Brown to take Aberdeen job

Craig Brown is expected to be named the new manager of Aberdeen on Friday after he walked out on Motherwell.

Dons chairman Stewart Milne approached Brown on Wednesday to offer the role left vacant in the wake of Mark McGhee’s sacking, but the 70-year-old refused.

However, it appears a second overture from Milne has swayed Brown, who resigned from the Scottish Premier League club along with assistant Archie Knox on Thursday.

Motherwell released a statement expressing their shock at their manager’s apparent defection, as well as lambasting Aberdeen for approaching Brown, who was working without a contract at Fir Park.

“We are surprised and disappointed by the decision of our management team to leave the club at this time and in this way,” the statement on Motherwell’s website read.

“But it is not in our ethos as a club to stand in anyone’s way that wanted to be somewhere else.”

“We also have far too much respect for Craig and Archie and what they have achieved in the game to do anything other than wish them happiness in what they are setting out to do.”

“It is very difficult to understand their decision but we must respect it.”

“Separately we do wish to make clear that as a board we believe that the conduct of the board of Aberdeen in this matter has been wholly inappropriate and in clear breach of SPL rules as well as basic courtesy.”

“At no point did they inform us or seek our permission to speak to critical employees of our club and to seek to entice them to leave our employment.”

“We realise the desperation they are feeling and the pressure they are under from their fans for their own performance as a board but to go about their business in this way is a matter of gross discourtesy.”

“We have raised this matter with the SPL and will pursue the matter vigorously and by all means.”

Brown and Knox have led Motherwell to fifth on the SPL table this season with 23 points, 14 behind league leaders Rangers.

The pair have performed admirably with limited resources since taking over at Fir Park in December 2009, including overseeing Motherwell’s fifth-place finish last term.

Aberdeen have slumped to 11th on the table with a mere 10 points, and have lost their past six matches.