The draw for the group stage of the 2018/19 Betfred Cup will be made on Friday May 25 and will be broadcast live on BT Sport 2 at 6.30pm.

The 40-team group stage includes the 38 SPFL clubs not involved in European competition plus Highland League winners Cove Rangers and Lowland League champions Spartans.

The format remains the same as the two previous seasons, with the eight group winners and four best runners-up joining the four UEFA participants in the last 16.

The full group stage fixture list will be confirmed during the week commencing Monday June 4, once broadcast selections have been made.

Betfred Cup dates 2018/19

Group stage MD1 – Weekend of Saturday July 14
Group stage MD2 – Tuesday/Wednesday July 17/18
Group stage MD3 – Weekend of Saturday July 21
Group stage MD4 – Tuesday/Wednesday July 24/25
Group stage MD5 – Weekend of Saturday July 28

Second round – Weekend of Saturday August 18

Quarter-finals – Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday September 25/26/27

Semi-finals – Saturday/Sunday October 27/28

Final – Sunday December 2

We are delighted to announce that Jack Ross has been named Ladbrokes Championship Manager of the Year. 

The Buddies gaffer added the award to the PFA Scotland Manager of the Year award he earned a few weeks ago. 

It's been a fantastic season for the club and the manager, with Jack helping lead us to the Ladbrokes Championship title and promotion back to the Premiership. 

All at St Mirren Football Club are saddened to hear that former Official Website Webmaster, Kenny Pointon passed away on Saturday morning after a two year battle with cancer.

Kenny, along with his wife Karin, set up the club's first official website in 2000 with Kenny continuing his role as Webmaster up till the summer of 2016.

Former official website editor, Norrie Jamieson said of Kenny: "Kenny was inventive with his design of the website and helped push the club towards being one of the first football clubs to work with a database driven website.

"His work at St Mirren had him in demand by other clubs also as he was often approached for help and advice in the early days of internet mania when clubs were looking to get an online presence secured. Something Kenny was more than happy to help out with.

"Kenny will be a loss to all who knew him".

Away from St Mirren, Kenny worked as a structural engineer and was well regarded within his field. He and Karin eventually tied the knot in 2011 and lived in Elderslie up till Kenny's illness.

All at St Mirren Football Club pass on our condolences to Karin and Kenny's family at this sad time for their loss.

Once the funeral arrangements are confirmed we will relay the details.

Following St Mirren Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick’s visit to Valencia last November manager Jack Ross and James Fowler were recently invited by the club's partners inspiresport's Head of Sales for Scotland, Jed McCabe to visit inspiresport's exclusive club Valencia CF.

Jack and James were invited in behind the scenes of the world famous Mestalla Stadium and had a look at how Valencia went about their business from the academy through to the first team.

They also had the chance to watch several academy teams train ranging from U6s to U19s along with access to watch the reserve and first team train.

One of Valencia's coaches Toni Navarro took the time to show Jack and James behind the scenes at the academy - sharing the club's philosophy and academy structure along with how they go about scouting the best players in Spain and their pathway to the first team.

Due to the links initially forged by Tony’s visit last November and now cemented by Jack and James recent visit the link between St. Mirren, inspiresport and Valencia is becoming stronger.

The club would like to provide an update on the contractual status of Gavin Reilly and Harry Davis.

Gavin has been offered a new deal with the club and we are awaiting his decision.

Harry was offered a contract extension, however, he has turned this down after indicating he plans to return to England for family reasons.

The club would like to offer its best wishes to Harry and thank him for his contributions to the club over the last 18 months.

With season tickets going on sale on May 22nd, we can now confirm the match day ticket prices for the 2018/19 season.

MATCH DAY TICKETS (2018/19)

*Carer free if proof provided that disabled person received higher rate of PIP for mobility

MATCH DAY TICKETS – Cat A Games (Celtic/Rangers)

We also announced that season tickets for the South Stand would not be valid for matches against Celtic and Rangers and that supporters with a season ticket in that stand would be eligible to purchase reduced tickets for these matches in the Main and West Stands.

We can confirm the reduced prices are as follows:

Cammy Smith thanked Jack Ross after he awarded St Mirren FC Player of the Year at the Player of the Year awards dinner on Saturday night.

The forward had an incredible season with the Buddies - scoring 13 goals, including 10 in the league, on the way to winning the Ladbrokes Championship.

After being named the club's official Player of the Year, alongside winning Goal of the Season, the Black & White Magazine Player of the Year and St Mirren Fans Council's Young Player of the Year, Cammy said: "Obviously, I’m absolutely delighted. I’m surprised as well.

I have tried to be as consistent as I can over the course of the season and playing week-in week-out has helped that.

"I have to thank the manager for that. He has been brilliant with me.

"I remember this time last year being at the awards and sitting with the boys, with McGinn going up, Stevie Mallan going up, big Gary MacKenzie going up.

"I knew there was a chance of me coming back.

"It wasn’t 100 per cent, but I wanted to be the one going up there this season. You have got to be a bit selfish. But it was a really proud moment going up there.

"It has been a good season for me, the team has done really well and I couldn’t have asked for much more.

Cammy opened the scoring in a 2-1 win over Dunfermline in January as he was on the end of a wonderful team move.

It was a goal that earned him Goal of the Season award, alongside a nomination for PFA Goal of the Season and the approval of Barcelona.

Cammy says it's no coincidence the Buddies scored such an impressive goal.

We work a lot in training about patterns of play and I think it was no fluke that we scored a goal like that.

"The build-up from Liam Smith into McGinn, then myself and Lewis Morgan made it a really good goal, for a team at any level.

"For us to score that, in a really big game, showed the quality and the personality of our team.

"It is probably one of the hardest places to go in the Championship, so for us to go there on a Friday night showed the confidence in this team.

"This side has that in abundance, from the manager through to the staff and the players, we have that sort of character."

St Mirren Football Club are delighted to announce that Gary MacKenzie has signed a one-year contract extension. 

The 32 year-old has made 55 appearances in his two seasons with the Buddies and signs up for our upcoming Premiership campaign.

Speaking on Buddievision after completing the deal, MacKenzie said: "It's a good time to be around the place.

"When I spoke to the manager a few weeks ago he told me he wanted me to stay and there was never any doubt I would still be here. It's a good place to be.

"The journey we have come on with the club over the last couple seasons has been quite remarkable.

"I think to look to continue that into next year is something that is really exciting and I think that speaks for group as a whole and we're all really looking forward to the challenge next season."

The thoughts and prayers of everyone connected with St Mirren Football Club are with our former manager, Sir Alex Ferguson and his family following Saturday's news.

Sir Alex underwent emergency surgery yesterday for a brain haemorrhage.

Manchester United confirmed that the procedure went very well but he will require a period of intensive care to optimise his recovery.

The annual St Mirren Player of the Year awards dinner took place at a packed Normandy Hotel in Renfrew last night.

More than 500 Buddies turned out to celebrate what has been an incredible season for the club.

It was a special night for Steven Thompson who took his rightful place in the St Mirren Hall of Fame. The striker scored 54 goals in 180 appearances for the Saints including the second goal in our 3-2 triumph over Hearts in the League Cup final in 2013. Steven was inducted by his good friend, and fellow St Mirren Hall of Fame inductee, Barry Lavety. 

Cammy Smith was named as the club's official Player of the Year, while he also picked up the Black & White Magazine Player of the Year, the St Mirren Fans Council's Young Player of the Year and Goal of the Season awards. 

Stephen McGinn was voted for as the stmirren.com Player of the Year, while Kyle Magennis was named as the club's official Young Player of the Year. 

Gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography