Refusal of stand advertising branded ‘ridiculous’

FORMER St Johnstone chairman Geoff Brown has branded a decision to reject a plan to advertise on the back of one of the club’s stands as “ridiculous”.

The Perth club wanted to emblazon the name of his firm GS Brown Construction along the rear of the north stand at McDiarmid Park, but the move has been shown the red card by council chiefs, mainly due to the advert being 50 metres high.

Mr Brown said: “The back of the north stand faces Perth Crematorium. There is no one there, so who is it offending?

“However, one way or another, we’ll think of something else.”

Perth and Kinross Council said the size of the proposed advert was a primary rejection reason, as was the non-football nature of the signage.

“The existing football stadium is characterised by its own cultural identity and the exterior of the stadium has advertisements of modest design and proportions, which are directly related to the established land use and function of the ground,” planners said.

“While there is no issue with the principle of advertising the established land use function on the exterior of the stadium, the promotion of a house-building business, which has no on-site presence, is considered to be unacceptable, as it constitutes ‘advance signage’ that is located remotely from the business it promotes.”

Anne in her wheelchair at home.

McDiarmid Park