Stephen McGinn says the team are relishing the challenge ahead of the new season. 

The captain told stmirren.com: "It's going to be exciting, it's going to be up and down as the Championship always provides, but we are relishing it."

The Buddies returned to training yesterday as they look to prepare for a successful season ahead.

You can watch McGinn's interview in full below. 

A gallery of pictures as the players returned to training yesterday and pre-season got underway ahead of the new season.

Match gallery pictures by Allan Picken © - Allan Picken Photography and  John Millar - © millarpictures

Last season The Scottish Disabled Supporters Association received a donation of top of the range equipment for use with fans experiencing visual impairment. It was the unanimous decision of the Scottish Disabled Supporters Association to donate this equipment to St Mirren in recognition of the efforts by SMDSA.

The system, including transmitter and several receivers, provides live commentary on the game courtesy of St Mirren TV and is the same as that used in the Etihad and Emirates stadia. It is capable of use anywhere in the stadium and is available to both home and away fans.

St Mirren season ticket holder Andrew McGaw is partially sighted and unable to see three quarters of the pitch.

He was a keen user of the service throughout last season and told us: "Last season I discovered the facility which gave me live commentary on matches which immeasurably increased the enjoyment of the game and saved my son from having to talk me through it!" 

The procedure for borrowing a receiver is as follows:

1. The booking form can be downloaded by clicking HERE, it must be completed and e-mailed to info@stmirren.com 24 hours prior to kick-off.

2. The equipment will be collected from Reception where a deposit of £10 will be taken.

3. At the end of the game, the receiver must be returned to Reception where the £10 deposit will be returned.

Further information can be obtained at the club by e-mailing info@stmirren.com

St Mirren can confirm that Gary Irvine has signed a one-year contract extension. 

The full-back has made 60 appearances for the Buddies since signing from Dundee in January 2016. 

The 32 year-old becomes the latest to commit his future to the Saints after Cypriot full-back Stelios Demetriou also signed a new deal this week. 

Saints fans are reminded tickets are now on sale for SMISA's (St Mirren Independent Supporters Association) next event – the St Mirren Quiz in the hospitality suite at the stadium on Friday 23 June from 7.30pm.

This will be a chance for all fans to test their Saints knowledge against fellow fans, as well as players and staff past and present.

SMISA are working on having a team of club legends as well as a team of current staff and players – they are hoping Jack Ross will be able to join us on the night.

Tickets are now available on general sale for £5 via this link. All profits from the night will go to St Mirren’s youth development.

Plus (£25 per month) and Premium members of SMiSA are entitled to a free place for the event and if you haven’t yet claimed yours, you can still do so by emailing contact@smisa.net

A pay bar will be available on the night and there will be Saints-related prizes to be given out. However the terms of the licence means the event is only open to over-18s.

The exact number of teams will be worked out on the night but you can either form a team with a group of friends, or smaller groups could be combined into bigger teams.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible there for what should be a great night.

Jack Ross says he is happy with the way the squad is shaping up ahead of the players returning to pre-season tomorrow. 

The Buddies gaffer added to the squad this week as Stelios Demetriou's contract extension was added to by the signing of Gavin Reilly following the striker's release from Hearts. 

Reilly is the seventh new addition to the squad following deals to bring in Cammy Smith, Jordan Kirkpatrick, Gregor Buchanan, Craig Samson and the two Ross Stewart's. 

And with the players reporting to Ralston tomorrow for the start of pre-season, Jack is satisfied with the way the squad is looking. 

I'm quite pleased with where we are at," Jack told stmirren.com after securing deals for Stelios and Reilly.

"Stelios played a big part in us being successful in the second part of the season and Gavin is a player both James and I have worked with before. I think he is someone still very young with a lot of potential.

"We are almost there squad wise which is terrific before we even start pre-season. 

"It's pleasing that we have managed to retain a good proportion of the squad that ended last season.

"There was always going to be a turnaround because we had a number of loan players and a number of players in different circumstances that meant it was going to be difficult to get them back. We always knew where we were realistically and what we needed to target.

"I think the ones we have brought in have been a good mixture. You look at Craig Samson who is proven, experienced and quality and Gavin Reilly coming from a Premiership club then the other end of the spectrum with Ross Stewart the striker from Albion Rovers.

"There's a really good balance between the group in terms of recruits at different stages with different experience.

"I would like possibly another couple in," he continued. "It just depends on what happens over the pre-season period.

"We have four trialists joining us for pre-season as well that will allow us to look at players in certain positions that we might need to strengthen more. 

"We are fairly well advanced in our planning and an awful lot of work has gone in over these last six weeks."

New recruits Buchanan, Kirkpartick and the two Stewart's will make the step up from part-time football.

Jack confessed there will be a period for the players of having to adapt to the demands of full-time football, but he believes in the players' abilities to do so.

There will be an initial physical adjustment for them just because of their initial experiences.

"But Ross Stewart (the goalkeeper), Jordan Kirkpatrick and Gregor Buchanan have all experienced full time football before so they know what they are coming into.

"As I said there will be a period of adjustment for them all in terms of their body getting used to the demands of it. But the good thing is they are coming in for the first day of pre-season when everybody is getting used to the demands on their body after having a rest period over the summer so they'll be fine.

"Having worked with part-time players the fitness differences between part-time and full-time players are much less than they used to be. They'll be fine, they'll love being back in this environment. That's one of the incentives for them having worked outside football."

The draw for the Betfred Cup group stage was recently announced with the Buddies set to square off against Partick Thistle, Livingston, Airdrieonians and Stranraer in Group H.

The manager is excited for the competition to come around and hopes his side use it as a springboard to get their league campaign off to the best possible start.

It's a tough group," he said. "It's arguably, on paper, the hardest group.

"We'll approach it seriously as if it is just as important as our first league games. We did that last year when I was at Alloa and we won all our group games and continued that momentum and form into the opening period of the season. That's what we will look to do again.

"I want to go in and win every group game because it sees you qualify for the latter stages but second of all it continues the momentum we had from the end of last season and creates a momentum going into the opening league game.

"It excites supporters and undoubtedly the cup runs helped continue to galvanise the cup last season. Hopefully we have a squad now that has depth that will enable us to deal with these games when they come around."

St Mirren Football Club are delighted to announce the signing of Gavin Reilly on a one-year deal.

The striker joins the Buddies after leaving Ladbrokes Premiership side Hearts.

The 24 year-old enjoyed a successful spell in the Championship with Queen of the South where he worked with Saints assistant manager James Fowler. 

His form in the 2014/15 season earned him his move to Gorgie where he featured 32 times scoring 4 goals. 

Reilly spent last season in the Championship on loan to Dunfermline and now joins the Saints on a permanent deal for the 2017/18 campaign.

Speaking on the move, Reilly said: "I'm glad everything is sorted now and just looking forward to getting going on Thursday.

"I worked quickly with him [Jack] when he was at Hearts and I've worked with James Fowler when he was at Queen of the South.

"I knew this would be a good surrounding and setting for me and just looking forward to get going."

James Fowler said: "I think he will bring pace, an energy and goals as well.

"He's someone who works really hard as a striker and he'll threaten in behind which is probably something we lacked in the forward areas last season."

Gavin's full interview can be viewed below. 

St Mirren will face Ladbrokes Premiership side Dundee in a friendly on Tuesday 4 July at the Paisley 2021 Stadium. 

The Buddies last faced the Dee in January when Jack Ross' side triumphed by 2-0 in the William Hill Scottish Cup at Dens Park.

Kick-off will be at 7:45pm and we will announce ticket arrangements in due course. 

St Mirren Football Club can announce that Stelios Demetriou has put pen to paper as he has agreed a one-year contract extension at the Buddies.

The Cypriot full back quickly became a fans favourite after joining the club in January as he scored three goals in 15 appearances including a brace in the 2-0 win over Hibernian in March. 

The 26 year-old's performances in the black and white of St Mirren have lead to him being nicknamed 'The Maverick' and he signs on for the 2017/18 campaign. 

Speaking on the extension, Stelios said: "I'm really happy to be back. It feels like I am home. 

"We have a big job to do this year with higher targets and I'm really positive that we are going to start like we finished last year.

"The best time of my football career has been here at the Saints." 

When Season Tickets went on sale a few weeks ago we announced that if we achieve 1000 Adult/Concession Season Ticket holders in the West Stand, that the Club would guarantee that the whole stand will be for St Mirren fans, with the exception of Cup games, where it may need to be segregated.

We have been delighted with the response and are already well past the halfway mark towards our target with the Ticket Office staff confirming this morning that 585 Season Tickets have been sold for the West Stand so far. 

We would like to thank supporters for the loyalty they have shown ahead of the new season. 

Those wishing to purchase a Season Ticket can still do so at 'Early Bird' prices right up until July 2nd. 

For more details on Season Tickets click HERE.