As we approach the new year it is customary to reflect and to make resolutions for making positive changes going forward.
2018 was a year that saw us fulfil our goal of bringing Premiership football back to Paisley and whilst it has been a somewhat turbulent return to the top flight to date I am confident that the huge amount of work that has gone on over the last few months will pay dividends in the second half of the season.
Oran and his backroom team have been travelling the length and breadth of the UK and beyond scouting potential targets and I am sure we are all looking forward to him putting his own stamp on the squad.
There are no guarantees in football but you can rest assured that we will give the management team every help we possibly can as we seek to improve the playing squad in what is going to be a very busy January transfer window.
One of the bright spots of the season so far has been the emergence of our youth players. Ethan Erhahon has quickly become a regular in the first team and if Cammy MacPherson had not been restricted by injuries I am sure we would have seen a lot more of him. Cammy Breadner and Sam Jamieson have both made their first team debuts this season.
Here’s a quick update on a few other things happening in and around the club since my last update.
Stadium and Academy lighting
We are about to start the process of changing all the lighting at the stadium and academy to low energy LED fittings. This will pay for itself over the next 5 years and it is something that is much needed especially in the car park where half the lights are either missing or not working.
I would like to thank club sponsors Consilium Contracting Services for their assistance in working with the club to specify and install the lighting and Resource Efficient Scotland who are helping finance the process.
Academy Pitch
The new pitch at the academy is now complete. It has already raised the standard of the junior academy and reserve team training and will now be vital to the first team when the weather dictates that they cannot use the grass.
We spent a lot of time researching the best surface with academy manager Allan McManus travelling as far afield as Holland. The financial input from SMiSA members allowed us to go the extra mile and lay what is now one of the best surfaces available at any level.
We would also like to thank Scottish Football Partnership for their financial assistance.
Tunnel Project
The project to personalise the tunnel is now complete with the addition of a board celebrating the Championship winning team from last year, some upgraded lighting and the laying of Astro turf.
Our thanks to club sponsors Rearo for working with us to design and manufacture the boards. I am sure seeing all the successful saints teams of the past inspires the players as they pass through the tunnel.
We have also installed a camera in the tunnel to help add to the atmosphere at the start of the game. We have had a few software issues that meant it wasn’t working at every game but it will become a regular feature going forward.
Match Day Entertainment
The Paisley Panda is not just the club mascot.
Colin Bright, ably assisted by our club SLO’s, is the driving force behind all the good things that happen to entertain families on match days.
Thanks to donations from the Fans Council, SMiSA and the Kibble we have been able to provide face painters, balloon artists and buskers as well as half time entertainment.
The feedback we get from the families coming to the games is excellent so keep up the good work guys.
St Mirren Trust
The St.Mirren Community Trust (shortly to be renamed The St.Mirren Charitable Foundation) was set up in 2013. However, without adequate initial funding it's aims and objectives stalled.
Recently, the opportunity arose to employ a consultant in Gayle Brannigan who had extensive experience in trust management and we felt that she would be the catalyst to getting it up and running and doing good things in the local community. As a result the club invested an initial start up sum to get the charity moving forward and within the last few months we have seen several projects completed by the charity with the help of the club and key business partners.
The board of the trust now consists of Saints director Alan Wardrop, Paul McNeil of the SFA, Gavin Whyte of Sigmoid Consulting and is chaired by Sir Ian Reid who has unrivalled experience in running and developing trusts.
We will explain more about the trusts aims and objectives in a separate article but already we have seen a pilot scheme for young entrepreneurs from Renfrew high school, a festive friends program which in conjunction with the Salvation Army provided Xmas dinner at the stadium for people who would otherwise be spending Xmas on their own and the siting of a men’s shed within the attenuation area behind the dome (thanks to club sponsor Cruden for providing one of the cabins and doing all the preparation work).
The next program they are working on, FFIT, is an SPFL Trust program which uses football as the engagement tool to encourage participants to sign up to a free 12 week training course which would be taken at the stadium. It's aimed at men & women between the ages of 35-65 who are at overweight and as such at potential risk of developing diabetes and other coronary heart disease related conditions. If you are interested in joining the programme contact the trust via Gayle Brannigan at gayle.brannigan@stmirren.com
SMISA Director
David Riley has been part of the SMiSA committee since the club takeover and after the recent election becomes their representative on the club board. We look forward to welcoming David into the boardroom.
Dave Nicol has been an excellent choice as the first ever fans representative on the board and we have asked Dave to continue on the board to assist David to integrate smoothly into his new position.
And Finally……
Whilst it was perhaps easy for fans to turn out in such large numbers as we closed in on the Championship title it is at difficult times like the ones we have faced recently that fans truly become "supporters".
It’s been a difficult time for you all and yet the backing we continue to receive, both home and away, has been absolutely fantastic. It really does make a huge difference, something that Oran and the players have all acknowledged.
There were a lot of fixtures in December, a notoriously expensive time of the year for us all and yet we still had great numbers following the Saints at all our matches. Over 1,000 at Kilmarnock was terrific commitment.
None of this is ever taken for granted and everyone at the club is desperate to give you better results on the park to reward your efforts.
I’d like to personally thank you for all your support and wish you and your families all the very best for 2019.
COYS!!
