual old firm trolls come on and spoil it.

[St Mikey]

All we need is an Arab Sheikh with billions. Build a new 20,000 seater stadium with excellent facilities and start buying players and we can get into the Champions League, just like Man City! L O L

I'm glad we are safe and sound. Just look at the operating losses of Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen and Hearts. Especially Hearts.

[Smarmy Arab]

In a age where the word 'legend' is misused, abused and hollowed of all meaning....raise a glass for the genuine article, step forward the legend that is Mr Geoff Brown!:

[sleepless]

In a age where the word 'legend' is misused, abused and hollowed of all meaning....raise a glass for the genuine article, step forward the legend that is Mr Geoff Brown!:

exactly so.....

[carhartt-saintee]

Agree with pretty much everything written here- without Geoff there would be no St Johnstone, that's the bottom line.

Through promotions & relegations, highs & lows, i always had the comfort of knowing that there would always be a tomorrow for us, that we had security & stability, and that our best interests were being looked after by a man who genuinely loved the club as much as we did.

Thank you Geoff for everything, and enjoy your retirement

[pringles]

exactly so.....

entirely agree with everything that has been said but can I introduce a cautionary note I think matching a completely inexperienced manager with a completely inexperienced chairman is not very wise. For those of you who think Steve has been involved before read GB's comments re one to one relationships which would suggest Steve was never involved Think Geoff should have stayed till end of season Lomas didnt join Saints because of Steve Browns reputation

[ex-montrosesaintee]

entirely agree with everything that has been said but can I introduce a cautionary note I think matching a completely inexperienced manager with a completely inexperienced chairman is not very wise. For those of you who think Steve has been involved before read GB's comments re one to one relationships which would suggest Steve was never involved Think Geoff should have stayed till end of season Lomas didnt join Saints because of Steve Browns reputation

It is my understanding that Steve was the one to one contact with Del for the last 4 years, and Geoff's role has been more and more advisory.

[st paddy]

In a age where the word 'legend' is misused, abused and hollowed of all meaning....raise a glass for the genuine article, step forward the legend that is Mr Geoff Brown!:

If you are being genuine, i thank you for your sentiment.

Geoff, thanks for the memories, the highs, and the lows that made the high so much sweeter. Thanks for monaco. thanks for the aberdeen game, thanks for the dundee 7-2 game, thanks for the airdrie game, thanks for the 2-0 game against rangers, none of which would have happened if you had not taken the helm when you did.

thank you.

oh and ignore the "pringles" they only go to show you can please some of the people some of the time....

[slf]

end of an era.thanks for the memories chief.

[541ntees]

Relegation brought a tear to my eye, hampden losses brought a tear to my eye, That day at Hamilton brought a tear to mi eye and the day Geoff Brown stepped down brought a tear to my eye.

My 1st Saints game was 1990 as a 12 year old after Geoff had done most of his hard work saving St Johnstone Football Club and cementing the club as the best run club in Scotland. id like yo thank geoff for the great memories . from 7-2 to being in Monaco to 4-1.

Never mind Ronaldo v Messi, Ronaldo+Messi does not come close to Geoff Brown!

Im happy that our new chairman is going to be Mr Brown and i'm sure dad will be there to give a helping hand when needed and he'sleft us in a great shape sitting 4th with a promising young manager

A stand has to be named after the great man and a statue

thanks Geoff i look forward to seeing you at McDiarmid Park COYS!

[Dennistoun Saint]

Due to his love for the club, we'll all have a club we can continue to love for years to come. The most important figure in our club's long history and worthy of a suitably special tribute.

Thanks Geoff and enjoy your retirement.