Scott Brown declined the managerial position at St Johnstone while managing Ayr United. This decision has been described as a mistake given the circumstances.
Key points
Scott Brown declined St Johnstone managerial position
He was managing Ayr United at the time
The decision is viewed as a mistake
Brown is a former Celtic captain
Mentioned in this story
Scott Brown
St JohnstoneAyr UnitedScottish Premiership
Scott Brownâs mistake in knocking back St Johnstone job
Scott Brownâs mistake in knocking back St Johnstone job
Former Celtic captain Scott Brown has confirmed that he declined an opportunity to take charge of a Scottish Premiership club (St Johnstone) during his spell as manager of Ayr UnitedâŠ
Scott Brown and Neil Lennon at Hampden ahead of the Scottish Cup semi-final between Dunfermline and Falkirk on Saturday 18 April 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
The 39-year-old recently left the Championship side after two years at the helm. Having narrowly missed out on promotion via the play-offs last season, Ayr had been in contention again before a poor run of results saw them dragged towards the relegation play-off picture.
Brown â working alongside assistant Steven Whittaker â said the pair chose not to pursue the top-flight offer out of loyalty to Ayr United and the project they were building.
He also suggested the Premiership side that approached him were likely heading for relegation, while he believed his own team still had a strong chance of achieving promotion.
Speaking via The Warm-Up, Broony said: âItâs football, you can be flying high, and look, we had opportunities to go elsewhere and you stay and try to be loyal at the time.â
Q&A
Why did Scott Brown decline the St Johnstone job?
Scott Brown declined the opportunity to manage St Johnstone during his time at Ayr United, citing his commitment to his current role.
What impact does Scott Brown's decision have on his career?
Declining the St Johnstone job may affect Scott Brown's career trajectory, as it was a chance to manage in the Scottish Premiership.
When did Scott Brown turn down the St Johnstone managerial position?
Scott Brown confirmed he turned down the St Johnstone job during his tenure as manager of Ayr United.
What is Scott Brown's current managerial position?
Scott Brown is currently the manager of Ayr United.
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Scott Brown at Hampden ahead of the Scottish Cup semi-final between Dunfermline and Falkirk on Saturday 18 April 2026. Photograph by Vagelis Georgariou
âMaybe we should have jumped ship at that point in time. We could have went to the Premiership. We could have had an opportunity for a few months, but it would have been hard because the team were probably going to come down anyway.â
âAnd then youâre going back into the same league for the sake of two or three months of having that Premier League experience. You would maybe regret it overall, but I thought what we done and where we were sitting there at the time, we had a good opportunity to go and kick on in the play-offs.
Reflecting on Ayr Unitedâs campaign, Brown acknowledged that a growing list of injuries ultimately proved too difficult for the squad to overcome.
The former Celtic skipper added: âWe started off not too bad, we were in the play-offs until the last eight games. The amount of injuries that we got was scary at that point and we didnât have the strength in depth in the squad.â
âIt was easy enough to part company. The club were really good with us so weâve got no regrets whatsoever. We really enjoyed our time down there. It was some drive, Iâm not going to lie.
âMy alarm went at half past five, Iâm still waking up at half past five thinking, âwhat am I doing with my life, what time is the golf course open atâ? I enjoyed the day-to-day routine, the graft and going down together.
âIt was great, weâd take turns and weâre close anyway as everybody knows. It was good for us to be working together. The lads were brilliant, especially, that first season finishing third.
âWe pushed Falkirk and Livi quite far, but we probably didnât have the strength in depth in the squad.â
Last night St Johnstone won 2-0 at Dunfermline to secure the Championship title and with it a speedy return to the Scottish Premiership. Congratulations to St Johnstone!
Conor Spence
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Scott Brownâs mistake in knocking back St Johnstone job
