“The team was going nowhere and the company was in grave danger of heading towards oblivion”.
There were, as the club’s well-researched history book continues, no substantial assets and no money to bring in any decent players. The bank was largely in control of what the club could do.
St Johnstone had finished the 1985/86 season in sixth place in the 14 team Second Division - 30th in the Scottish league - and attendance figures were dwindling. Only 23,000 had turned up for the 23 home games.
The final home game of that season welcomed 798 diehards to Muirton Park for a 1-1 draw with Queen of the South for what would seem a run-of-the-mill, insignificant end to a worrying chapter.
Yet, unbeknown to most perched inside the Perth stadium, there was a particularly significant figure glancing over proceedings that day: Geoff Brown.
The local businessman had been invited down to “meet the board to discuss the situation” and summer negotiations would follow before he took hold of the reins not long into the 1986/87 season.
In his first year in charge, Brown had noted: “Miracles will not be achieved overnight and patience must be applied in the early stages... But I genuinely believe St Johnstone should be quoted in Scotland’s top twelve clubs.”
One of the most spectacular revivals in Scottish football had kicked-off.
More than 30 years on, Saints find themselves in a position of financial stability - backed up by the latest accounts - and a mainstay of Scotland’s top-flight. Three major trophies and multiple memorable adventures to the continent very much included.
The success, particularly the past decade, was exactly what Brown’s commitment, dedication and loyalty deserved.
In a modern footballing landscape where personal gain often takes priority, he has always had the club’s best interest at heart. He cares and that, for any follower of a football team, means the world.
His affection for St Johnstone was emphasised in full this week when the announcement was made that he is looking to sell his shareholding in the football club.
Brown will ensure that his already lasting legacy will stretch further by donating the net proceeds to the St Johnstone Community Trust, the charitable organisation doing significant work locally on a daily basis.
If a sale is not finalised by May 31 - the day his son Steve stands down from his own successful 11-year chairmanship of the club - then Geoff will step back into the role of chairman.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to Steve for his tireless efforts during his chairmanship of the club, within which time we have enjoyed unparalleled success, including winning three major trophies, and playing in European competition on countless occasions,” Geoff said.
“I can also announce that I am looking to sell my shareholding in St Johnstone Football Club with a view to handing the running of the club over when the sale is complete.
“As those that know me well will attest to, my ownership of St Johnstone Football Club has never been about the money.
“It has been a labour of love that, at the heart of it, has been an ongoing mission to ensure the stability and financial viability of the football club whilst always striving to achieve success on the park.
“It is therefore my intention that the net proceeds from the sale of my shareholding will be put towards building a community hub for the St Johnstone Community Trust, for the benefit of the football club and the local community.
“Whilst not without its many challenges, I will always look back on my 37 years as majority shareholder of St Johnstone Football Club with fondness and, with the building of the community hub, I am keen to ensure a legacy that will be enjoyed by many for generations to come.”
When the above news broke on Friday morning, former Saints defender Danny Griffin, now Community and Club Development Officer with the St Johnstone Community Trust, was not surprised by Brown’s kind-hearted gesture. He has come to expect such class.
Griffin had arrived at McDiarmid Park as a fresh faced 15-year-old in 1994, at which time Brown was chairman.
“When I broke into the first team Geoff and his wife Joyce were my sponsor,” Griffin smiled.
“I was a young boy coming over from Belfast and the football club became my family. Geoff always showed an interest. As much as he was the chairman back then, Geoff was Geoff.
“Yeah he ran the football club and made the decisions, but he would always chat and ask how things were going. We would get on the bus on a Saturday and I’d get asked what I’d been up to that week.
“Geoff built the foundations for the club to be as stable as they are. The football club always came out on top.
“Everybody who Geoff brought to the football club is always going to show appreciation for what he has done, how he has done it and for how long.”
CEO of the St Johnstone Community Trust, Francis Smith, said: “We would like to extend a big thank you to Geoff for the generosity he has shown towards the community trust.
“With our new strategy expected to be launched in the coming months, this donation will help us with our vision to drive our work forward and build a social home which will serve the whole community.”
