Six long years ago I was running along the boardwalk in Spain considering what I wanted to do with the next 10 years of my life.

I looked back at all the things I had achieved in my life and asked myself which one had given me the most pleasure. The answer I came up with was my seven years as a director of St Mirren FC and primarily my involvement in the design and construction of the new stadium.

The club was still up for sale and had just been relegated to the championship which meant that the asking price became more achievable. The idea of fan ownership had been floated but the financial figures involved were too high to see how it would work and at the same time allow the club to progress.

I have always had a good relationship with SMiSA and decided to approach them with a view to discussing a model with me as the initial majority shareholder but with a ten-year plan to deliver sustainable fan ownership.

Over the next year we spent many hours discussing how that model would work and trying to agree a deal with the selling consortium. Despite many setbacks where it appeared dead and buried, we kept persevering and eventually managed to agree a deal on July 22nd, 2016.

Over the last five years I am immensely proud of what we have achieved as a football club with the unwavering support of the SMiSA board and all its members, our club sponsors, and our fans.

• We have progressed on the pitch from the bottom of the championship to a team that has realistic expectations of breaking into and maintaining a position in the top six of the Premiership.
• We won the Championship trophy in our first full season in control.
• We have just achieved our highest ever position in the Premiership and our highest overall league position since 1988/89.
• We reached two major cup semi-finals in the one season for the first time since 1981/82.
• On our first ever visit to the play offs we beat Dundee United on penalties in front of the first ever full house at St Mirren Park.
• We have achieved record season ticket sales at St Mirren Park for the last two years.
• We have posted five years of very profitable accounts which has helped the club not just survive covid but allowed us to continue our forward momentum without putting the club under any financial duress.
• The St Mirren Charitable Foundation was created and its impact on people’s lives, especially during covid, has been humbling at times. This will continue to grow and evolve into something even more special.
• We now have a women’s team which will become an even more integral part of the club going forward. We had our first ever women’s league game at St Mirren Park which attracted a record attendance for Scottish women’s football.
• We have upgraded the infrastructure of the stadium with a new sound system, and low energy led lighting throughout and taken the first steps towards making it feel more like a home.
• We installed a widely acclaimed wheelchair platform at the back of the main stand.
• A new state of the art synthetic grass pitch was installed at the academy.
• And last, but by no means least, we have helped deliver fan ownership.

We had always said that we had 10 years to deliver a sustainable fan ownership model but when the opportunity arose to deliver this in five years in partnership with Kibble, who would offer support and assistance in mapping out the corporate governance of the club, it was too good an opportunity to miss.

I had been very much a hands-on chairman and worked daily at the club for the first four years, however, we would never have achieved the success we had over that period without the exceptional staff working at both the club and academy.

I have loved every minute of my time and consider it an honour to have been chairman of our great club and to have been a member of a board where we have all contributed to the last five years achievements.

As I hand over the keys to SMiSA on July 27th I think the time is right to also hand over the chairmanship.

Whilst I am stepping down as chairman I will continue to serve as a club director on behalf of SMiSA utilising the knowledge I have gained over my 13 years on the club board. I am excited to be part of the new fan ownership era and all the opportunities it will present.

I wish our new chairman John Needham every success and look forward to working alongside him to help ensure our continued progress. It is fitting that a SMiSA club board representative should be the person to lead us into the new era.

Thank you all for your faith and support over the last five years.

Gordon Scott
Chairman
COYS

St Mirren is happy to welcome our new retail partners, Pitch Pro Retail, who have officially taken ownership of the club shop.

The club and Pitch Pro Retail will work together to provide increased opening hours for the shop, match day access and invest in its online shopping opportunities.

With Pitch Pro Retail now officially in place, work has been ongoing to refurbish the club shop at the SMiSA Stadium as well as testing of the new website and till system. We will have a fresh new club shop stocked with training and replica kit very soon.

Unfortunately, the unforeseen change of principal sponsor in June has led to delay in the production of the new strips for sale to supporters. The tops require an overprint and Pitch Pro Retail have been hard at work to print overlays of our new sponsor, Digby Brown’s logo on all home and away tops with the hope of having them on sale in the new club shop and online in the middle of August.

We appreciate the frustrations of supporters with regards to the 2021/22 kit but thank you for your continued patience and support of the club.

St Mirren have today completed their five-year journey to become a fan-owned club.

The St Mirren Independent Supporters Association (SMISA) have bought out the remaining shareholding of chairman Gordon Scott to become majority (51%) owners of the Buddies.

The deal helps to safeguard the future of the club – formed in 1877 – by placing it in the hands of its supporters, the people who care for it the most.

The move into fan ownership comes in conjunction with charity and social enterprise Kibble who last year bought a 27 percent stake to become part-owners of the club.

That model – where the club is owned by its fans and run in partnership with a charity – is believed to be unique in top-flight European football and has allowed SMISA to complete the transition to fan ownership in five years rather than the original 10-year plan set out in 2016.

And the dream of fan ownership has only been realised thanks to the financial backing from SMISA’s near-1200 strong membership over the past five years and the support and growth of SMISA in general from its formation almost 20 years ago.

Now that the shares have been purchased, the members’ contributions will instead go towards supporting different areas of the club including the youth academy and the charitable foundation.

SMISA will now have four representatives on the St Mirren board, with Scott and Alan Wardrop joining existing SMISA-appointed club directors John Needham and David Riley.

And, although the club is now owned by its fans, the day-to-day operations will continue to be run by CEO Tony Fitzpatrick and the St Mirren staff.

Scott, who made fan ownership possible by teaming up with SMISA to buy out the previous owners back in 2016, was pleased to see the deal come to fruition on a special day at the SMISA stadium.

He said: "I am immensely proud of the part I have played in delivering fan ownership.

"We had always said that we had ten years to deliver a sustainable model but when the opportunity arose to deliver this now in partnership with Kibble it was too good an opportunity to miss.

"We have taken giant strides over the last five seasons both on the pitch and off it and with the deal now complete I am convinced that this model will allow us to continue that progress."

SMISA chair George Adam added: "This is a really proud day not just for St Mirren fans but for the people of Paisley and beyond.

"To have our club now owned by the supporters means we will never have to worry again about it being run by people without St Mirren’s best interests at heart.

"It’s a real testimony to the fans who were presented with a vision back in 2015 and have now been able to make it a reality. I’ve never been prouder to be a Buddie."

Kibble chief executive and St Mirren vice-chairman Jim Gillespie said: "This is a historic day for St Mirren’s fans.

"They are now in charge of the destiny of the club they love, and Kibble are delighted to be working with SMISA and to have played our part in making this possible.

"When we agreed to become shareholders and partners last year, it was because we were excited about the chance to work hand-in-hand with SMISA to help take the club forward while improving the lives of young people in the Renfrewshire area.

"We believe we are starting to see the fruits of that relationship and look forward to contributing towards many more successful years at St Mirren."

Supporters Direct Scotland chief executive Alan Russell added: “At SD Scotland we are delighted to see SMISA reach this milestone and are proud to have supported them on their journey towards fan ownership.

"They have shown what can be achieved by working in close partnership with other shareholders and other community organisations and have had one hand on the steering wheel as St Mirren FC have established themselves in the Premiership once again.

"Their experience as minority shareholders over the last few years will be invaluable as they take ownership of the club - and they join the family of fan-owned clubs who are a beacon to the whole supporters trust movement in Scotland and beyond. Congratulations!"

Anyone wishing to join SMISA can do so from as little as £5 a month at smisa.net/signup

St Mirren have been drawn away to face Livingston in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup. 

The match will take place at the Tony Macaroni Arena on the weekend of 14/15th August.

Saints progressed to the last 16 of the tournament as a seeded team after picking up maximum points in Group H. 

St Mirren will face Livingston at the Tony Macaroni Arena after qualifying for the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup after a 2-0 win over Partick Thistle.

Jamie McGrath and Joe Shaughnessy were on the scoresheet as the Buddies picked up the required result to ensure seeding in the next round of the cup.

Jay Henderson lifted the ball over Richard Foster and burst into the box before being hauled down by the experienced Thistle defender. McGrath was the man to step up and as he did so often last season, rolled home from 12 yards to put Saints ahead. 

Jamie McGrath scores his first goal of the season to put St Mirren in front (Image: Allan Picken)

Paisley blistered in 24 degree heat and a quick water break took place following McGrath's penalty. Three minutes after play resumed, the visitors could have been level through Brian Graham but for a brilliant stop by Jak Alnwick. 

McGrath almost grabbed his and Saints' second of the afternoon a little over 10 minutes after the restart. Striding into the box from the left side, the Irishman found his way on to a beautiful weighted pass from Henderson. His first effort was blocked by a Partick defender before he fired over the second attempt. 

A minute's applause took place from the St Mirren fans in attendance in tribute of 1959 Scottish Cup winner Tommy Leishman who sadly passed away this week at the age of 83.

With 20 minutes remaining, Saints needed a second to guarantee seeding in the next round of the cup. Chance after chance was created with Curtis Main going close twice in four minutes. First, the striker did brilliantly to steal the ball off Stuart Bannigan at the edge of the Thistle box, but slammed his effort wide. Main then nodded just wide after being on the end of a pinpoint Scott Tanser cross from the left.

Shaughnessy headed over from a corner, while Henderson volleyed into the arms of Partick Thistle goalkeeper Harry Stone from close range as time ticked away.

The five minutes of additional time were almost up as Jim Goodwin willed his side on for one last push, telling goalkeeper Alnwick to get the move started. Captain Shaughnessy pressed forward from centre-half and was in the right place at the right time to tap home Lee Erwin's ball across to secure St Mirren's place in the next round of the Premier Sports Cup.

Full-Time: St Mirren 2-0 Partick Thistle

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Shaughnessy (c), Dunne, Henderson, McGrath, Power (MacPherson 82), Kiltie (Erhahon 69), Tanser, Main, Brophy (Erwin 66)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Tait, McCarthy, Flynn, McAllister, Finlayson

Partick Thistle: Stone, Foster, Holt (Niang 61), Turner (Owens 79), Bannigan (Gordon 74), Graham, Rudden (Murray 74), Bell, McKenna, MacIver, Docherty (c)
Subs Not Used: Sneddon, Ocholi

Referee: Alan Muir
Assistant Referee: Craig Ferguson
Assistant Referee: Gordon Crawford
Fourth Official: Steven Reid

Joe Shaughnessy scores the goal that secures Saints place as a seeded team in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup (Image: Allan Picken)

Premier Sports will have live and exclusive coverage of the Premier Sports Cup Group H tie between St. Mirren and Partick Thistle this Sunday afternoon from 2.30pm.

St. Mirren have recorded three wins from three in the competition so far and a win on Sunday will guarantee top spot in the group and automatic qualification to the Premier Sports Cup Second Round.

Live Coverage begins at 2.30pm on Premier Sports 1 available on Sky channel 412, Virgin channel 551 and online via the Premier Player with Emma Dodds, Stephen Craigan, Chris Iwelumo and Rob McLean bringing viewers all the action.

How to watch on TV in the UK/ROI

- Sky customers signing up at www.premiersports.com can watch St. Mirren v Partick Thistle this Sunday on Premier Sports 1 on channel 412. New customers can subscribe from just £12.99 per month (1 month minimum term) with no connection fee. Premier Sports customers on Sky will also receive free access to the Premier Player by registering here - https://www.premierplayer.tv/subscribe/existing-customer 

- Online (Web, iOS App, Android App): www.premierplayer.tv Premier Player from just £12.99 per month (1 month minimum term) with no connection fee. If using App please set up account first on web browser before downloading the App.

- Virgin customers: Premier Sports channel 551. You can subscribe for £12.99 per month via the provider with no connection fee or minimum contract. Call 0845 840 7777 or set up viewing via box. (Press Home > Apps and Games > All Apps > TV Upgrades.)

Premier Sports offer paid subscription services. Payments for subscriptions to Premier Sports via Sky or the Premier Player streaming service will automatically recur monthly or annually dependent on your chosen package unless notice is given to cancel. The auto-recurring price will be at the standard rate. Cancelations must be made by phone or email and must include a minimum 5 days’ notice prior to next bill. No cancelations accepted within 48 hours of subscribing. Minimum Subscriptions period is dependant (and matches) your chosen package. Terms and Conditions apply. For full terms and conditions visit www.premiersports.com

Full Terms and Conditions available at www.premiersports.com

St Mirren Football Club can confirm that Lewis Jamieson has joined cinch Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle on loan until the end of the season.

The St Mirren Academy graduate made three appearances for Saints last season after making his debut in August as a substitute against Rangers at Ibrox.

Lewis also recently agreed a new two-year deal which ties him to the club until summer 2023.

The club wishes Lewis well in his loan. 

St Mirren take on Partick Thistle on Sunday as Group H of the Premier Sports Cup draws to a close.

The Buddies defeated Stenhousemuir 3-1 on Tuesday night with Curtis Main, Kristian Dennis and Lee Erwin all scoring. That win means Saints have picked up nine points from a possible nine and sit atop the group. A win on Sunday would see Jim Goodwin's men take maximum points in the group stage for the first time and qualify for the knockout rounds. 

Partick have taken six points from their opening three matches. Ian McCall's side lost 4-2 in their opening match against Dunfermline, but bounced back with wins over Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton. The Jags would have to win on Sunday to have any chance of progressing to the next round. 

Match Details

St Mirren v Partick Thistle
Competition: Premier Sports Cup
Date: Sunday 25th July 2021
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: The SMiSA Stadium

How to watch the match

Sunday's match is live exclusively on Premier Sports. Find out how to watch here. 

International subscribers can watch the match as part of their St Mirren TV subscription. 

Previous

Saints meet the Jags in the Premier Sports Cup group stages for the third time since their inception in 2016. 

The Buddies faced Partick in the opening group stage match last season, with Jim Goodwin's side running out 4-1 winners at the SMiSA Stadium. 

Partick were victorious in the only other meeting in the groups, winning 5-0 at Firhill in 2017. 

The officials

The referee on Sunday is Alan Muir and he'll be assisted by Craig Ferguson and Gordon Crawford. Steven Reid is the fourth official.  

1,039 supporters will be able to attend St Mirren’s Premier Sports Cup match against Partick Thistle on Sunday - more than double the capacity we welcomed for our match against Dunfermline last week.

The attendance figure is in line with current safety guidance from the Scottish Government with one metre distancing required from other households. Those who have been successful in the ballot will be contacted by Thursday evening.

Clearly, the club would love to have been in a position to welcome more fans and can assure our supporters that we have worked as hard as we possibly could to get as many fans into the stadium as is safely possible. We are disappointed that more won’t be able to attend but appreciate that the safety of supporters is paramount.

Over the coming weeks, we will continue to work with relevant authorities to try and increase the allowed capacity at the SMiSA Stadium.

We are desperate to welcome as many of you into the SMiSA Stadium as soon as we possibly can and appreciate supporters’ patience as we work behind the scenes to make this happen.

St Mirren made it nine points from nine in Group H of the Premier Sports Cup as second-half goals from Curtis Main, Kristian Dennis and Lee Erwin helped Jim Goodwin's men to a 3-1 win at Stenhousemuir. 

After a dominant, but goalless 45, Saints scored three second-half goals to maintain their 100% start to the season and effectively guarantee qualification into the knock-out rounds of the cup.

A bright start for the Buddies saw Cammy MacPherson nearly open the scoring from his own half with just six minutes on the clock. The Saints Academy graduate spotted Stenny goalkeeper Ryan Marshall off his line and, from 50 yards, tried to catch the stopper out with the ball only just drifting wide. 

Despite having the bulk of possession in the opening half-hour, Saints hadn't really managed to trouble Marshall. And the home side would fire the Buddies a warning shot on 29 minutes when Robert Thomson narrowly missed after getting a foot on to Sean Crighton's knock-down. 

But still it was St Mirren who were enjoying the best of the match. MacPherson wasn't far away with a free-kick for Saints on 31 minutes after Greg Kiltie had been fouled 25 yards from goal. The midfielder got plenty on it as he put it over the wall, but sent the attempt over the bar. Marshall was then forced into a brilliant save a couple of minutes later when Main tried an acrobatic effort. The Stenny goalie had to be at full-stretch to push away.

It was Main who should have had St Mirren in front on 38 minutes when he was found in space at the back post. The forward didn't quite catch it flush and couldn't force home.

Saints' first-half dominance may not have yielded a goal for Jim Goodwin's men, but it would only take four minutes after the restart for the Buddies to take the lead. A MacPherson ball over the top caused a mix-up between Marshall and one of his defenders, allowing Main to take advantage and this time he wouldn't miss - knocking into the empty net to score his second goal in as many games. 

Curtis Main scores his second goal in as many games to open the scoring (Image: Andy Barr)

Dennis then scored his first of the season on 65 minutes to double the Buddies lead. A quick throw-in from Ryan Flynn allowed Kiltie to roll the ball across the Stenhousemuir box where Dennis was on hand to knock into the net from close-range in his final act of the match before being replaced by Eamonn Brophy. 

The Buddies appeared home and hosed only for the home side to pull a goal back with less than 15 minutes of the match remaining through Thomas Orr.

Despite a minor scare in the final five minutes, it was St Mirren who looked the more likely to grab a goal in the dying embers and that proved to be the case when Erwin, after some persistence, drove home his first of the season in added time to all but secure Saints' passage into the knockout round of the Premier Sports Cup.

Lee Erwin drives home his first goal of the season (Image: Andy Barr)

Full-Time: Stenhousemuir 1-3 St Mirren

St Mirren: Lyness, Fraser (c), McCarthy, Finlayson, Flynn, MacPherson (Power 67), Erhahon, Kiltie (McGrath 67), Tanser (Henderson 76), Dennis (Brophy 67), Main (Erwin 67)
Subs Not Used: Alnwick, Tait, McAllister, Jack

Stenhousemuir: Marshall, Lyon, Jamieson, Crighton (c), Coll, Mills (Brown 83), Forbes, Wedderburn, Lyon (O'Reilly 56), Thomson (Christie 73), Orr
Subs Not Used: Smith, Anderson, Tierney, Graham

Referee: David Dickinson
Assistant Referee: Sean Carr
Assistant Referee: Barry Reid