St Mirren host Aberdeen at the SMiSA Stadium on Saturday with a place in the Betfred Cup quarter-finals up for grabs. 

The Saints reached the second-round of the Betfred Cup after winning Group G with 10 points following wins over Partick Thistle and Queen's Park, coupled with draws (and subsequent penalty shoot-out wins) against Queen of the South and Morton.

The Buddies go into Saturday's match following a 1-0 win away to Livingston on Saturday. Jake Doyle-Hayes scored his first Saints goal to give St Mirren their first league win since August. 

Aberdeen missed the group stage of the Betfred Cup after qualifying for Europe due to their league position last season. 

Derek McInnes' side go into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw with Hamilton Academical on Wednesday night.

Match Details

St Mirren v Aberdeen
Competition: Betfred Cup
Date: Saturday 28th November 2020
Kick-off: 5:15pm
Venue: The SMiSA Stadium

Can I watch the match?

Premier Sports have live and exclusive UK coverage of the match with their coverage starting from 5pm. Click here to find out how to watch the match live if you live within the UK and Ireland.

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

Manager's Thoughts

"Hopefully we can put in a similar performance to the win over Livingston in terms of the organisation, togetherness and desire that the players showed and hopefully added to that we can play some good football along the way. 

"It's a competition that if we apply ourselves properly and get a little bit of luck along the way you can go far in it.

"I'm expecting Aberdeen to come all guns blazing. Apart from getting Celtic or Rangers this is the next toughest game we could have got. But it is a one off game and it's an opportunity for us to try and get to a quarter-final of a major trophy."

Previous

Saints have faced Aberdeen once already this season. 

Jim Goodwin's travelled to Pittodrie at the start of October but were edged out by a last-minute winner for Lewis Ferguson that gave the Dons a 2-1 win.

Who are the officials?

The referee is Don Robertson. The linesmen are David Roome and Ross Macleod. Grant Irvine is the fourth official. 

Saints are back in action this Saturday evening as we host Aberdeen at the SMiSA Stadium for our second round tie in the Betfred Cup.

We have a limited edition run of programmes, published in partnership with Curtis Sport, for the behind closed doors cup tie played on Saturday 28th November.

This issue is a 32 pager with a £3 cover price.

This latest edition includes the following:

Front Cover – Brandon Mason.
Jim Goodwin - The Saints gaffer looks back on last week's win away to Livingston and ahead to Saturday's BetFred Cup tie against the Dons.
The Opposition – A look over Derek McInnes' Aberdeen squad.
St Mirren Programme Archive - Derek Drennan reviews programmes from past League Cup ties between Saints and the Dons.
Centre Page Poster – Jake Doyle-Hayes.
Player Kit Sponsors 2020/21 – Check in to see who is sponsoring your favourite player's shirt for the season.
Marketing Matters – Campbell Kennedy updates on the latest events and happenings at the club's Commercial Department.
Yesterday's Saints – David Cochran looks back on the 11-year St Mirren career of Jimmy Drinkwater.
Football Bloody Hell - Are penalty shoot-outs a lottery? Alan Gallacher thinks not!.
St Mirren Fixtures & Results 2020/21 – A handy reference page of all the fixtures and results for this season.
Team Lines – The two squads and match officials for Saturday's match.

To buy this issue or to place your programme subscription for the 2020/21 season click HERE.

Premier Sports will have live and exclusive coverage of St. Mirren’s last 16 Betfred Cup tie v Aberdeen this Saturday afternoon from 5pm.

The Saints are unbeaten in six games as they host Aberdeen at the SMiSA Stadium for a place in the quarter finals.

How to watch on TV in the UK:

- Sky customers signing up at www.premiersports.com can watch St Mirren this Saturday on Premier Sports HD on channel 412. New customers can subscribe from just £12.99 per month (1 month minimum term) with no connection fee or £120 annually. 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 or £99 annually. 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 £9.99 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. Full Terms and Conditions available at www.premiersports.com 

The SPFL has today written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon asking for an emergency meeting to end the lock-out of fans across the country.

Following the announcement that clubs in England have been given the green light to welcome fans back, the SPFL’s chief executive Neil Doncaster has issued a direct appeal to the First Minister on behalf of the country’s 42 professional clubs to very quickly let Scottish fans back into stadia in carefully-managed, meaningful numbers.

Mr Doncaster said: "Scottish football fans are the most passionate in Europe, with more league attendances per capita than any other country, so our clubs have been hit far harder by the lock-out than those in England because we depend much more heavily on gate receipts.

"Every major club in Scotland has very detailed, well-founded plans in place for safely returning fans back to stadiums, and thousands upon thousands of Scottish fans are simply desperate to get back quickly to watching their teams in the safety of a carefully-managed, open-air environment.

"We are now calling on the First Minister to do the right thing by Scotland’s hard-pressed football supporters. If it’s good enough for English fans, it must be good enough for Scottish fans.

"If the First Minister refuses to allow football fans all over Scotland to watch their beloved teams in carefully-regulated, limited numbers, complete with track and trace, she will have to explain to them the clinical difference between Scottish fans and English fans.

"Make no mistake, failure to get fans back in the very near future will sound the death knell for some of our best-loved clubs and no-one wants that.

"The First Minister alone has the opportunity to put a smile on the faces of Scottish football fans and give them a much-needed early Christmas present and we are calling for meaningful, urgent engagement.

"Despite the enormous financial consequences, our clubs have followed every directive and every instruction from the Scottish Government for month after month. Clubs, supporters and players have been hugely patient. Apart from supporter safety, there is no higher priority for our game. It’s now time to get the fans back.

"We have written to the First Minister seeking an emergency meeting, because time is really against us. We will meet with her at any time, day or night, to fit in with her busy schedule and we await her response.

"The clubs have done the hard work of putting their plans in place for the safe return of fans in limited numbers. All we need now is for the First Minister to say ‘Yes’."

St Mirren Football Club fully supports these calls for the safe return of football fans to stadiums. 

A great deal happens at the club, behind the saints marching onto the pitch ahead of kick-off on match day. Operations to keep St Mirren running as effectively as possible do not ever stop.

The entire staff team at the club contribute significantly to ensuring the first team are fully prepared for game day and that team spirit is high amongst fans, players, staff and the wider community. We wanted to share with you some of the goings-on within the club over the past 6 months.

Catering

The club has begun working with award-winning master chef Donald Munro to create brand new catering options for St Mirren players. Nutritious meals fully support the players’ development as professional athletes. Chef Donald and his team – including a number of kids from Kibble who possess a flair for cooking – have worked alongside our Head of Sports Science Junior Mendes to produce menus needed to fuel Scottish Premiership footballers.

Maintenance

Maintenance improvements have continued around our stadium ready for the return of our supporters. Our dugouts have been noticeably branded with new ‘Be In That Number’ and ‘Come on You Saints’ signage, whilst the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand and the North Stand have been given ‘Be In That Number’ and ‘Saints In That Number’ branding. There has been extensive paintwork carried out across the stadium including the vomitories, which have been painted and branded with St Mirren badges along with the installation of new safety railings.

Extensive refurbishment work has been carried out at the St Mirren Training Ground and Academy to enhance quality and standards. The gym within the first-team building has been completely renovated, with new flooring being fitted throughout. The youth academy has seen significant changes with new changing rooms and shower facilities fitted as well as the creation of an office/learning area to aid the development of academy coaches and players.

The high quality maintenance standards wouldn’t be possible without the support of our Head Green Keeper Tommy Docherty, Green Keeper Alan Michie, The Skills Academy at Kibble along with the trainers, kids and the long-standing contractors who have continued to work with us during these difficult times.

St Mirren Marketing and Communications

We teamed up with The Football Company to give supporters an opportunity to have their own recyclable, waterproof cut-out displayed proudly in the stands. The cut-outs have been placed behind the goal in the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand.

Cardboard Cutouts 1

Cardboard Cutouts 2

Cardboard Cutouts 3

We launched SMTV, a brand-new platform for hosting all Club media.  This has presented both challenges and opportunities for Head of Media, James Hunter to create some of his own concepts. The platform will continue to be developed over the coming months to support fan engagement with input from a variety of sources including our own Paisley Panda and the SLO’s and fans groups. Sign-up now to SMTV for match coverage, exclusive interviews and behind the scenes footage.

St Mirren have worked closely with Kibble Communications for design and marketing support. The creation of consistent brand guidelines and creative, advertising opportunities, stadium-wide signage and more are a result of the consultations. Our partnership with Kibble has strengthened brand recognition for St Mirren.

Moving Forward

Look out for the club sharing insights about club operations through out #BehindTheSaints features.

St Mirren picked up their first league win since August as Jake Doyle-Hayes' first Saints goal gave the Buddies three points in Livingston.

The Irishman struck early in the second-half to ensure Jim Goodwin's side took all the points back to Paisley.

It was the home side who created the first opening with three minutes played. Alan Forrest drove forward and lashed a fizzing effort from distance which Jak Alnwick could only punch clear into the path of Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. The ex-Arsenal striker got his head on it but sent it wide. 

Saints had their first chance on nine minutes when captain Sam Foley headed over from close range after Jamie McGrath's free-kick was spilled by Livi goalkeeper Max Stryjek. 

Three minutes later another McGrath free-kick caused Livingston problems. The midfielder's ball in came off Richard Tait who didn't know much about it leaving Stryjek diving low to his right to save.

Neither side created all the much of note in the remainder of the first-half. Marcus Fraser made a vital block to deny Emmanuel-Thomas, while Stryjek managed to easily gather a Tait header.

Livingston created the first clear cut chance of the second 45 with Alnwick making a terrific save to turn away a Forrest drive. 

But it was the Buddies who would take the lead. A good passage of play from Saints saw Fraser lay a perfect low ball across for McGrath who connected perfectly, cannoning off Jon Guthrie and out for a corner. it was McGrath who swung the resultant corner in. His ball across was headed clear by the Livi defence but only as far as Jake Doyle-Hayes who smashed a first-time volley home, via the aid of a deflection, to score his first St Mirren goal.

That goal was to enough for Saints to gain their first three points since an away win to Hamilton Academical back in August and moved the Buddies to within a point of Livingston in 10th place. 

Full-Time: Livingston 0-1 St Mirren

JIM GOODWIN POST-MATCH REACTION

St Mirren: Alnwick, Fraser, Foley (c), McCarthy, Tait, Connolly (McAllister 79), McGrath (MacPherson 90), Doyle-Hayes, Erhahon, Mason, Obika (Erwin 82)
Subs Not Used: Lyness, Sheron, Flynn, Durmus, Morias, Dennis

Livingston: Stryjek, Devlin, Guthrie, Brown, Lawson (Poplatnik 74), Sibbald (Serrano 64), Holt, Pittman (Mullin 74), Bartley (c), Forrest, Emmanuel-Thomas
Subs Not Used: Maley, Robinson, McMillan, Taylor-Sinclair, Ambrose, Fitzwater

Referee: William Collum
Assistant Referee: Frank Connor
Assistant Referee: David Doig
Fourth Official: Graham Grainger

As Renfrewshire will be operating under COVID protection level four effective today (Friday 20th November) the club can confirm that the SMiSA Stadium will be closed to the public for the duration of this period.

Essential staff will continue to support the operation of the stadium with the remainder of the staff group working from home. If you need to contact the club please use info@stmirren.com in the first instance and please be patient as staff operate under difficult circumstances.

The club would urge all supporters to continue to follow all government guidance to help slow the spread of the virus. Clean your hands regularly, wear a face covering, avoid crowded places, stay two-metres from others and self-isolate and book a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms. More on the current guidance regarding protection level four can be found here.

We thank you all for your support and continued patience in these difficult times.

Our Saints In That Number initiative will reward the most deserving community-conscious individuals with a St Mirren FC 20/21 season ticket. Although the games remain behind closed doors, we hope the small gesture lifts spirits. The tickets are a gift from the club, our partner Kibble, the specialist child and youth care charity and several local businesses including Claymore Contracts Ltd, Scotjet Ltd, CY Turf along with Airdrie Mechanical Services.

We asked you all to help us find the people making Paisley a better place with their selfless acts – and we were delighted to receive heart-warming nominations. It is an honour to announce the first 5 winners.

The First 5 Saints

Congratulations Nikki Berry’s dad, your daughter would like to let everyone know about your selfless acts throughout lockdown.

Thank you Karen and Dan Hughes for your hard work at Erskine Hospital as nominated by Scots Mit Cho.

Heart-warming story from Andrena about her kind brother, Wullie Whitehill.

Congratulations to Richard Murray on the birth of your baby girl! Your friend Gareth Williams didn’t hesitate in nominating you.

Thank you, Sharon Ainsworth, for bringing Tracey Vannet’s kindness to our attention.

Our Sponsors

Huge thank you to all the local businesses who jumped at the chance to join our Saints In That Number initiative.

St Mirren return to Scottish Premiership action this weekend as Jim Goodwin's men head to Livingston. 

The Buddies secured their place in the second round of the Betfred Cup on Saturday with a 1-0 win over Queen's Park at Hampden. Substitute Jon Obika's late header saw Saints win Group G to progress. 

Livingston also booked their spot in the second round with a 4-1 home win over Airdrieonians on Saturday. 

Saints sit in 11th place in the Scottish Premiership - four points off Saturday's opponents who sit in 10th position. However, St Mirren have three games over the Lothian side.

Match Details
Livingston v St Mirren
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Date: Saturday 21st November 2020
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: The Tony Macaroni Arena

Can I watch the match?

The match will available live on Livingston's pay-per-view for £20. St Mirren TV international subscribers will be able to watch Saturday's match live as part of their subscription. 

There will be audio commentary available to St Mirren TV UK subscribers. 

Previous

Saints hosted Livingston on the opening day of the 2020/21 season in our first competitive match since March 2020.

Debut boy Richard Tait's first-half header was enough to secure a 1-0 win for the Buddies. 

St Mirren were narrowly beaten when they travelled to the Tony Macaroni Arena back in February. Jon Obika scored in the second-half after Steven Lawless and Lyndon Dykes had put Livi 2-0 ahead, but Saints couldn't find the equaliser.

Saints last win away to Livingston was in April 2019 when a 3-1 victory edged the Buddies closer to Premiership survival. 

Who are the officials?

The referee on Saturday is William Collum. His assistants are Frank Connor and David Doig. Graham Grainger is the fourth official. 

St Mirren Football Club was saddened to hear of the passing of long-time Saints supporter Gordian Mothersole.

Gordian was a highly active member of the St Mirren family as chair of the Barry McLaughlin testimonial committee as well as becoming the first chair of the St Mirren Fans Council.

Gordian's face was well known to all around the club including staff and players in his role at the Black and White magazine.

St Mirren Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick said: "Everyone at St Mirren is deeply saddened by the news of Gordian's passing.

"Gordian loved St Mirren and was truly a great person who was highly respected by all who knew him. I was lucky to know Gordian personally and was devastated to hear the news yesterday.

"On behalf of the club I would like to pass on our condolences to Gordian's wife Susan and their sons Gordian and Graeme as well as his extended family."