wee john Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Try getting the council to agree. GB tried for years to get a hotel built at McD but the council said no and then they grany the Holiday inn and Travel Lodge. Obviously they gave bigger backhanders to the council. The council suck when it comes to St Johnstone. Great idea though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StDuncM Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 We heard a rumour when we were up for the cup on Saturday that GB had agreed to sell McD to Tesco so they could expand the store. A deal similar to the one with Asda/Muirton Park was mentioned. The stadium does look a bit tired and dated so, if this is the case, where in Perth do you think Saints might relocate to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee john Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 We heard a rumour when we were up for the cup on Saturday that GB had agreed to sell McD to Tesco so they could expand the store. A deal similar to the one with Asda/Muirton Park was mentioned. The stadium does look a bit tired and dated so, if this is the case, where in Perth do you think Saints might relocate to? GIZZA BREAK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopper Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Least we'd only need a 6,000 seat stadium though! Nah, at the moment we would only need a Falkirk style stand and a Wendy House for away fans - then when it looks like promotion we can put another stand up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McCarry One Nil Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Absolutely spot on Wee John. maybe us folk that saw the "real" bad times realise how much GB has done for our club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StDuncM Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 As I said Radford it was a rumour but mentioned by the half dozen or so fans that were sat around us, so I thought that it may have had some credence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueheaven Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 We heard a rumour when we were up for the cup on Saturday that GB had agreed to sell McD to Tesco so they could expand the store. A deal similar to the one with Asda/Muirton Park was mentioned. The stadium does look a bit tired and dated so, if this is the case, where in Perth do you think Saints might relocate to? Where does nonsense like this come from? Name and shame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StDuncM Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 BH, I was merely being sociable with fellow spectators at one of the most unmemorable games I have ever been to. Never got round to asking their names but I could have a stab at giving you a description for the GB police Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watty Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Where does nonsense like this come from? Name and shame! That is a truly embarassing rumour, should've kept that one to yourself Dunc, retain your dignity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mainstand Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 On a vaguely-related subject, there's a money-making idea I've long felt Saints should be looking in to. They own a large area of unused land next to the stadium - why not use it to build a nice block of flats, which surely wouldn't be too hard to fill as there are new people moving to Perth and more need for new homes all the time. If Saints kept ownership of the flats and rented them out, the rent money would be a permanent source of steady, considerable income for the club. The flats would also give the club somewhere to accomodate new signings or trialists in need of a place to stay! And it's not as if we don't have a construction industry bloke as our chairman! There is liable to be a tax liability on that as the land was gifted to the Club prior to the owners death. Is the farm still a working farm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave mc Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Just like to echo eveything Wee John says!! GB SAVED US! for that one fact alone i'll never speak out against him.Sure it would be great to be able to fling money about like Scumdee,but they didn't have it to throw about,for my money those teams should have all been demoted.As said by another poster,a poor Saints is so much better than no Saints,no matter how frustrated we all are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueheaven Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 Just like to echo eveything Wee John says!! GB SAVED US! for that one fact alone i'll never speak out against him.Sure it would be great to be able to fling money about like Scumdee,but they didn't have it to throw about,for my money those teams should have all been demoted.As said by another poster,a poor Saints is so much better than no Saints,no matter how frustrated we all are. While agreeing with everything Wee John said in his post and also acknowledging that Geoff Brown saved the club, are people really of the opinion that that should make him forever above all criticism? If so, this is not a very healthy state, in my opinion. Everyone has to be answerable to someone, regardless of past achievements. A comparison I would draw is this: Sandy Clark guided Saints to the best ever season in the club's history. He is arguably the club's most successful manager ever. But, when the wheels came off and nobody could deny that he had begun to fail, he was rightly sacked. Doing great things in the past did not make Sandy Clark above criticism, and the same should be true of Geoff Brown. I back Geoff Brown to the hilt, but I do think he has made some considerable mistakes over the years, and I don't think it's wrong of the fans to point these out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueheaven Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 There is liable to be a tax liability on that as the land was gifted to the Club prior to the owners death. Is the farm still a working farm? I don't think it's a working farm - it's just a bare piece of land that the club own, and used to use as a carpark back when we were in the SPL. What's a tax liability? I know nothing of this financial jargon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeronAddict Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 In my opinion Brown certainly isn't above criticism. He deserves our eternal praise for ensuring that there is still a St. Johnstone to support, and I think the stick he gets from some fans for not putting enough money into the club, not gambling enough etc is totally undeserved. Economically I think he's run the club in a superb way given the financial crisis that scottish football as a whole has suffered recently, never overspending in the search for short-term success, while at the same time backing managers with an appropriate level of finance for a club our size and given the support level we have. He's also always made it clear that he's prepared to step aside should someone more able to take the club forward emerge. Equally there's little doubt that the last three managerial appointments, probably the most important decisions a chairman has to make, have been disastrous. Clark, Stark and Connolly were all failures and the jury is still out on Coyle, although I have faith that he is the right manager to take us forward over the next couple of seasons. The PR side of the club is for me a major issue - while the product on the park hasn't been good recently, the collapse in attendance is I feel down to more than that. I don't feel saints are promoted well enough in the community - in local schools for example - and the prices at McDiarmid, particuarly on the gate, are, in my opinion, far too high for the level of football we're playing. Given the pish that's been served up in the last five years, its really no surprise that crowds are down so much, especially as there do not seem to be any fresh initiatives designed to attract families who move to Perth but have no prior connection to Saints to come to the games. It doesn't take a genius to work out that continually rising prices isn't going to bring more fans through the gates. The problems with Rock Steady, and Brown's failure to empathise with the fans concerns is also an issue. For all that, I'd much rather have a Geoff Brown in charge than a Peter Marr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slf Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 wee john yer spot on.enough said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Hayley Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 You have to laugh when the GB issue comes up, not that it comes up but some of the crap as to why we are in a bad way at the moment. Apart from the fact that he saved our club, got us a new stadium, one of the best in the country, without going into debt to get it, up there as one of the best bit of business in Scottish football history. We still benefit from the Muirton Park sale to this day as we recently sold the old training pitch at Florence Place and we still have other land in the town to sell. Under GB we have been more successful than at any other period in our history. our average league position in the period has been higher, almost as many semi finals in that period than the rest of our 99 years previous. We have spent crazy amounts of money on players over the years, even taking inflation into account we have spent 5 times (guesstimate)as much than we ever did. Following ST J will always have ups and downs, same as following St Mirren, Partick, Morton and lots of others similar in size to us. We are still better off than these clubs, even St Mirren despite them about to win the league. All these clubs and lots of others of similar size/population/potential, Clyde, Airdrie, Dumfermline, Third Lanark, Well, Killie have been more succsessful than us in their history, had bigger crowds/support. We have suffered from lack of success/under achievement for 121 years, but under GB we have came as close than we ever have and still have the potential to take that final step. Sure we can go back to a 3 year spell 69-71 where we had success which was followed less than 5 years later by freefall, that will not happen again, we will never get that low again. As long as GB is at the helm we will bounce back, it is taking longer than we want but we will get there soon. It is not for lack of trying as the change in managers and investment over the last 5/6 years (and there has been alot of investment, decent wages paid etc) can prove. We have not been used to as many changes in personel, players and managers, that we have had since Sturrock left. Stability is the key, if we stick with OC & especially GB I'm pretty sure we'll bounce back soon. Agree with you 100% wee john, he saved the club without going into debt and tht is y he doesnt spend overbudget on players so we dont go in debt and go bust. We heard a rumour when we were up for the cup on Saturday that GB had agreed to sell McD to Tesco so they could expand the store. A deal similar to the one with Asda/Muirton Park was mentioned. The stadium does look a bit tired and dated so, if this is the case, where in Perth do you think Saints might relocate to? I can tell you's all for a total and uter FACT that this is a total rumour there is no such thing happening you have my word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maradona Posted January 10, 2006 Report Share Posted January 10, 2006 All the posts are about how bad the team/manager are lets talk about Mr Geoff Brown who over the last few years (since Saints were relegated and to some extent still in the SPL) has run the the club so tightly that atracting even semi decent free transfers is a problem because he wont pay the wages. I am not saying he should pay all the players big salaries but if you can bring in a couple of Qaulity players it can make all the difference, Falkirk did this when they gambled on Russell Latapy and look where they are now I dont want to see Saints end up like Dundee but we need to take a gamble because that is the only way back into the SPL, whether we like it or not if we carry on the way we are going its second division football within the next three years, but it could so easily be SPL football within the next three years. Coyle is a young manager learning the ropes but he was appointed because we didnt want to pay for someone with experience, I hope he does well but he needs to be given time, the question is do we have it, without bringing in any qaulity the answer would be no. I heard Juanjo was a name being talked about he would certainly give us that bit of qaulity, its wheather or not Geoff Brown wants to take a gamble on his fitness, Celtic did it with Hartson, Falkirk with Latapy the list goes on. Then again he doesn't take gambles just houses and land from the people of Perth to sell to all the Old Firm and Edinburgh fans that now stay here. No wonder the attendances are so poor. Well thats my two pence for what its worth, some will say i am wrong but its just my opinion so dont slate me too much who knows maybe someone will agree I couldn't of said it beter may self, Geoff needs to have some turst in his manager and say theresa little bit of money go and buy a decent player. I mean we've been bringing in nothing but free transfers for a few years and were just floating about midd- table in the first divison, really were better than that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan the saint Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 True saviour of Saints ASDA and Farmer McDiarmid not GB (right place at right time) didnt see GB giving up any of his land for the stadium. and yes it was Brian Soutar i was on about, so i take it if he bought the Saintees you would not be happy then just because he didnt put his cash in while he was still building his business, he offered at the time Saints needed it most, but GB didnt want to sell because like all business men his ego got in the way. Brian Soutar did want 2 put a lot of his cash in 2 saints but GB wants more then Mr Soutar was going 2 put in at that time so he put the cash in by sponsoring the tops and other stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saintkev Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 In my opinion Brown certainly isn't above criticism. He deserves our eternal praise for ensuring that there is still a St. Johnstone to support, and I think the stick he gets from some fans for not putting enough money into the club, not gambling enough etc is totally undeserved. Economically I think he's run the club in a superb way given the financial crisis that scottish football as a whole has suffered recently, never overspending in the search for short-term success, while at the same time backing managers with an appropriate level of finance for a club our size and given the support level we have. He's also always made it clear that he's prepared to step aside should someone more able to take the club forward emerge. Equally there's little doubt that the last three managerial appointments, probably the most important decisions a chairman has to make, have been disastrous. Clark, Stark and Connolly were all failures and the jury is still out on Coyle, although I have faith that he is the right manager to take us forward over the next couple of seasons. The PR side of the club is for me a major issue - while the product on the park hasn't been good recently, the collapse in attendance is I feel down to more than that. I don't feel saints are promoted well enough in the community - in local schools for example - and the prices at McDiarmid, particuarly on the gate, are, in my opinion, far too high for the level of football we're playing. Given the pish that's been served up in the last five years, its really no surprise that crowds are down so much, especially as there do not seem to be any fresh initiatives designed to attract families who move to Perth but have no prior connection to Saints to come to the games. It doesn't take a genius to work out that continually rising prices isn't going to bring more fans through the gates. The problems with Rock Steady, and Brown's failure to empathise with the fans concerns is also an issue. For all that, I'd much rather have a Geoff Brown in charge than a Peter Marr I know we said not to say things like I agree, but I would echo this exactly excpet perhaps to add that so long at the helm has made him a tad above taking advice or critiscm, he's kind of lost touch with reality at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wee john Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Brian Soutar did want 2 put a lot of his cash in 2 saints but GB wants more then Mr Soutar was going 2 put in at that time so he put the cash in by sponsoring the tops and other stuff It is a myth that Soutar wanted to buy the club. GB has been trying to get him to invest in the club for years, they were wined and dined at McD for a long time before they put any input in. He now has a link with the club in the form of sponsorship, this worked it's way from the youth team to the cheap last minute Megabus deal, but all the same Saints are chuffed he has eventually put some kind of money into the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StDuncM Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I can tell you's all for a total and uter FACT that this is a total rumour there is no such thing happening you have my word. Thank you Saint Hayley. I think I get your drift!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Sanderson Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 Of course GB has made mistakes over the years- who doesn't. Most importantly he's got a lot of critical decisions correct over the years regarding the setup of the club. There will always be a section of support that will criticise the chairman: some that criticise because they genuinely feel that it is time to go, some that criticise because they live in a fantasy-world in which McAbramovich comes in and splashes the cash around as a bit of entertainment. That won't happen (thankfully). Whatever the rights & wrongs of GB, I don' t think that it's a secret that for a fair while he's wanted to hand the club over to a suitable successor. I don't think he'd be looking for a big payout, merely the satisfaction of turning the club over to a realistic and hard-working chairman who understands the concept of a community club and, dare I say it, the realism to acknowldge that Saints will have a monsoon summer potentially every 10-15 years and the remainder of that time floating between Premier & Div 1. We might like to think that we're above all of that, but the reality is that we're in a group of 5-8 clubs that have historically yo-yo'd between the divisions. I trust GB's assertation that there has so far not been one realistic option to enable him to step aside, firm in the belief that the club is being handled in a respectable manner. The key for our club is to maintain a sense of realism and, as a bare minimum, not let the club slide out of the 1st. If that were to happen, then I would start to seriously question the ownership of the club. Personally I cannot see the point in any "GB out" rhetoric as there is no-one who has so far shown a sense of realism and passion for the club and the town. Maybe when someone comes out of the shadows that will change, but I suspect Geoff will have already stepped aside. Besides, who can seriously challenge a chairman who has the commercial sense to sanction a Saints riding helmet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pezza70 Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I personally think there should be a statue errected in his honour the same as Sir Matt Busby has United. He may have never ever laced on a pair of boots for our club, but I doubt there have be many who have left a bigger print on our club then Geoff. We all want success yesterday, today and tomorrow but at what cost do you gamble on that success. Maybe at best, the club is only a middle of the road division 1 team, to me thats better then know St Johnstone at all. With Geoff we know what we are going to get and that's a club to support week in and week out, without Geoff there would of been know St Johnstone. He has made mistakes and Im sure he will keep on making mistakes, but I will forever speak highly of the man who saved our club. If our club is to go under financially, who would you support on a saturday afternoon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodgers Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 I personally think there should be a statue errected in his honour the same as Sir Matt Busby has United. He may have never ever laced on a pair of boots for our club, but I doubt there have be many who have left a bigger print on our club then Geoff. We all want success yesterday, today and tomorrow but at what cost do you gamble on that success. Maybe at best, the club is only a middle of the road division 1 team, to me thats better then know St Johnstone at all. With Geoff we know what we are going to get and that's a club to support week in and week out, without Geoff there would of been know St Johnstone. He has made mistakes and Im sure he will keep on making mistakes, but I will forever speak highly of the man who saved our club. If our club is to go under financially, who would you support on a saturday afternoon? Totaly agree with you, i dnt know what id do on a saturday afternoon with no football He has tryed to bring in other directors and for them to start to take over the club but that doesnt look like its still happening with Charlie Gallocher leaving the board. But he wouldnt leave the club in guys hands who he think wouldnt look after the club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopper Posted January 11, 2006 Report Share Posted January 11, 2006 He has tryed to bring in other directors and for them to start to take over the club but that doesnt look like its still happening with Paul Gallocher leaving the board. But he wouldnt leave the club in guys hands who he think wouldnt look after the club. I don't think the directors were brought to take over the club, but more to help run the club. And it's Charlie Gallagher, Paul Gallagher is the ex-Arab goalie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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