Scott Brown has snubbed the offer of a return to the top flight with St Johnstone to pledge his commitment to Ayr United’s push for the Premiership.
Record Sport understands Ayr United reluctantly granted permission for the Perth club to open discussions with their highly rated young manager – sparking a day of intense discussions behind closed doors. But Brown has turned them down late after learning that Saints American owners also hope to hold similar talks with at least two alternative candidates. It’s believed they are now awaiting for permission to be granted to speak directly with Aberdeen coach Peter Leven as well as Larne boss Tiernan Lynch.
And sources close to Brown believe he would rather withdraw from the process than become part of an American beauty pageant. Saints’ US based regime made their move for the man who captained Celtic to Nine-in-a-Row and, at one point in a dramatic day of twists and turns, seemed likely to land their top target in time for a live TV visit from his old club and managerial mentor Brendan Rodgers on Saturday night.
But those talks broke down around tea time and, despite leading negotiations with Brown, owner Adam Webb will have to look elsewhere. Brown has made a huge impression in the dugout since being lured to the Championship club in January to front up a battle against the drop.
The 39-year-old successfully kept the club in the second tier in his first six months before mounting a surprise promotion challenge for the Premiership in the current campaign. His side currently sits at the top of the table after seven games, locked on 15 points with Falkirk – who turned in a headline grabbing performance at Parkhead last weekend when they gave Scotland’s champions an almighty scare in a thrilling Premier Sports Cup quarter final.
Brown, though, has been raising almost as many eyebrows with a storming start to the campaign in Ayrshire in his first management job north of the border along with right hand man Steven Whittaker. The pair landed their first managerial post at Fleetwood Town in May 2022 but left the League One club the following season after a change of ownership.
Brown then spent the next six months looking for a way back into work. That opportunity finally arrived at Ayr where he and Whittaker have helped to transform the club from relegation candidates to potential title contenders in the space of nine months.
And the former Scotland captain now seems set to stay put for the long haul rather than take over Craig Levein’s sinking ship at McDiarmid Park – where he would have faced a baptism of fire against Celtic on Saturday evening. Ironically, Brown is the only manager to have avoided defeat against Rodgers this season, having managed Ayr to a 1-1 draw against his former club in a pre-season friendly at the start of July.