St Johnstone owner in talks over sale to American investor

The trend of Scottish Premiership clubs adding an American owner could add another cog with St Johnstone in talks with a group from the United States. The Scottish side has spent the last 15 seasons in the top flight including the 2023/24 season. It is regularly in the hunt for Scottish cup competitions. That includes a pair of Scottish Cup wins over the last 10 years.

That is a credit to the Brown family. Led by 80-year-old Geoff Brown, St Johnstone has turned into one of the stronger sides in Scotland. Brown purchased the club in 1986 after consecutive relegations sent it to the third tier of the Scottish pyramid. That was the lowest point in St Johnstone’s history in terms of league position in the post-war era. However, Brown built St Johnstone into a club consistently in the Scottish Premiership. Winning the Scottish Cup in the 2013/14 season was the club’s first trophy.

In December 2022, Brown said he would look to sell his majority shareholding of St Johnstone. Now, there is optimism Brown can sell the club before the close of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season. Sky Sports did not name the group or individual that is looking to purchase St Johnstone from Geoff Brown. However, the American investor has been in attendance at several home games at McDiarmid Park this season. The club has also notified the Scottish FA about the prospect of international ownership taking over the club.

End of an era for Geoff Brown and the club

Under the ownership and leadership of Geoff Brown, St Johnstone enjoyed its longest stay in the Scottish top flight in its history. Recent success has even propelled the club into European competition. Even though St Johnstone never advanced beyond the qualifying stages in the Europa League, it is a far cry from the third division, which is where the club was upon Brown’s arrival.

Winning the Scottish Cup in the 2013/14 season ended a 130-year wait for that title for the club. Then, the Saints completed something few other clubs have done in history in the 2020/21 campaign. St Johnstone won the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup to complete a domestic double. Only Rangers and Celtic have ever won both tournaments in the same season before St Johnstone completed the feat.

American owner at St Johnstone joins trend

Two other clubs in the Scottish Premiership have American ownership, or at least Americans with shares of the club. Bill Foley, the owner of Bournemouth and the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, expressed an interest in buying Hibernian to create a multi-club model. Likewise, both Dundee and Dundee United have American owners. Therefore, if St Johnstone adopts an American owner, it would mean several clubs in the Scottish top flight have a connection to the United States.

As of now, Brown and this American investor are only in the talking phase. As stated, though, there is potential for the club to find a new owner before the conclusion of the current campaign.

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