This month marks 100 years since St Mirren were invited, along with English side Notts County, to Spain by Barcelona to participate in the inauguration of their new £75,000 stadium at Les Corts. 

Then St Mirren manager Johnny Cochrane took a squad of 14 players to Spain where several more matches were organised for the Saints. First up were a couple of matches against Barcelona/Catalan select teams, which were lost 1-2 and 0-1. 

The official match to open the new Les Corts stadium took place on 25th May 1922 as Saints faced Notts County with more than 20,000 in attendance.

In blistering conditions, the first-half finished 0-0. During the interval, County sought the sanctuary of the cool dressing room while the Buddies remained on the pitch. This had the double effect of keeping the players acclimatised and also won over the Spanish crowd who got behind the team for the second half.

That support was rewarded when Dunky Walker put Saints in front ten minutes into the half and they were almost on full-time when County equalised to force extra-time. Towards the end of extra-time Saints got the winner, scored by, who else, Dunky Walker. After the victory, Saints were presented with the Barcelona Cup which still resides in the boardroom of the SMiSA Stadium to this day.

Whilst in Barcelona, Saints were treated to some good Scottish hospitality by ex-pats who were working at the J&P Coats Mill in nearby Sant Andreu.

The tour didn't end there though with the team moving on to Santander to play two matches against North Spain Select teams.

The first match in Santander was won 3-2. The second match saw some bizarre refereeing! Leading 2-1 going into the final stages of the match, Saints conceded a penalty which Keeper Jock Bradford saved. The referee then began to give some strange decisions in favour of the Spaniards, but Saints held out. In the 10th minute of injury-time the Select team were awarded another 'soft' penalty. Once again Bradford saved the kick, but the referee awarded a re-take and this time it was converted to level the scores. The final whistle went immediately afterwards!

After this, the Buddies defeated Gijon 7-2 with Dunky Walker claiming six goals. The following day however Gijon won a second match 4-1, but it could not dampen the satisfaction of an excellent tour.

Four years later, Johnny Cochrane would lead Saints to their first Scottish Cup triumph in front of 100,000 people with a 2-0 win over Celtic at Hampden. 

A version of this article first appeared in the St Mirren matchday programme. 

We encourage the purchase of season tickets if you regularly attend matches because the savings made on walk-up prices are significant. However, we know season tickets are a big financial commitment and we continue to offer interest free payment plans available for those who may wish to spread the cost of a season ticket.

Our loyalty period runs from Monday 23rd May to Sunday 12th June giving you three weeks to renew your ticket and retain your seat through our payment plan. Please note on Monday 13th June all seats will be released to the general public so now is the time to renew! The ticket office will support you in the provision of the payment option so please visit them to renew your seat during the loyalty period. However, please note as in previous years, the payment plan is based on full price tickets because we are unable to offer early bird on this plan.

After the loyalty period you can still set up a payment plan, but you will not be able to renew you seat from last season as it will be released to the general public.

*Please note for NEW season ticket holders looking to use our payment plan, this will be available from Monday 13th June*

2022/23 Payment Plan (Full Price) Tickets

As we approach Season 2022/23, there will be strength in numbers as we strive towards greatness to make Paisley proud.

Together we will enter the SMiSA Stadium from the start of the season. This is our town, our team. It’s our club, our family and #OurStMirren.

Our loyalty period runs from Monday 23rd May to Sunday 12th June giving you three weeks to renew your ticket and retain your seat at our early bird prices. Please note on Monday 13th June all seats will be released into general early bird sale so now is the time to renew! Unfortunately, this window will not be extended this season because the league commences at an earlier date. Further, last season we made allowances to compensate for the new ticketing system.

Once your ticket order is complete, QR/barcodes will be emailed to you to function as your season ticket. The physical cards will be printed in the coming weeks; we will update you when they are available, before the season commences.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to renew your tickets.

Season Ticket Update

#OurFans

To simplify and streamline our season ticket offering for the 2022-2023 season, we have undertaken a collaborative review across the organisation. You will note that the categories available are now Adult, Concession (including Over 65s, 13–17-Year-Olds, Students, and our new concession supporting those who are Unemployed), Family, U12, Ambulant and Wheelchair. We ask that you select the corresponding category when you renew your seat(s).

There is further supportive information outlined below for ambulant and family tickets. Please note that if you are selecting a concession category for the first time, we will ask that you provide proof of this before you collect your new season ticket.

We want to remain competitive on the pitch and give the manager the best resources we possibly can in our quest for a top six position. After freezing pricing for the past three seasons, we have decided to increase prices to help meet the rising costs that are affecting all businesses and individuals. Rest assured this decision was not made lightly and we have endeavoured to reduce the impact as much as possible. However, we continue to offer great value for money in comparison with other Premiership clubs. For the full statement from John Needham the Chairman please click HERE.

#OurFamily

We are delighted to say our family ticket now includes two adults and three children under the age of 17, as opposed to under the age of 13, offering excellent value for money for a family day out. This ticket is approximately £30 per family per game which is a massive saving on walk-up prices, costing up to £95 per visit. More information on purchasing this bundle ticket is outlined below. Please note that family ticket renewals, or to transfer to a family ticket must be done at the ticket office. This is a special ticket bundle and cannot be purchased online.

Please note for all season ticket holders in the Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand, your ticket, as in previous seasons, does not include the Old Firm games. When the decision is finalised regarding retention of this stand, following the fan survey, we will provide information on attendance for these fixtures.

#OurBuddies

We have introduced a concession category for anyone who is unemployed. This will be the same price as all other concession tickets and save you over £150 depending on where you sit. We hope that this will help those affected to afford to continue to come along and support your team. We ask that you select this category during your renewal to take advantage of this offer. Please note that you will be asked to produce proof of your status when you collect your ticket, we will only require this once per season.

We will also be introducing a scheme to allow you to support your fellow Buddies by buying tickets for them to come to games, more information will be available in due course.

#OurSupport

We encourage the purchase of season tickets if you regularly attend matches because the savings made on walk-up prices are significant. However, we know season tickets are a big financial commitment and we continue to offer interest free payment plans available for those who may wish to spread the cost of a season ticket. The ticket office will support you in the provision of this payment option so please visit them to renew your seat during the loyalty period. However, please note as in previous years, the payment plan is based on full price tickets because we are unable to offer early bird on this plan.

#OurBenefits

We are excited to announce our latest list of season ticket holder benefits and discounts.

With your 2022/23 Season card you will have access to all discounts outlined here. We would like to thank all the organisations involved for providing such generous offers to our fans.

#OurStMirren

There is much appreciation for the dedication and loyalty shown by yourselves year after year. We recognise season tickets are a large upfront cost and an emotional purchase. Thank you for your understanding as we enter a new chapter.

How to Renew 

During our three-week loyalty period, commencing on Monday 23rd May, we are holding your seat to allow you time to renew your ticket for next season and guarantee your seat with the added benefit of early bird pricing. You will have until midnight on Sunday 12th June before we release the seats from the loyalty period into general sale. Early bird prices will be available for a further 3 weeks after the seats have been released. Once this period has ended all sales will move to full price.

The simplest and fastest way to renew your tickets is online, but if you require support, please visit the ticket office during this 3-week period from Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Tuesday and Thursday late nights 5pm – 7pm, or call 0141 840 6120. Further, you can email tickets@stmirren.com. We ask that if you call or email, please only do this once because we will get to you in order that the call or email was made.

We have created a guide to support you in renewing your season ticket. The step-by-step process is outlined below:

Please visit stmirren.com/seasontickets to start your renewal process. 

1. You will be asked for your 13-digit barcode number so please ensure you have it ready. If you have bought multiple season tickets any of these barcodes will work. The barcode is printed on your current season ticket or can be found on the email that confirmed your season ticket for the 2021/22.
2. After you have entered your barcode, you will be taken to a screen that will highlight the seats in your previous order.
3. If you wish to continue without any changes from the previous season, select add to basket and go to checkout where you can make payment for your order.
4. a. If you no longer require one of your seats, click on the seat to deselect it and it will be removed from your order
   b. If you wish to change seats, then please deselect your current seat and pick any available seat to add to your order.
   c. If you wish to change your season ticket type based on a change of circumstances, click on the seat that you wish to change to deselect it and then select it again and chose the appropriate ticket type. (Please note if you are selecting a concession or ambulant for the first time then your ticket will be ‘live’ once you have provided proof of your concession).
   d. If you wish to add another seat to your order, you will be able to select any of the available seats and choose the appropriate ticket type.
   e. To continue, please add to basket and proceed to checkout where you can make payment for your order.
   f. We ask that you take the time to fill in the correct information for each of the season ticket holders in order that names, ticket types and seats match accordingly. Please check these details before you complete your order.

Ambulant Ticket Renewal 

Renewal for any fan who is currently in receipt of an ambulant ticket, and entitled to a free carer ticket, will be slightly different this season.

Please follow all the steps as above but ensure you deselect your seat and reselect it under the ambulant category. This allows us to provide you with the appropriate seating for yourself and a carer. Do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any issues.

Family Tickets (Tony Fitzpatrick Family Stand) Ticket Renewal

As always, we are delighted to offer fans the superb value of our family ticket. It now incorporates two adults and up to three children under the age of 17. You may be eligible for this offer when you previously weren’t.

This bundle will not be available online, so we ask that you visit the ticket office during opening hours to benefit from this great deal, either as a renewal or as a change of ticket type.

Our first summer signing is here! 

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to confirm the signing of Mark O’Hara.

The 26-year-old officially joins Saints on a two-year deal after agreeing a pre-contract following the expiry of his contract at fellow cinch Premiership side Motherwell. 

Mark becomes our first signing ahead of the new season with more to follow over the coming weeks.

The midfielder has amassed almost 300 career appearances having began his career at Kilmarnock with his first-team debut coming in 2012 at the age of 16. 

After four seasons in the Kilmarnock first-team, O’Hara signed for Dundee in 2016. He would spend two years with the Dark Blues before moving down south to sign for Peterborough United. 

There were loan spells at Lincoln City and Motherwell – where he would work with manager Stephen Robinson – before he joined the Steelmen permanently ahead of the 2020/21 season. Mark would make 74 appearances scoring six goals for Motherwell and played a part in their qualification for Europe.  

After completing the deal, Mark told stmirren.com: "I spoke with the manager and I could just feel that it's going to be something special next season so I'm happy to be a part of that.

I feel now I'm well experienced and I do have a lot to bring the team. I feel my best football is yet to come and hopefully that will be with St Mirren over the coming seasons.

"The manager sees me as a box-to-box midfielder, getting about the park and affecting both ends of the pitch. But I'm happy to help the team in any way that I can.

"I wish I could just get started right away but I'll enjoy my next couple of weeks and I'm really relishing the challenge coming in here."

Mark is available to sponsor for the upcoming season. For more details please contact commercial@stmirren.com

The manager reflects on his first couple of months at St Mirren and looks ahead to the new season as well as his plans for Saints.

On behalf of myself and my fellow Directors, I thank you for your fantastic support through what has been a season of change on and off the pitch.

It is hard to believe that the SMiSA Stadium was without fans at the start of the season. Everyone at the Club is grateful that you got behind the team during a time of so much uncertainty, resulting in record season ticket sales – including over 1,000 on the opening day - in the faith that you would get back into the stadium to support the team. Thankfully, that day came relatively early in the season, and it has been a joy to witness busy stands once again.

Overall, we enjoyed a number of successes on the field including reaching a Scottish Cup Quarter-Final and amassing one of our highest points totals in recent years. That said I hope this will be merely a platform to achieve even greater success next season.

Some important information is outlined below regarding season ticket renewals, including some great new offers:

#OurTickets - Season Tickets will be on sale from Monday 23rd May and we are providing a three week loyalty period for current season ticket holders to allow you to retain your seat at early bird pricing. Letters and emails will be with you by Monday 23rd May with instructions on how to renew your tickets. The fastest and easiest way will be online but there will also be support from the ticket office for those that require it.

#OurFans - To ensure as many fans as possible can continue to come to our matches, and to encourage the next generation of supporters, we are delighted to share some new season ticket offers that will offer support with attendance throughout the season.

#OurFamily - Our family ticket now includes two adults and three children under the age of 17, as opposed to under the age of 13, offering excellent value for money for a family day out. This ticket works out around £30 per family per game which is a massive saving on walk-up prices, costing up to £95 per visit.

#OurBuddies - Further, we have introduced a concession category for anyone who is unemployed. This will be the same price as all other concession tickets and save you over £150 depending on where you sit. We hope that this will help those affected to afford to continue to come along and support your team. We will also be introducing a scheme to allow you to support your fellow Buddies by buying tickets for them to come to games. More details will follow on this soon.

#OurSupport - We encourage the purchase of season tickets if you regularly attend matches because the savings made on walk-up prices are significant. However, we know season tickets are a big financial commitment and we continue to offer interest free payment plans available for those who may wish to spread the cost of a season ticket. The ticket office will be able to provide you with further information about these offers.

#OurClub - To simplify and streamline our season ticket offering for the 2022-2023 season, we have undertaken a collaborative review across the organisation. Like you, I want us to remain competitive on the pitch and give the manager the best resources we possibly can in our quest for a top six position. After freezing pricing for the past three seasons, we have decided to increase prices to help meet the rising costs that are affecting all businesses and individuals. Rest assured this decision was not made lightly and we have endeavoured to reduce the impact as much as possible. However, we continue to offer great value for money in comparison with other Premiership clubs.

#OurStMirren - A topic of discussion that we know many fans are passionate about is the retention of our three home stands for all fixtures. I established a Working Group to consider our options and present a paper so the Board could make an informed decision on the best way to proceed for the coming season. They delivered a well thought out report and I want place on record my thanks to the fans involved in the process for their dedication and commitment to considering all of the angles. Essentially, we have a list of potential approaches with various pros and cons.

We now want to engage with our supporters for their input on how best to proceed via a survey during the close season before making a decision on how to move forward. I hope you will see this as a real example of fan ownership and community engagement in action.

We will be sending the survey to current Season Ticket holders, SMiSA members and fans who have previously registered for tickets by the end of May and look forward to collaborating with you on the best outcome for the club and the fans. Once we receive your feedback, we will consider it carefully and announce our final decision before the start of the season.

Once again, I want to say thank you for your loyalty and support to our club in these unprecedented times and look forward to the future. #OurStMirren

St Mirren Football Club is delighted to confirm that Ryan Flynn has signed a one-year contract extension that ties him to the club until summer 2023.

Ryan – affectionately known to fans as Flynniesta for his composed performances in midfield – joined St Mirren in January 2018 to help our Premiership promotion push with the club returning to the top-flight after winning the Championship in April 2018.

The 33-year-old has played a vital part in the squad during his four years at the club and reached his milestone 100th appearance for Saints in November 2021.

While Ryan will continue to be an important part of the first-team squad next season, he will take his first steps towards his future after playing as he begins his coach education 

Speaking to stmirren.com, Ryan said: "I’m delighted to be extending my contract.

"Everyone knows how much I’ve loved my time at St Mirren and I think the club has been good for me. Hopefully I can pay them back with some good performances next season.

"I’m also going to start doing my coaching badges but I’m still concentrating on playing first and foremost."

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson added: "I think Ryan offers us a vast amount of experience and is very popular with players and fans as well.

"I’ve worked with Ryan before and he’s got a great attitude, is a great pro and is someone we felt it was necessary to keep and play a part in us moving forward.

"As mentioned, he has great experience that he can pass on to the young midfielders that we have and can act as a link between the young kids and the first-team. He’ll play a part in the squad and he can play in a number of different positions."

Following the conclusion of the 2021/22 season, the club can provide supporters with an update on the squad.

Ryan Flynn has agreed a one-year contract extension as has goalkeeper Peter Urminsky, while an offer has been made to Alex Gogic following the expiry of his loan agreement.

St Mirren Youth Academy graduates Kieran Offord and Dean McMaster will also move up to the first-team on a permanent basis next season, while Fraser Taylor has been offered a first-team contract.

We can confirm that Alan Power, Kyle McAllister, Matt Millar and Josh Jack will leave the club following the expiry of their contracts, while Connor Ronan and Jordan Jones have returned to their parent clubs Wolverhampton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic respectively. We thank them all immensely for their contributions to St Mirren and wish them all the best for their future.

Offers were made to Jak Alnwick and Conor McCarthy following the expiry of their contracts, however, both have decided that their future lies elsewhere and they too leave with our best wishes.

The club is working hard to add to the core of players already in the squad and will continue to update supporters as this progresses.

Under Contract 2022/23

Dean Lyness, Peter Urminsky, Richard Tait, Scott Tanser, Joe Shaughnessy, Ryan Flynn, Eamonn Brophy, Curtis Main, Greg Kiltie, Jay Henderson, Dylan Reid, Ethan Erhahon, Daniel Finlayson, Charles Dunne, Alex Greive, Marcus Fraser, Lewis Jamieson, Kieran Offord and Dean McMaster.

Offers Made

Alex Gogic and Fraser Taylor. 

Leaving the club

Alan Power, Kyle McAllister, Matt Millar, Josh Jack, Conor McCarthy, Jak Alnwick, Connor Ronan (returning to Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Jordan Jones (returning to Wigan Athletic). 

Alex Greive has been called up to the New Zealand National Team for their upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Intercontinental Play-Off and warm-up games. 

New Zealand will face Peru in a friendly in Barcelona on Sunday 5th June before taking on Costa Rica in their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Intercontinental Play-Off in Doha on Tuesday 14th June. 

Alex will be looking to add to the four caps he has received for New Zealand - all of which have come since his move to Saints in January. 

Everyone at St Mirren would like to wish Alex Greive all the best during his time away with the New Zealand. 

Keith Lasley has officially joined St Mirren today as he gets underway as the club's new Chief Operating Officer. 

It was announced in April that Keith would join the club following the conclusion of the season after the retirement of Chief Executive Tony Fitzpatrick in March. 

Today marked Keith's first day at St Mirren and he is looking forward to tackling his new role. 

"I'm very excited," he told stmirren.com

"I grew up five minutes down the road so I know the club, I know the potential it has, the fanbase it has and I know there are some very good people working within the club at the moment. For me to come in and be a part of driving it forward is something that is so exciting for me and I can't wait to get started now. 

"I'm in the process of completing my Masters at Manchester Metropolitan University in Sporting Directorship. It's something I think suits my skillset and hopefully I can bring a drive and an energy to this job. I'm sure there will be aspects of the job I'll need to learn as I go but I'm willing to do that and I'm hungry to do that. 

"While there is a lot of good practice and a lot of good things we did at Motherwell over the years, what I'm conscious of is that every club has its own story and it's up to me to immerse myself in this football club. I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the building, the supporters, the local community and everybody connected to the club."

Watch Keith's first interview as St Mirren Chief Operating Officer in full below!